GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers @ San Jose Sharks

Edmonton Oilers (12-5-2) vs

San Jose Sharks (7-10-1)

12 November 2019

SAP Center at San Jose

830 PM MST

TV: Sportsnet One

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Fear the Fin

WINNING IS FUN

The Oilers scored six (!) goals against Anaheim on Sunday night. I’m no expert, but six goals will probably win you more games than it will lose you. Connor McDavid picked up a hat trick, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins picked up a pair all his own, and Zack Kassian scored one to put a lid on it. Mikko Koskinen turned aside 26 of 28 shots to pick up his seventh win of the season. More just like that, please.

The Oilers will visit a struggling Sharks team in San Jose tonight. Edmonton will play their 20th game of the season, and they have a chance to remain atop the Pacific Division with a win tonight. Can Connor McDavid and the rest of the Oilers pop off for six more goals tonight?

Let’s go to the tape.

THE OILERS ARE SAYING

I liked our game. I liked the result all over...Good effort from everyone.

Source

That’s Connor McDavid on Edmonton’s 6-2 Sunday victory over the Ducks

The game was fairly evenly paced until the Oilers ran into some mid-frame penalty wos.es. The Coyotes were unable to cash in. By the time Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored Edmonton’s third goal to make it 3-1, the floodgates were ready to burst.

THE SHARKS ARE SAYING

We all knew we weren’t playing up to our standards, and kind of forgot how the game is played a little bit for a while,...It feels like we’re finally starting to look like the team we’re supposed to be. Still a long way to get there where we want to get, but this is a good start

Source

That’s Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson after his club’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night.

The Sharks haven’t had a great start to their season, though they hung on seven rounds in a shootout to take care of Nashville on Sunday. What’s going in SJ

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• DRY ISLAND - The goals have dried up for the Sharks. Once an offensive juggernaut, they’re tied for 25th in the league when it comes to lighting the lamp. They’re 28th in goals against. They’re not allowing a huge shot total, but it’s not turning up wins in the standings right now.
• Tomas Hertl is rolling along at a point-per-game for the Sharks (7-11-18). He was on a line with Timo Meier (4-5-9) and Barclay Goodrow (4-3-7) in an effort to rub some of that scoring prowess off in Nashville. After Hertl, Evander Kane and Logan Couture, the Sharks don’t yet have a ten point scorer.
• Leon Draisaitl has it on cruise control right now for the Oilers. He’s leading the NHL with 34 points (14-20-34 in 19 GP), while Connor McDavid is tied for second with 30 (11-19-30), currently tied with Boston’s David Pastrnak
• NET GAINS: Do you turn away from Mikko Koskinen right now? I sure don’t. (7-1-1, .928 SV%, 2.16 GAA / 1 SO). The Sharks will run with Martin Jones. Jones picked up San Jose’s win on Sunday (5-7-1, .888 SV% / 3.31 GAA), though Aaron Dell (2-3-0, .878 SV% / 3.83 GAA) will go if Jones does not. It hasn’t been a great year for Shark goalies.
• SICK BAY: Adam Larsson (fibula) and Joakim Nygard (ribs) are out for the Oilers. Defenceman Mario Ferraro and centre Dylan Gambrell are day-to-day.