Sharks at Kings
THE STORY: Two teams currently out of a playoff position but within a single point of first place in the Pacific Division do battle Tuesday as the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Both teams trail Colorado by one point for eighth place. They also are a point behind division-leading Dallas. Los Angeles has won four straight while San Jose has lost five of six on the road and 13 of 18 overall.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN California (San Jose), FSN West (Los Angeles), NBCSN
ABOUT THE SHARKS (36-26-10): Lack of offense has been the root of San Jose's current problem. The club has scored three goals or fewer in each of its last 17 games. It hasn't taken long for Martin Havlat to find his offensive touch. The six-time 20-goal scorer was kept off the scoresheet in his return to action following a 39-game absence due to a torn hamstring. But he scored two goals in his second game back, including the winner in overtime, and added a tally and an assist in Monday's loss to Anaheim.
ABOUT THE KINGS (35-25-12): Jeff Carter appears to have been exactly what Los Angeles needed as the team has gone 8-3-0 since acquiring the forward on Feb. 23 from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The club has averaged 3.36 goals per game since Carter's arrival as opposed to a 2.05 average beforehand. Carter has provided some of the offensive punch, recording five goals and three assists. Anze Kopitar has stepped up his game since Carter came on board, notching at least one point in nine of his last 10 games. Kopitar enters Tuesday with a three-game goal-scoring streak. Captain Dustin Brown began turning it up before the addition as he has collected 17 points over his last 13 contests. Los Angeles has won seven of nine and is 1-0-0 on its four-game homestand.
OVERTIME:
1. The Kings and Sharks conclude the regular season with a home-and-home series.
2. Los Angeles has allowed two goals or less in each game during its winning streak.