Programming note – Sharks-Jets coverage starts today at 4:30 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California
WHERE THEY STAND
Sharks: 38-19-7, 83 points, 1st Pacific Division
Jets: 30-30-6, 66 points, 5th Central Division
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PREGAME NEWS AND NOTES
***The Sharks had their eight-game point streak snapped last night in Minnesota, losing 3-1 to the Wild in a game that wasn’t as close as the score. San Jose, 18-12-3 on the road this season, is wrapping up a brief two-game road trip before opening a season-long six-game homestand on Thursday with the Capitals.
***Winnipeg brings a 5-1-2 record in its last eight games into tonight’s third and final game with San Jose. The Jets, who have scored at least three goals in each of their last eight games, are three points behind St. Louis for the second and final wild card spot with the Kings also above them in the standings.
***The Sharks won the first two meetings of the season series: Jan. 16 at home, 5-2; and on Jan. 24 in Winnipeg, 4-3. Aaron Dell got the win in the Sharks’ only other visit to MTS Centre, making 31 saves, and could start again in the second of a back-to-back.
San Jose Sharks
***Joonas Donskoi, who was considered healthy yesterday, is expected to play for the first time since getting hurt on Jan. 23. He has 15 points (6g, 9a) in 44 games.
***Joe Thornton remains stuck on 999 career assists, just one shy of becoming the 13th player in NHL history to have 1,000 for his career. He has just one assist, on an emtpy net goal, in his last five games.
KEEP AN EYE ON...
Sharks: Kevin Labanc. The rookie left wing has now gone 25 games without a goal, and could be due for a stint in the AHL once Jannik Hansen finally sorts out his immigration issues. The Sharks’ top line managed a combined two shots on goal on Sunday in Minnesota, one each for Labanc and Joe Pavelski, and has been disturbingly quiet since the bye week.
Jets: Patrik Laine. The youngster tallied his 32nd goal on Saturday, leading all rookies and trialing only Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby for most in the NHL. His 58 points is three more than Toronto’s Auston Matthews, despite Laine playing six fewer games. At this moment, the 18-year-old is probably the Calder Trophy favorite.
PROBABLE LINES
Sharks
Kevin Labanc – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Patrick Marleau – Logan Couture – Mikkel Boedker
Joonas Donskoi – Tomas Hertl – Joel Ward
Micheal Haley – Chris Tierney – Melker Karlsson
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon – Dylan DeMelo
Martin Jones
Aaron Dell
Jets
Mathieu Perreault – Mark Scheifele – Patrik Laine
Nikolaj Ehlers – Bryan Little – Blake Wheeler
Shawn Matthias – Adam Lowry – Joel Armia
Marko Dano – Andrew Copp – Chris Thorburn
Toby Enstrom – Dustin Byfuglien
Josh Morrissey – Jacob Trouba
Ben Chiarot – Paul Postma
Connor Hellebuyck
Michael Hutchinson
INJURIES
Sharks: David Schlemko (lower body) is questionable.
Jets: Tyler Myers (lower body) and Ondrej Pavelec (arthroscopic surgery) are out.
QUOTEABLE
“They came as advertised. They were very good. We were not as good as them. It was the proper result.” – Pete DeBoer to reporters after the Sharks’ 3-1 loss in Minnesota on Sunday