[7:00 PM] Sharks @ Lightning

Who will WIN this matchup?

San Jose Sharks (8-6-0)

@ Tampa Bay Lightning (8-5-1)

 

Starting Goalies:

Martin Jones (SJ): Confirmed

Ben Bishop (TB): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

San Jose Sharks: (+104)

Tampa Bay Lightning: (-115)

 

• Captain Joe Pavelski, who leads the team with 14 points, scored his fifth goal in Thursday’s victory and has tallied six times in 11 career games against the Lightning. San Jose is 2-0-0 to start its six-game trip and is 22-for-22 on the penalty kill in the last nine contests while Tampa Bay is 8-for-27 on the power play over its last six outings, including two in Thursday’s 4-1 triumph against the New York Islanders.

• Captain Steven Stamkos owns 17 points to lead the Lightning, who have earned points in six of seven games (5-1-1) on home ice.

• While San Jose is fifth in the league in penalty killing at 88.6 percent entering Friday, it has converted only one power-play opportunity in 16 chances over the last five contests. Defenseman Brent Burns is second behind Pavelski with 13 points while Patrick Marleau (three goals, one assist), Joel Ward (three points) and Mikkel Boedker (two goals, zero assists) have been cold in the early going. Goalie Martin Jones earned his first shutout of the season two starts ago with 24 saves and has started 10 straight contests.

• Nikita Kucherov continues to prosper while playing with Stamkos, notching his fourth goal in five games Thursday to gain his 16th point – second on the team. Vladislav Namestnikov played with Stamkos and Kucherov against the Islanders and Tyler Johnson notched a goal while skating with rookie Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat – his fifth of the season.

• Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman owns eight assists this season and 188 in his career, passing Dan Boyle (187) for the lead among all blue liners in Lightning history.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning

Confidence: 5/10

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