Game Thread: Sharks @ Oilers - On The Move

The Oilers have a heartbeat and the Sharks can't possibly be as bad as they've been over the last 10 games.

Team Reports

Oilers Report: If the Oilers somehow manage to make the playoffs, Shawn Horcoff should win the Hart Trophy. Even if they don't, but they manage to play .450-.500 hockey the rest of the way, Horcoff deserves the Hart.

Sharks Report: Injuries and ineffectiveness had created some odd wrinkles in the Sharks lineup, but one constant since entering the lineup has been rookie defenseman Matt Irwin. Irwin has been one of the best rookie defenseman in the league to this point and his shooting rates are out of this world.

Expected Line Combinations

Taylor Hall - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky

Magnus Paajarvi - Sam Gagner - Nail Yakupov

Ryan Jones - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle

Mike Brown - Ryan Smyth - Lennart Petrell

Ladislav Smid - Jeff Petry

Nick Schultz - Corey Potter

Ryan Whitney - Justin Schultz

Devan Dubnyk

Scratches: Theo Peckham, Teemu Hartikainen, Mark Fistric

Broadcast Information

By The Numbers

Through 28 games, Sam Gagner has had a >=50% faceoff percentage 11 times. In 7 of those instances, he's been above 55%. 17 times, his faceoff percentage has been <50%. In 16 of those instances, he's gone <=40%.
By line, the Oilers shots per game:
Line 1: 7.2
Line 2: 6.9
Line 3: 6.1
Line 4: 2.5

At even strength:
Line 1: 5.2
Line 2: 5.0
Line 3: 4.0
Line 4: 1.9

• The Oilers have jumped up to 22nd in shots per game at 27.9
• The Oilers are 30th in shots against per game at 33.6
• The Oilers are last in shot differential per game at -5.7
• The biggest jump from one spot to another on the shot differential list is between Washington, 29th place at -4.4, and Edmonton in 30th place.
• Only two teams in the bottom ten in shot differential per game are currently in a playoff spot - Toronto and Anaheim.