Programming note – Sharks-Oilers coverage starts today at 6:30 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on NBC Sports California
SERIES SCHEDULE
The Oilers lead the best-of-seven series, two games to one.
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Game 1: Sharks 3, Oilers 2 (OT)
Game 2: Oilers 2, Sharks 0
Game 3: Oilers 1, Sharks 0
Game 4: Tuesday, April 18, Oilers @ Sharks (7 p.m.)
Game 5: Thursday, April 20, Sharks @ Oilers (7:30 p.m.)
*Game 6: Saturday, April 22, Oilers @ Sharks (TBD)
*Game 7: Monday, April 24, Sharks @ Oilers (TBD)
* - if necessary
PREGAME NEWS AND NOTES
***The Sharks enter Game 4 having not scored in the last 120 minutes since Melker Karlsson’s overtime goal in Game 1. Cam Talbot is the first Oilers goalie to record back-to-back shutouts since Curtis Joseph in the 1998 Western Conference Quarterfinals.
San Jose Sharks
After getting 44 shots in Game 1, the Sharks have just a combined 39 shots in games two and three. San Jose has yet to play with a lead.
***The Oilers have won five of the last six games with the Sharks, including the final three of the regular season. Dating back to March 14, Edmonton has won 14 of its last 17 overall.
***The Sharks have lost their last three home playoff games, dating back to last season. They had won eight of 10 at SAP Center before dropping games four and six of the Stanley Cup Final to the Penguins.
KEEP AN EYE ON...
Sharks: Joe Thornton. The future Hall of Fame center returned to the lineup for Game 3, notching a pair of shots in 16:27 of ice time. He wasn’t on the ice at the end of the game, though, as the Sharks were searching for the equalizing goal, suggesting he’s not playing at 100 percent. Thornton also couldn’t help the scuffling power play, which is now 1-for-14 in the series, despite returning to his place on the top unit.
Oilers: Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers moved Draisaitl off of the Connor McDavid line in the second period, and his new line with Zack Kassian generated the only goal of the game. Edmonton’s second-leading scorer in the regular season, the 21-year-old Cologne, Germany native is still looking for his first point in the series.
PROBABLE LINES
Sharks
Melker Karlsson – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Patrick Marleau – Logan Couture – Joel Ward
Joonas Donskoi – Tomas Hertl – Jannik Hansen
Marcus Sorensen – Chris Tierney – Timo Meier
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon – David Schlemko
Martin Jones (starter)
Aaron Dell
Oilers
Patrick Maroon – Connor McDavid – Anton Slepyshev
Milan Lucic – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Drake Caggiula – Leon Draisaitl – Zack Kassian
Benoit Pouliot – Mark Letestu – David Desharnais
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning
Cam Talbot (starter)
Laurent Brossoit
INJURIES
Sharks: None.
Oilers: Tyler Pitlick (torn ACL) is out.
SHARKS PLAYOFF RECORD WHEN…
The Sharks are 3-10 all-time when trailing a series two-games-to-one. They are 6-9 all-time when a series is tied at two games apiece, and 0-6 all-time when trailing three-games-to-one.
The Sharks have an all-time Game 4 record of 17-18, including 9-10 at home.
QUOTEABLE
“We want to create some offensive chances. I don't think we're getting enough, and when we do get the chances we're not hitting the net or putting it in the net. That first period of last night's game it would have been nice to get a couple because we certainly had some chances to do it and either missed the net or didn't put it in." – Logan Couture