Programming note: Sharks-Blackhawks coverage starts tonight at 5pm with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California
Where they stand
Sharks: 27-20-4, 58 points, 2nd Pacific Division
Blackhawks: 36-16-4, 76 points, 1st Central Division
The latest
Sharks: The Sharks suffered their most decisive loss in more than two months on Saturday in Nashville, 6-2. Both of San Jose’s goals came on the power play. The Sharks are wrapping up a four game road trip tonight, having lost two of their first three (1-2-0).
Blackhawks: Chicago smoked the Stars on Saturday in Dallas, 5-1, for its third straight win. Five different players scored and Corey Crawford made 36 saves to increase the Blackhawks’ lead for first place in the Central Division.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks defenseman suffered an uncommon minus-three rating in Saturday’s loss to Nashville, his worst of the season. He did, however, register an assist, increasing his point/assist streak to four games (4a). The Sharks will surely try and get Vlasic and his partner Justin Braun out against either the Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews lines as much as possible.
Blackhawks: Artem Anisimov. While his linemates Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin have many more points, it was Anisimov who led the way Saturday in Dallas with a career-high tying four points (1g, 3a). It was the 27-year-old’s fifth multi-point game, as he continues his first year in Chicago after coming over from Columbus in the Brandon Saad summer deal.
Probable lines
Sharks
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Matt Nieto – Patrick Marleau – Joel Ward
Joonas Donskoi – Logan Couture – Tommy Wingels
Melker Karlsson – Chris Tierney – Dainius Zubrus
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – Dylan DeMelo
Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
Alex Stalock
Blackhawks
Andrew Shaw – Jonathan Toews – Marian Hossa
Artemi Panarin – Artem Anisimov – Patrick Kane
Andrew Desjardins – Phillip Danault – Teuvo Teravainen
Brandon Mashinter – Dennis Rasmussen – Jiri Sekac
Duncan Keith – Niklas Hjalmarsson
Erik Gustafsson – Brent Seabrook
Trevor van Riemsdyk – Michal Roszival
Corey Crawford (confirmed starter)
Scott Darling
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.88 (4th)
Goals-against per game: 2.71 (21st)
Power play: 22.1 percent (3rd)
Penalty kill: 80.4 percent (17th)
Blackhawks
Goals per game: 2.82 (7th)
Goals-against per game: 2.29 (4th)
Power play: 20.6 percent (6th)
Penalty kill: 82.7 percent (10th)
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: None.
Blackhawks: Artemi Panarin (sick) is questionable. Marcus Kruger (wrist) is out.
Season series
Chicago beat San Jose on Nov. 25 at SAP Center, 5-2, and again at United Center on Dec. 20, 4-3 in overtime.
Patrick Kane leads all scorers in the season series with four points (1g, 3a). Four Sharks players have two points each.
Odds and ends
*The Sharks are 6-7-1 against the Central Division, while Chicago is 12-1-2 against the Pacific.
*One of the Sharks’ two losses when leading after two periods was at United Center on Dec. 20. San Jose is 19-0-2 when leading after two, while the Blackhawks are 27-0-1.
*Players not with the team last season have scored 31 percent of Chicago’s 158 goals.
