Programming note
Sharks-Canucks coverage gets underway today at 7:00 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live, only on Comcast SportsNet California
Where they stand
Sharks: 10-1-4, 24 points, 2nd Pacific Division, 3rd Western Conference
Canucks: 10-5-2, 22 points, 4th Pacific Division, 6th Western Conference
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 3.73 (1st)
Goals-against per game: 1.93 (3rd)
Power play: 20.3 percent (11th)
Penalty kill: 85.1 percent (10th)
Canucks
Goals per game: 2.76 (14th)
Goals-against per game: 2.47 (10th)
Power play: 10.9 percent (26th)
Penalty kill: 87.9 percent (2nd)
Probable lines
Sharks
Patrick Marleau– Logan Couture – Marty Havlat
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Tommy Wingels
Matt Nieto – Joe Pavelski – Tyler Kennedy
John McCarthy – Andrew Desjardins – Mike Brown
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Brad Stuart – Dan Boyle
Scott Hannan – Jason Demers
Antti Niemi
Alex Stalock
Canucks
Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Ryan Kesler
Chris Higgins – Mike Santorelli – Alex Burrows
Darren Archibald – Brad Richardson – Zack Kassian
Tom Sestito – Jeremy Walsh – Yannick Weber
Alex Edler – Jason Garrison
Dan Hamhuis – Chris Tanev
Ryan Stanton – Kevin Bieksa
Roberto Luongo
Eddie Lack
Last game
Sharks: The Sharks scored three goals in the third period to force overtime, but lost to Buffalo – the worst team in the league – in a shootout on Tuesday at SAP Center, 5-4. The defeat was the Sharks’ third in a row, although they have gained a point in each. Marty Havlat and Tomas Hertl each had a goal and an assist, while Tyler Kennedy and Tommy Wingels also scored. Antti Niemi took the loss with 32 saves. The Sharks poured 51 shots on goal.
[RELATED: Sharks react to blown goal call against Sabres]
Canucks: In the first of a four-game road trip, the Canucks lost in Phoenix in a shootout, 3-2 on Tuesday at Jobing.com Arena. Dan Hamhuis and Ryan Kesler were Vancouver’s goal-scorers, and Roberto Luongo made 30 saves.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Tommy Wingels. The Sharks’ most active physical player scored a goal in the loss to the Sabres, and should have been credited with the overtime marker. Wingels has a career-best four-game point streak (2g, 3a), and with 11 points, is just two off his career high. Wingels leads the Sharks with 34 hits, too.
Canucks: Henrik Sedin. The Canucks’ captain brings an NHL-best 12-game scoring streak into tonight’s game, with 14 points over that span (3g, 11a). Sedin, who just signed a four-year, $28 million contract extension (as did his brother, Daniel), recently recorded his 800th career NHL point. In 49 games against the Sharks, Henrik has 33 points (11g, 22a).
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Raffi Torres (right ACL surgery), Adam Burish (back surgery), and Brent Burns (face) are out. Joe Pavelski (personal reasons) is probable.
Canucks: David Booth (lower body), Jordan Schroeder (ankle), Dale Weise (lower body) and Jannik Hansen (upper body) are out.
Season/All-Time series
The Sharks skated to a pair of 4-1 wins in the first two games of the season series, on Oct. 3 at SAP Center in the season opener and Oct. 10 at Rogers Arena. Logan Couture leads the Sharks with four points in the season series (all assists), while Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau have two goals apiece.
Antti Niemi has won both games in net, giving up a single goal in each, while Roberto Luongo suffered a pair of losses with seven goals allowed.
The fourth and final meeting of the regular season is in one week on Nov. 14 in British Columbia.
All-time, the Sharks are 43-42-9-5 against Vancouver.
Quoteable
“It’s disappointing. You don’t realize it during the game, but then after you probably should have gotten two points. Nothing you can do about it now, so just move on.” – Joe Thornton, on the missed goal call in overtime on Tuesday against Buffalo
Burning question
How concerned are you with the Sharks' three-game losing streak? Leave your answer in the comments section below.
