Programming note: Sharks-Devils coverage starts tonight at 7pm with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California
Where they stand
Sharks: 37-23-6, 80 points, 3rd Pacific Division
Devils: 31-29-7, 69 points, 7th Metropolitan Division
Playoff picture
The Sharks trail the Kings by four points and the Ducks by three points in the Pacific Division, with 16 games remaining.
Anaheim and Los Angeles are idle tonight.
The latest
Sharks: James Reimer’s 31 saves and two goals from Logan Couture helped San Jose to a 3-0 win in Edmonton on Tuesday. The Sharks swept a brief two-game swing through Alberta, including a 2-1 overtime triumph in Calgary on Monday, and are 5-1-0 in their last six overall. Of their final 16 games, 12 are at SAP Center.
Devils: The Devils were whacked by the Penguins in Newark on Sunday, 6-1, their eighth loss in the last 10 games (2-8-0). New Jersey, currently dealing with a number of injuries to key players, begins a three-game California swing tonight.
Keep an eye on…
Sharks: Dainius Zubrus. The former Devils forward was bought out by New Jersey over the summer after eight seasons there, before he landed in San Jose as a free agent. The 37-year-old isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard with five points in 36 games (2g, 3a), but he’s brought some leadership to the Sharks’ bottom six forwards per coach Pete DeBoer’s design.
Devils: Kyle Palmieri. The forward scored the Devils’ only goal on Sunday against the Penguins, his team-leading 25th of the year and a new career-high for the 25-year-old. In his last 10 games, the former Ducks first rounder has eight points (5g, 3a).
Probable lines
Sharks
Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Matt Nieto – Logan Couture – Joonas Donskoi
Nick Spaling – Patrick Marleau – Joel Ward
Dainius Zubrus – Chris Tierney – Melker Karlsson
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – Roman Polak
Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
James Reimer
Devils
Tyler Kennedy – Adam Henrique – Devante Smith-Pelly
Reid Boucher – Travis Zajac – Kyle Palmieri
Joseph Blandisi – Sergey Kalinin – Mike Sislo
Tuomo Ruutu – Stephen Gionta – Jordin Tootoo
Andy Greene – Adam Larsson
John Moore – David Schlemko
Jon Merrill – Damon Severson
Keith Kinkaid
Yann Danis
Vitals
Sharks
Goals per game: 2.95 (4th)
Goals-against per game: 2.59 (15th)
Power play: 22.2 percent (6th)
Penalty kill: 79.5 percent (23rd)
Devils
Goals per game: 2.18 (30th)
Goals-against per game: 2.45 (9th)
Power play: 21.0 percent (8th)
Penalty kill: 82.0 percent (10th)
Injuries/Scratches
Sharks: Tommy Wingels (shoulder sprain) and Matt Tennyson (possible concussion) are out.
Devils: David Warsofsky (lower body) is day-to-day. Mike Cammalleri (upper body), Patrik Elias (knee), Jacob Josefson (upper body), Cory Schneider (MCL sprain in right knee), Jiri Tlusty (upper body) are out.
Season series
The Sharks won the first and only other meeting on Oct. 16 in their fourth game of the year, 2-1 in a shootout. Martin Jones made 33 saves.
Odds and ends
*Joe Thornton has at least one point in each of the Sharks’ last 24 wins.
*San Jose is 25-9-3 on the road, but just 12-14-3 at SAP Center. Their penalty kill at home is 74.7 percent, ranked 28th in the league.
*The Devils are 17-for-56 on the power play over their last 10 games (30.4 percent).
