Oilers at Sharks
Two nights after failing to make up ground on the two teams in front of them, the San Jose Sharks can wrap up a playoff berth when they continue a six-game homestand against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. The Sharks are five points behind Pacific Division leader Los Angeles and one behind second-place Anaheim.
San Jose had a season-high four-game home winning streak halted in a 1-0 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday. The Sharks also squandered a prime opportunity to climb in the standings after both the Kings and Ducks also lost. "It's disappointing," San Jose captain Joe Pavelski said. "It's a missed opportunity. There aren't a lot of games left to make up points. You have to make a chance like that count." Edmonton has dropped two in a row after kicking off a three-game road trip with a 4-2 loss at Arizona on Tuesday.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Oilers (Edmonton), CSN California San Jose
ABOUT THE OILERS (29-40-7): After missing nearly two months following surgery on his hand, it took just six games for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to return to the sideline when he absorbed a high hit from Arizona defenseman Connor Murphy and was knocked out of the contests. Rookie Connor McDavid set up both goals for Edmonton to give him seven assists during a five-game point streak and 30 points in 26 games since returning from a broken clavicle on Feb. 2. Jordan Eberle has three goals in the past five games and has 10 tallies in 23 contests versus San Jose.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (41-26-6): Knowing the importance of trying to overtake Anaheim, San Jose did not seek retribution against St. Louis' Ryan Reaves on Tuesday and expects to follow a similar tact versus Edmonton rookie defenseman Darnell Nurse, who jumped Sharks blue-liner Roman Polak on March 8. "I don't expect anything," Polak said. "He got suspended for that, it was dirty. Maybe he learned from it, maybe not. We'll see." Goaltender Martin Jones was a hard-luck loser Tuesday, extending his streak to 10 games of allowing two goals or fewer.
OVERTIME
1. Jones is 3-1-1 with a 1.56 goals-against average versus Edmonton.
2. Oilers G Cam Talbot is 0-1-1 with four goals allowed in two starts against the Sharks.
3. San Jose is 6-0-1 in its last seven at home against the Oilers.