Programming note: Sharks-Canucks coverage starts tonight at 6:30pm with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California
Where they stand
Sharks: 34-22-6, 74 points, 3rd Pacific Division
Canucks: 24-26-12, 60 points, 4th Pacific Division
Playoff picture
The Sharks trail the Kings and Ducks by four points in the Pacific Division. Each team has 20 games remaining.
Anaheim visits Arizona, while the Kings host Montreal on Thursday night.
The latest
Sharks: The Sharks downed the Canadiens on Monday at home, 6-2, breaking the game open late with three third period scores. Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Brent Burns all had three points. San Jose is 6-2-1 in its last nine games, and an NHL-best 22-9-3 on the road.
Canucks: Vancouver lost its sixth game in the last eight, 3-2 at home to the Islanders on Tuesday. Thursday’s game is the conclusion of a five-game homestand for the Canucks, where they are just 11-15-5 on the year.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Chris Tierney. The Sharks’ fourth line center had a pair of nifty assists on Monday against Montreal, snapping a seven-game scoreless streak. The former second round pick and his linemates have allowed coach Pete DeBoer to consistently roll four lines, a key factor in the Sharks’ second-half surge.
Canucks: Henrik Sedin. The Canucks’ captain has six assists in his last four games, and is 12th in the NHL with 38. In 57 career games against the Sharks, he has 40 points (13g, 27a).
Probable lines
Sharks
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Nick Spaling – Logan Couture – Joonas Donskoi
Matt Nieto – Patrick Marleau – Joel Ward
Micheal Haley – Chris Tierney – Dainius Zubrus
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – Roman Polak
Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
James Reimer
Canucks
Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Emerson Etem
Sven Baertschi – Markus Granlund – Jake Virtanen
Derek Dorsett – Bo Horvat – Linden Vey
Alex Burrows – Jared McCann – Brendan Gaunce
Ben Hutton – Chris Tanev
Dan Hamhuis – Matt Bartkowski
Luca Sbisa – Alex Biega
Ryan Miller
Jacob Markstrom
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.98 (4th)
Goals-against per game: 2.65 (18th)
Power play: 22.3 percent (3rd)
Penalty kill: 79.8 percent (20th)
Canucks
Goals per game: 2.35 (27th)
Goals-against per game: 2.82 (21st)
Power play: 17.8 percent (19th)
Penalty kill: 81.5 percent (13th)
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Tommy Wingels (shoulder sprain), Melker Karlsson (undisclosed) and Matt Tennyson (possible concussion) are out.
Canucks: Alex Edler (fractured fibula), Brandon Sutter (fractured jaw) and Radim Vrbata (lower body) are out.
Season series
In the first game of the season series on Sunday, the Sharks beat the Canucks, 4-1 at Rogers Arena. It was their sixth straight win in Vancouver.
The Canucks visit SAP Center on Saturday for the second of a home-and-home.
Odds and ends
*James Reimer is expected to dress as the new backup for the first time since he was acquired from Toronto on Saturday. Aaron Dell has been reassigned to the Barracuda.
*Brent Burns, whose 21 goals lead all NHL defensemen, is just the second Sharks’ defenseman to reach the 20-goal plateau (Sandis Ozolinsh, 26 in 1993-94). Burns has a plus-eight rating since Jan. 7.
*Micheal Haley and Dylan DeMelo have been recalled from the Barracuda.
