Sharks at Coyotes
Melker Karlsson has scored in each of the last five games, but the San Jose Sharks have just two wins to show for it. The 24-year-old Swede looks to continue his torrid streak and set the franchise rookie record for consecutive contests with a tally when the Sharks visit the Pacific Division-rival Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Karlsson, who has collected six goals and 10 points in 14 games, didn't receive any help from his teammates as San Jose dropped a 3-1 decision to the streaking New York Rangers on Saturday.
"I scored (versus New York) and it's unreal," Karlsson said. "In the end, I just want to win games. It's nice to score, but we lost." Arizona knows the result all too well, plummeting to its third setback in five contests with a 5-1 defeat against Ottawa on Saturday. Mikkel Boedker scored versus the Senators to increase his goal total to three over the last two games and notched a pair of assists in the Coyotes' 4-3 shootout victory over the Sharks on Nov. 22.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN California (San Jose), FSN Plus Arizona
ABOUT THE SHARKS (22-16-5): Joe Thornton mustered just one shot on goal and finished at minus-3 versus the Rangers in his return from a four-game absence due to a shoulder injury. The veteran, who saw his five-game point streak come to an end in the contest, traditionally has torched the Coyotes to the tune of 71 points (20 goals, 51 assists) in 67 career meetings. Antti Niemi has yielded 15 goals en route to losing three of his last four outings but owns a 12-4-4 career record versus Arizona.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (16-21-4): Although mired in a difficult stretch, Arizona saw center Martin Hanzal and defenseman Zbynek Michalek return to practice after being sidelined due to upper-body injuries. Hanzal is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game on Tuesday while Michalek could be on the ice versus San Jose. Antoine Vermette, who most assuredly will be in the lineup, scored in regulation and netted the lone shootout tally in the teams' first meeting.
OVERTIME
1. Arizona is 7-for-11 on the power play in its last three wins and 0-for-9 in its last three losses.
2. San Jose is just 3-for-35 with the man advantage over its last eight contests.
3. Coyotes All-Star D Oliver Ekman-Larsson will play in his 300th career game on Tuesday.