Sharks at Avalanche
The San Jose Sharks aim for their fifth consecutive victory and a sweep of the home-and-home series when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. San Jose climbed within one point of first-place Anaheim in the Pacific Division on Saturday by edging Colorado 3-2 in overtime at home.
Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, who entered Sunday tied for fourth in the league in scoring with 47 points, was kept off the scoresheet in the overtime win but is one tally shy of reaching the 20-goal plateau for the second straight season and third in his career. Colorado, which is last in the NHL with 28 points, is looking to halt a five-game slide (0-4-1). The Avalanche have won only two of their last 17 contests (2-14-1), with both victories coming in overtime, and have scored fewer than three goals 14 times in that span - including each triumph. Nathan MacKinnon has collected seven points over his last six contests and leads the team with 32.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
ABOUT THE SHARKS (29-16-2): San Jose has relied on its blue-liners in overtime this season, as they have accounted for four of the team's five goals in the extra session. Burns leads the club with two, while David Schlemko scored Saturday's winner to join Marc-Edouard Vlasic at one apiece. Rookie right wing Timo Meier, who has recorded two goals and two assists in 15 contests, has missed two straight games with an upper-body injury.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (13-29-2): Matt Nieto had an uneventful first meeting with his former team Saturday, registering two shots and a minus-1 rating without recording a point in 18 minutes, 47 seconds of ice time. The 24-year-old left wing has notched a goal and an assist in six games since being claimed off waivers on Jan. 5 from San Jose, where he spent the first three-plus seasons of his career. Goaltender Spencer Martin, a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, was solid in his NHL debut on Saturday as he stopped 27 shots - including all seven he faced in the third period to allow his team to rally and earn a point.
OVERTIME
1. Avalanche D Tyson Barrie (two games) and RW Rene Bourque (one) both remain day-to-day with lower-body injuries.
2. San Jose D Justin Braun's next point will be the 100th of his career.
3. Colorado RW Jarome Iginla, who is mired in a five-game point drought, is three game-winning goals away from becoming the sixth player in NHL history with 100 or more.