Oilers at Sharks
The streaking San Jose Sharks will be sorry to see the All-Star break come as they aim for the seventh consecutive victory when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. San Jose has posted four one-goal victories during the run, including a 4-3 triumph at Winnipeg on Tuesday in which Patrick Marleau scored his fifth goal in two games with 4:33 remaining in the third period to snap a tie.
Marleau, who recorded a personal-best four tallies at Colorado on Monday after enduring a seven-game drought, is two goals shy of 500 for his career and three away from reachinig the 20-goal plateau for the 14th time. Edmonton is hoping to end its three-game road trip with a perfect record after skating to 7-3 and 4-0 victories in Calgary and Anaheim, respectively. Leon Draisaitl scored twice against the Ducks to match his career-high goal total of 19 from last season and extend his point streak to five games (three goals, three assists). Captain Connor McDavid also is riding a five-game point streak during which he has collected two goals and five assists after setting up a tally against Anaheim to increase his league-leading point total to 57.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), CSN California (San Jose)
ABOUT THE OILERS (27-15-8): Edmonton has been on a run since opening a six-game homestand with a 5-3 loss to San Jose on Jan. 10, going 6-0-1 to climb within one point of Anaheim for second place in the Pacific Division. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins appears to have found his scoring touch, as the 23-year-old has registered a goal in each of the first two games of the road trip while collecting six points over his last six contests. Zack Kassian also is one of the numerous members of the Oilers with an offensive streak, as he has notched two goals and three assists during his career-high five-game point run.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (31-16-2): Brent Burns enters Thursday fourth in the league in scoring with 51 points and has not gone more than one contest without landing on the scoresheet since a three-game drought Nov. 15-19. The 31-year-old defenseman has scored a goal in back-to-back contests three times this month and is looking to match his season-high three-game streak (Dec. 2-9). Marleau has scored the winning goal in each of San Jose's last two games and already has matched the total of five winners he recorded in 82 contests last season.
OVERTIME
1. Marleau is tied with Colorado's Jarome Iginla and Hall-of-Famer Guy Lafleur for sixth place on the all-time list with 97 game-winning goals.
2. Edmonton LW Patrick Maroon is second on the team with 18 goals but is mired in a five-game drought.
3. San Jose D Justin Braun's next point will be the 100th of his career.