Sharks @ Ducks

Who will WIN this matchup?

San Jose Sharks (5-3-2)

@ Anaheim Ducks (5-5-1)

Starting Goalies:

Martin Jones (SJ):  Unconfirmed

John Gibson (ANA): Unconfirmed

Current odds:

San Jose Sharks: (-145)

Anaheim Ducks: (+125)

• The struggling Anaheim Ducks look to match their performance level from Opening Night against San Jose when they begin a four-game homestand Sunday against the Pacific Division-rival Sharks. The Ducks rolled to a 5-2 victory at San Jose on Oct. 3 to ignite a 5-1-1 start, but they have managed just six goals while dropping four straight after Thursday’s 5-2 setback against Dallas.  The season-opening victory ended a six-game losing streak – including playoffs – against the Sharks, who have rebounded from a disappointing start with a four-game point streak (3-0-1).

•  San Jose missed a chance at a fourth straight victory Friday after coughing up a two-goal lead in a 4-3 shootout loss at Carolina in the middle contest of its three-game road trip. “I walked out at the end of the first period, where we could have been up 4-0, and we never won another race or a battle the rest of the night,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. “I guess the lesson in that is, the NHL still plays 60-minute games, not 20-minute games.”

• Defenseman Brent Burns posted a pair of assists Friday to extend his point streak to seven games and leads the team with 12 points after coming up empty in the season’s first three contests. Timo Meier also is riding a seven-game point streak and leads the team with six goals – including one in three straight contests – while Logan Couture has landed on the scoresheet in five consecutive games. Tomas Hertl, who owns a five-game point streak, left Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury and is day-to-day.

• Anaheim continues to struggle with injuries as Nick Ritchie (upper body) and rookie Max Comtois (lower body) are sidelined, but Jakob Silfverberg (finger) is practicing and could return Sunday. Rickard Rakell, who led the team in scoring last season with 69 points, has notched one in three straight games to tie Comtois, Silfverberg and defenseman Hampus Lindholm for the top spot on the team with seven. John Gibson has kept Anaheim in every game with a .940 save percentage, which puts him among the league leaders.

• San Jose LW Evander Kane has registered six assists in his last five games after scoring four goals in the first four contests of the season.

• Getzlaf scored his first two goals of the season Thursday and has registered a season-high four shots in each of his last two games.

• Sharks veteran C Joe Thornton (knee) accompanied the team on the road trip but still is listed as questionable.