Sharks at Flames
The San Jose Sharks shoot for their third straight victory when they visit the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. San Jose squandered a two-goal lead against the Canucks on Tuesday before posting a 3-2 shootout win in Vancouver. It was the second triumph in a row for the Sharks, who had not won consecutive contests since ending January with a seven-game winning streak.
Calgary also is coming off a victory over Vancouver as it scored three unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 home triumph on Sunday. Captain Jarome Iginla snapped a 2-2 tie with 7:24 remaining in the third period and Danny Taylor made 29 saves for his first NHL win. The Flames, who dropped a 4-1 decision to San Jose on Jan. 20 in the season opener for both teams, look to move over the .500 mark for the first time this campaign.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CSN California (San Jose), Rogers Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE SHARKS (11-6-4): Todd McLellan pulled even with Ron Wilson for first place on the franchise list Tuesday by notching his 206th coaching victory. Scott Gomez and Adam Burish gave San Jose a 2-0 lead with their first goals with the club. Gomez ended a 23-game drought while Burish scored for the first time in 45 contests. "I'm just more happy for (Burish) scoring," Gomez said. "It's just a huge lift. We sit next to each other on the plane, and the other day we were saying one of us was due." Offense remains a concern for the Sharks, who have scored two goals or less in each of their last 11 games and 15 of 16. Captain Joe Thornton was kept off the scoresheet Tuesday, leaving him three points behind Frank Mahovlich (1,103) for 55th place on the all-time list. Martin Havlat was scratched in Vancouver with a lower-body injury and is unlikely to play against the Flames.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (8-8-4): Iginla has begun to heat up after a slow start. The veteran has scored five goals in his last four games after tallying just once in his first 16 contests. Taylor improved to 1-1-0 in two starts this season, his first in the NHL since making a relief appearance for Los Angeles in 2007-08. The British-born 26-year-old was a seventh-round pick of the Kings in 2004. "It's every kid's dream to grow up and play in the NHL and win games," Taylor said. "It's obviously a dream come true, but I'm not satisfied. I want more. I want to win more." Brian McGrattan made his debut with the Flames on Sunday and collected 15 minutes in penalties. The enforcer was acquired from the Nashville Predators on Thursday for defenseman Joe Piskula. After notching just one point in his previous seven games, Jiri Hudler has recorded five assists in his last two contests. Matt Stajan's next point will be the 300th of his career.
OVERTIME
1. Sharks LW Patrick Marleau remains one goal shy of 400 for his career.
2. San Jose is 6-1-1 in its last eight meetings with Calgary.
3. The Flames are the only Western Conference team yet to win in the shootout (0-3).
PREDICTION: Flames 3, Sharks 2