Penguins at Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have a vivid memory of the last visit by the Pittsburgh Penguins, which ended with Sidney Crosby and company taking turns hoisting the Stanley Cup after closing out a six-game series. With the stakes much lower this time, the Penguins will wrap up a four-game road trip against the Sharks on Saturday.
Pittsburgh, which is tied with the New York Rangers atop the Metropolitan Division, had its four-game winning streak snapped at Los Angeles on Thursday but still managed to snag one point in the 3-2 overtime loss. The Penguins already got the best of San Jose last month, scoring three third-period goals in a 3-2 victory on Oct. 20. The Sharks appeared to find their stride, closing out October with a three-game winning streak, but they have dropped consecutive 3-2 decisions to Arizona and Calgary. “We’re focused on ourselves right now," San Jose forward Logan Couture told reporters. "We’ve got to play better, and that’s what we’re going to focus on going into (Saturday).”
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), CSN California (San Jose)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (7-2-2): Crosby missed the first six games of the season while dealing with a concussion and is making up for lost time with six goals in five contests. "We marvel at him sometimes with how good he is, with what he does each and every night," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He's a threat most every shift. ... He's playing inspiring hockey right now." Since returning from a five-game absence, defenseman Kris Letang has posted back-to-back two-point performances.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (6-5-0): The third-period collapse at Pittsburgh notwithstanding, San Jose has had similar lapses in its last two games, giving up three second-period goals at Arizona and falling into a 2-0 hole after 20 minutes versus Calgary. “This is a league where if you don’t play desperate for 60 minutes, you’re really limiting your opportunities to win, and I think that’s where we’re at right now,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer told reporters. Martin Jones is 4-1-0 with a 1.40 goals-against average in five home starts.
OVERTIME
1. Sharks C Joe Pavelski has recorded a team-high 12 points but does not have a goal in seven straight versus Pittsburgh, including the Stanley Cup Final.
2. Crosby has scored only one goal in 10 regular-season games against San Jose.
3. The Sharks have killed off 17 straight penalties over their last six games.