Steph Curry's Warriors have been the darlings of the Bay Area for the last few years now, but their hockey-playing neighbors have been pretty damn good, too, and they'll come into Nationwide Arena looking to take a bite out of the Blue Jackets' playoff chances.
The San Jose Sharks look a bit different this year than usual. Patrick Marleau is in Toronto and Joe Thornton's out for a while with an injury, leaving the franchise without perhaps its two greatest players. The current iteration isn't too shabby, though. Here's what you need to know going into tonight's game.
MATCHUP:
Blue Jackets vs San Jose Sharks
Nationwide Arena, 7:00 PM
TV: FOX Sports Ohio
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
- After a slow start for Brent Burns (7 points in 19 games), he's caught fire, with 35 points in his last 30 games. He's known for his beard, fashion sense and wild personality, but he's a damned good hockey player – one of the best defensemen in the league and perhaps its most dangerous threat to score from that position.
- No Thornton (or Marleau), but another Sharks mainstay is still going strong in Joe Pavelski. The do-it-all forward has 35 points in 50 games this year.
- A few young Sharks have feasted on opposing goaltenders this year, flexing their depth throughout the lineup. Players like Chris Tierney, Tomas Hertl, Joonas Donskoi and Timo Meier are all double-digit goal scorers already this season while filling a variety of other roles.
- Three of the superstar-level defensemen in this game (Burns on San Jose, Seth Jones and Zach Werenski on the Blue Jackets) awe onlookers by bringing their skill to the rush, but if you want to watch one of the game's smartest shutdown defensemen in action, keep your eyes on Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
TALE OF THE TAPE:
SHARKS
26-16-8 / 2nd in Pacific Division
PP: 23.0% (5th) / PK: 84.1% (2nd)
5v5 Corsi: 46.27% (30th)
BLUE JACKETS
27-19-4 / 4th in Metropolitan Division
PP: 14.1% (31st) / PK: 77.6% (26th)
5v5 Corsi: 51.91% (7th)
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