Oilers at Sharks
The San Jose Sharks finally have both of their top injured forwards back in the lineup, but their returns have done nothing to improve the team's offense. San Jose looks to avoid being shut out a third straight time and even their Western Conference first-round series when it hosts the Edmonton Oilers for Game 4 on Tuesday.
Logan Couture was back in the Sharks' lineup for the series opener after missing the final seven regular-season games with a facial injury and Joe Thornton returned for Game 3 after sitting out a total of five contests with a knee ailment, but neither has recorded a point in the matchup. Since the club rallied from a two-goal deficit in Game 1 to post a 3-2 overtime victory, San Jose has not had anyone notch a point as Cam Talbot turned aside all 39 shots he faced to register back-to-back shutouts and give Edmonton a 2-1 series lead. Zack Kassian, who scored seven goals in 79 games during the regular season and none in the first nine playoff contests of his career, recorded the game-winner in each of the Oilers' victories - including a short-handed tally in Game 2. Captain Connor McDavid was kept off the scoresheet in Game 3, ending his 16-game point streak that began on March 14.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS, Sportsnet, (Edmonton), NBC Sports California (San Jose)
ABOUT THE OILERS: Edmonton finally displayed some discipline in Game 3, taking only two penalties after being whistled for six in each of the first two contests. Despite being short-handed a league-high 14 times entering Monday's action, the Oilers have allowed just one power play goal (92.8 percent) to rank third among the 16 playoff teams. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom showed no ill effects from the bone bruise in his left foot he suffered in the previous contest as he saw a team-high 24 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time in Game 3.
ABOUT THE SHARKS: Thornton, who wore a brace on his knee, spent 16:27 on the ice in his first game since April 2 - recording two shots and blocking one while losing both of his faceoffs. "He's our emotional leader," coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. "Gutsy effort by him. There was just no keeping him out (of the lineup). I think he came out and had a great game for us for not playing in a while." San Jose was extremely physical in Game 3, registering 58 hits - including 32 in the first period, which was five shy of Edmonton's total for the entire contest.
OVERTIME
1. Oilers D Kris Russell, who led the NHL with 213 blocked shots during the regular season, recorded a game-high five in Game 3 and entered Monday topping all players in the postseason with 16.
2. San Jose LW Mikkel Boedker was scratched for Game 3 to make room in the lineup for Thornton.
3. Only four of the eight goals over the first three games of the series were scored at even strength, including two of Edmonton's five tallies.