Kings at Sharks
The San Jose Sharks attempt to earn a split of their six-game homestand and - more importantly - a spot in the postseason when they host the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings on Monday. San Jose has squandered several opportunities to lock up a playoff berth, losing to St. Louis, Edmonton and Dallas after beginning its lengthy stretch at the SAP Center with victories over the New York Rangers and Arizona.
Joe Thornton has overtaken captain Joe Pavelski for the scoring lead on the Sharks with 72 points despite having been kept off the scoresheet in two of his last three contests. San Jose, which sits in third place in the Pacific and seven points behind the Kings, is looking to return to the postseason after missing out for the first time in 11 seasons while Los Angeles already has clinched a spot after also failing to qualify in 2014-15. The Kings, who are three points ahead of Anaheim, halted their season high-tying three-game losing streak with a 6-4 home victory over the Oilers on Saturday as the line of Tyler Toffoli, Jeff Carter and Milan Lucic combined for four goals and six assists. San Jose and Los Angeles split their first four meetings this season, with each team posting a pair of road victories.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet
ABOUT THE KINGS (45-25-5): Toffoli scored twice on Saturday to raise his team-leading total to 29 goals and added two assists for a four-point performance after entering the contest needing one to set a new career high. The 23-year-old center notched 49 points in 2014-15 and registered the same amount in 74 games prior to facing Edmonton. Carter also tallied two times versus the Oilers, ending his eight-game drought and reaching the 20-goal plateau for the ninth straight season and 10th time in his 11 NHL campaigns.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (41-28-6): Thornton's next assist will be the 957th of his career, breaking a tie with Mark Recchi for 14th place on the all-time list. The 36-year-old also is five points away from passing Mike Gartner (1,335) for 30th in NHL history. Pavelski needs three goals to ecclipse last season's total of 37 and nine points to top his career-high of 79 that he recorded in 2013-14.
OVERTIME
1. Sharks D Brent Burns leads all NHL blue-liners with a career-best 26 goals and is two assists shy of matching his personal high of 43, which he reached last season.
2. Los Angeles RW Kris Versteeg (foot) skated Sunday but did not travel with the team to San Jose.
3. San Jose RW Joonas Donskoi could return to the lineup Monday after missing one game with a lower-body injury.