Sharks at Oilers
Connor McDavid ended the regular season with a 14-game point streak and hopes to carry it into the postseason when the Edmonton Oilers return after a lengthy absence to host the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series. McDavid collected seven goals and 18 assists during his run and finished with 100 points to capture the Art Ross Trophy.
The 20-year-old captain faces a new challenge as Edmonton is participating in the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. The Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division, four points ahead of the Sharks, thanks to a 12-2-0 run over their final 14 contests. San Jose limped into the postseason after making the first Cup Final appearance in franchise history last year, losing nine of its last 13 games. The Sharks hope to have two of their top four scorers back in the lineup as Logan Couture (52 points) and Joe Thornton (50) both are questionable after missing the final seven and three games with facial and knee injuries, respectively.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, USA, TVAS, NBC Sports California (San Jose), Sportsnet (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE SHARKS (46-29-7): Couture and Thornton both have practiced each of the last two days but are not guaranteed to rejoin the lineup Wednesday. "Both those guys are day-to-day," coach Peter DeBoer told reporters on Tuesday. "They both looked good today at practice, but that will be a game-time decision." More will be expected from Joe Pavelski should Couture and Thornton not play as the captain shared the team lead with 29 goals during the regular season and has scored 40 in 105 career playoff games, including 14 during the team's run to the Final in 2016.
ABOUT THE OILERS (47-26-9): McDavid, who also led the league with 70 assists, joined Wayne Gretzky as the only Oilers to win the regular-season scoring title and was the first member of the franchise to reach the 100-point plateau since Doug Weight in 1995-96. He became the third-youngest player in NHL history - behind Sidney Crosby and Gretzky - to capture the Art Ross Trophy at 20 years, 86 days as Edmonton made the largest increase in points (33) in the league after placing 29th last season. Leon Draisaitl finished second on the team in both goals (29) and points (77) and ended the campaign nearly as hot as McDavid, landing on the scoresheet in 12 of the final 14 games (six goals, 15 assists).
OVERTIME
1. Oilers coach Todd McLellan is quite familiar with his opponent, as he guided the Sharks from 2008-15.
2. San Jose D Brent Burns shared the team lead in goals with Pavelski and also topped the club with 47 assists and a career-high 76 points.
3. Edmonton and San Jose have met just once in the postseason, with the Oilers defeating the Sharks 4-2 in the 2006 Western Conference semifinals.