Red-Hot Sharks host Reeling Kings in NHL Action
Two Pacific division teams headed in opposite directions meet on the ice tonight when the red-hot San Jose Sharks host the reeling Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks entering tonight’s game having won 6 straight, while the Kings have lost 5 straight.
Currently San Jose is in second place in the Pacific with a record of 34-12-6. The Sharks are 9 points behind the front running Anaheim Ducks.
Los Angeles is currently in third place in the division with a record of 29-18-6. The Kings have 64 points. San Jose is fourth in the conference, while Los Angeles is sixth. In their past 10 games played the Sharks are 8-2-0 and the Kings 3-5-2.
The two teams have played head to head three times previously this season. Los Angeles defeated San Jose 4-1 on December 19 of last year in their most recent head-to-head meeting to lead in the series 2-0-1.
Los Angeles played under the lights at Dodger Stadium Saturday night against Anaheim and lost. The loss was another two points the Kings gave to another rival in the division. Jonas Hiller the Ducks goalie shutout the Kings, which is the sixth game over the Kings past eight they have not scored over two goals.
Los Angeles in January has averaged just 1.83 goals a game, which is far below is average for the season of 2.38, which in itself is low or sixth from the bottom in the entire NHL.
The recent five-game skid has cost Los Angeles in the Pacific division. Following the Sharks game, the Kings must travel to Phoenix to play the Coyotes Tuesday then play a four game home stand, prior to the break for the Olympics.
San Jose, while Los Angeles has struggled, has flourished during the last two weeks. The Sharks swept a road trip of three games on the east coast defeating Tampa Bay, Florida and Washington, before taking the first three games of its current four-game home stand.
However, San Jose only defeated two teams in the current playoff field in its current six-game winning streak. The Sharks defeated the Minnesota Wild on Saturday in overtime 3-2, but did not play up to the caliber its coach Todd McLellan is looking for.
After the Los Angeles game, San Jose will go on a two-game road trip to play in Edmonton and Calgary, before staring another home stand of four games prior to the break for the Sochi Olympics.
San Jose’s Joe Pavelski might be the hottest player in the NHL. He has netted seven goals, while handing out three assists, over his past five games. Pavelski scored the winning goal in three of the five games.
Matt Greene will miss tonight’s game for Los Angeles with a concussion. Martin Havlat for San Jose is questionable. Raffi Torres, Logan Couture, Tomas Hertle and Adam Burish are injured for San Jose and will miss action tonight.
With the Sharks coming off a win on Saturday and the Kings acclimating to a regular ice rink after playing outdoors in Los Angeles on Saturday, the Sharks will have the advantage.
Pick: Sharks 4-2
