Programming note: Sharks-Flames coverage gets underway today at 5:30 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live, only on Comcast SportsNet California
Where they stand
Sharks: 10-2-5, 25 points, 3rd Pacific Division, 5th Western Conference
Flames: 6-9-2, 14 points, 6th Pacific Division, 13th Western Conference
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 3.65 (1st)
Goals-against per game: 2.18 (5th)
Power play: 20.5 percent (9th)
Penalty kill: 86.5 percent (4th)
Flames
Goals per game: 2.76 (T - 12th)
Goals-against per game: 3.53 (29th)
Power play: 12.5 percent (23rd)
Penalty kill: 75.5 percent (28th)
Probable lines
Sharks
Patrick Marleau – Logan Couture – Tyler Kennedy
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Tommy Wingels
Matt Nieto – Joe Pavelski – Marty Havlat
James Sheppard – Andrew Desjardins – Mike Brown
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Dan Boyle
Brad Stuart – Justin Braun
Scott Hannan – Jason Demers
Alex Stalock (confirmed starter)
Antti Niemi
Flames
Mike Cammalleri – Mikael Backlund – Jiri Hudler
TJ Galiardi – Matt Stajan – David Jones
Sven Baertschi – Sean Monahan – Lee Stempniak
Lance Bouma – Joe Colbourne – Brian McGrattan
Chris Butler – TJ Brodie
Kris Russell – Dennis Wideman
Ladislav Smid – Derek Smith
Reto Berra (confirmed starter)
Karri Ramo
Last game
Sharks: Andrew Ladd scored late in regulation and was the only player to convert in the shootout, as the Jets beat the Sharks at MTS Centre on Sunday night, 5-4. Dan Boyle scored twice on the power play, Tomas Hertl scored his 10th goal, and Tommy Wingels extended his point streak to six games with a goal. Antti Niemi allowed four goals for the fourth time in his last five starts and took the loss, the Sharks’ fifth straight (0-1-4).
Flames: Mike Cammalleri scored two goals, but that was all the offense the Flames could muster against Colorado in a 4-2 loss to the NHL’s best team so far. Calgary lost for the fifth time in its last six games, including three in a row, all in regulation. Karri Ramo allowed three goals on 26 shots in net.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Logan Couture. The Sharks center has just one assist in his last four games, and it came on the power play against Winnipeg. Couture could be getting new linemates, as Joe Pavelski and Matt Nieto practiced with him on Monday in Calgary. Couture has 16 career points against Calgary (6g, 10a), the most he has against any NHL team.
Flames: Mike Cammalleri. The Flames were without the speedy winger the first time the Sharks played Calgary, and Cammalleri has four goals in the last four games. He’s tied with impressive rookie Sean Monahan for the team lead with seven. In 37 career games vs. San Jose, he has 25 points (10g, 15a).
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Raffi Torres (right ACL surgery), Adam Burish (back surgery), and Brent Burns (upper body) are out.
Flames: Mark Giordano (broken ankle), Christopher Breen (abdomen) and Curtis Glencross (MCL sprain) are out.
Season/All-Time series
The Sharks and Flames will play the second of five games in the season series. San Jose claimed a 6-3 win at SAP Center on Oct. 19.
The Flames return to the Bay Area on Jan. 20. The Sharks have two more games at the Saddledome on Jan. 30 and March 24.
The Sharks are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games against the Flames. All-time, the Sharks have a 40-46-8-4 advantage vs. Calgary.
Quoteable
"A lot of our mistakes have come when we’ve had the puck in situations where we just don’t need to make that play or make that mistake, and it ends up in our net. That’s what we’re fighting right now.” – Joe Pavelski
Burning question
How would you evaluate Marty Havlat’s return to the lineup? Leave your answer in the comments section below.
