Sharks believe they can still make a run to playoffs

SANJOSE>> There is a good chance that the fourth-place team in the NHL’s West Division will finish this season with a points percentage below .500. And believe it or not, that spot could still go to the Sharks.

Call it parity, or just mediocrity, the immense struggles of the other teams still competing for that last playoff spot in the division has been the only thing keeping the Sharks’ faint postseason hopes alive.

Thanks to the dreadful records of Arizona and St. Louis of late, the Sharks, despite a seven-game losing streak, enter tonight’s game with the Minnesota Wild just four points back of the Coyotes for the fourth and final playoff spot in the division with an 18-23-5 record.

The morning of April 10, before their current losing streak began, the Sharks were three points back of fourth-place Arizona.

Both the Coyotes (20-22-5, 45 points) and Blues (19-19-6, 44 points) have won just three of their last 10 games. The Los Angeles Kings (17-20-6, 40 points) have won just four of their past 10 but had three games in hand on the Sharks before their game with Minnesota on Friday night.

“We didn’t gain any ground, but we didn’t lose any ground,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said Friday, “so it’s a blessing.”

San Jose probably has a better chance of finishing seventh in the division than fourth. But here they are.

“Somehow,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said Friday, “we still have an opportunity to make a push.”

The Sharks, who can finish with a maximum of 61 points, have little margin for error — for real this time.

Every game the Sharks play from here on out will be against a team that is now in the top four in the division. They have four games against the Coyotes, four with the Colorado Avalanche, and one each with the Vegas Golden Knights and the Wild.

In games against those four teams this year, the Sharks (18-23-5) have a combined record of 5-15-2. Eight of the Sharks’ 10 remaining games are at home.

“I think we’re all looking forward to that challenge,” Sharks winger Evander Kane said. “We’re somehow still in the playoff race. It’s one of those years where it seems it might even come down in the last game, so that’s something to get excited about now.”

Here’s a breakdown of the opponents the Sharks have left:

Minnesota Wild

SCHEDULED GAME >> Tonight in San Jose SHARKS RECORD VS. WILD >> 3-4-0.

WHAT TO EXPECT >> Tonight’s game with the Wild will be a tough test for the Sharks, but still winnable. Minnesota is pretty much fully healthy right now, as forward Nick Bjugstad could return from an upper-body injury at SAP Center. The Wild had won five in a row and were 7-2-1 in its past 10 games before its game Friday in Los Angeles. The Sharks are 2-1-0 against the Wild at home this season and need to pick up at least one point here.

Arizona Coyotes

SCHEDULED GAMES >> Monday, Wednesday, May 7-8, all in San Jose

SHARKS RECORD VS. COYOTES >> 1-3-0. WHAT TO EXPECT >> The Sharks need to make hay against Arizona, as their remaining games represent a direct and final chance to gain ground on a team they’re trying to catch. The Coyotes have one win in their past eight games. For the Sharks to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs — considering the other teams they have remaining on their schedule — they need to win at least three of their four against Arizona, preferably in regulation time.

Colorado Avalanche

SCHEDULED GAMES >> April 30, May 1 in Denver; May 3, 5 in San Jose.

SHARKS RECORD VS. AVALANCHE >> 1-3-0. WHAT TO EXPECT >> These four games against the Avalanche, all in a row, could spell doom for the Sharks. Since they split a two-game series in San Jose on March 1 and 3, the Avalanche have an eye-opening record of 19-2-3 to gear up for a run at a Stanley Cup. The Sharks will need to be at their best if they hope to peel points away from Colorado, which is motivated to finish atop the division to avoid a potential first-round date with the Wild. If the Sharks can take three of a possible eight points in their four games left with the Avs, that’ll be a success.

Vegas Golden Knights

SCHEDULED GAME >> May 12 in San Jose. SHARKS RECORD VS. GOLDEN KNIGHTS >> 0-5-2.

WHAT TO EXPECT >> Will this game, the last one of the regular season, matter for either the Sharks or the Golden Knights? The Sharks could easily be mathematically eliminated by this time, and the Golden Knights could be locked into their place in the division. It would be fun if one or both teams had something to play for in this game.