Laine in slump as Jets mull new offer
San Jose’s Brent Burns and Calgary’s Mark Giordano may not be squaring up directly against one another all that often when the Flames play host to the Sharks on Thursday, but they’re the two highest-scoring defencemen in the league this season.
Burns’ 58 points (10 goals) have him leading the Sharks in scoring and atop the list of NHL blue-liners, while Giordano’s 53 points (11 goals) leaves him second overall among defencemen.
Here are five things to watch for when San Jose (31-16-7) tries to douse the Flames (34-14-5) at the Saddledome:
1
As big as it gets
Sometimes, you don’t need to do much to hype a game. This matchup is about as meaningful as you can find in early February. The Flames lead the Pacific Division with 73 points, but the Sharks are biting at their heels, four points back in second place. Yes, the Flames have a game in hand, but between this game and a final meeting between these two on March 31, their head-tohead matchups could determine who finishes first in the Pacific and avoid what is likely to be a tough matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.
2
Coming in hot
It isn’t just that the Flames and Sharks are the top teams in their division, they’ve also been among the NHL’S hottest teams. The Sharks are 7-3 in their last 10 and knocked off the high-flying Winnipeg Jets in overtime on Tuesday, while the Flames are 8-1-1 over that stretch, with their only loss in regulation coming against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals last Friday.
3
Getting it done in OT
If the Sharks have proven one thing recently, it’s that they’re capable of rising to the occasion in tight games. The Sharks’ last three games have all ended with the San Jose crew celebrating game-winning overtime goals. Against the Jets on Tuesday, they did it short-handed, too, thanks to Joe Pavelski.
4
Defencemen in and out
Travis Hamonic sustained a lower-body injury against Washington, but skated with the Flames at practice on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Both Hamonic and Flames head coach Bill Peters said the team’s medical staff would continue evaluating the defenceman before any decision was made about his availability against the Sharks, who have their own question marks on defence. Erik Karlsson has been dealing with a day-to-day injury for weeks and didn’t make the trip to Winnipeg. He is unlikely to play against the Flames.
5
Last time out
The Sharks and Flames have split the season series, with the home team coming away with the victory in each meeting. The last time they went head to head was on New Year’s Eve and it provided fans at the Saddledome with one of the most entertaining games of the year. The Flames came away with an 8-5 win to round out 2018. Sean Monahan led the way with five assists, with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk each collecting four points.