San Jose @ Ottawa preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Ottawa 1, San Jose 4

Only one team has played more games away from home than the San Jose Sharks, who visit the league-worst Ottawa Senators on Sunday night in the fourth stop of a five-game road trip. It will mark the NHL high-tying eighth road game for San Jose, which has lost four of its last five trips to Ottawa, including defenseman Erik Karlsson's return to Canadian Tire Centre last December.

The Sharks rebounded from an overtime loss in Buffalo with a 4-2 victory in Montreal on Thursday, only to muster a mere 17 shots on goal in a 4-1 setback to Toronto 24 hours later. "We talked about it a little bit before the game, 'Let's get this thing going in the right direction,'" San Jose captain Logan Couture told reporters. "Whenever you win one and get two points you want to keep the streak going. It's disappointing when you don't." Disappointment has characterized the season for the Senators, who were unable to follow up on a 5-2 victory over Detroit, dropping a 4-2 decision to the visiting New York Islanders on Friday night. “It wasn’t our most complete effort for sure,” Ottawa defenseman Mark Borowiecki told the media. “We’ve just got to stop this, one great game and one where you kind of lay an egg a little bit."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS California (San Jose), TVA, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet One (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (4-6-1): Kevin Labanc, one of two players to draw the ire of Couture for a slow line change that led to the deciding goal in Buffalo, vowed to come back stronger and has done just that by scoring in each of the last two games. Fellow forward Evander Kane has been running hot and cold over the past five contests, recording a minus-2 on three occasions while combing for five goals and seven points in the other two games. Four of those five tallies have come on the man advantage for San Jose, which is 9-for-22 on the power play since an 0-for-14 start.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (2-7-1): Backup netminder Anders Nilsson had been playing superbly, turning aside 127 of a staggering 133 shots during a three-start stretch before he was yanked in Friday's loss after surrendering four goals on 16 shots. “He’s been outstanding and I’ve got no problem with his game,” first-year coach D.J. Smith told reporters. “Our team has to play better in front of him and keep the chances down, especially the high-end chances.” Ottawa's power play remains the league's worst (2-for-33) after converting on 1-of-6 opportunities Friday night.

OVERTIME

1. Karlsson, set to face his former team for the third time, was held off the scoresheet in the last two contests following a five-game point streak.

2. Senators F Tyler Ennis scored twice Friday after collecting only one point in the first nine games.

3. Sharks G Martin Jones is 3-2-0 with a 2.77 goals-against average versus Ottawa.

PREDICTION: Sharks 3, Senators 2