Final Nov 24
UTAH 2 +160 o5.5
TOR 3 -190 u5.5
Winnipeg 5th Central37-28-4-2
San Jose 8th Pacific29-36-4-1

Winnipeg @ San Jose preview

SAP Center at San Jose

Last Meeting ( Mar 12, 2019 ) San Jose 5, Winnipeg 4


The San Jose Sharks return home looking for answers following a 1-3-1 road trip, and will host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday while trying to improve defensively after surrendering four or more goals nine times in 13 games this season. San Jose’s trip ended Tuesday with a 5-1 loss at Boston, and since a three-game winning streak the Sharks have lost five of their past six contests - scoring two goals or fewer in their past three.

“We’re upset individually how we’re playing, we’re upset as a team,” San Jose captain Logan Couture told reporters after Tuesday’s loss. “You know, at times you could say it was almost embarrassing out there.” San Jose plays 11 of its 15 games in November at home, starting with a Jets team that also is trying to find a positive rhythm after opening a three-game road trip with a 7-4 defeat Tuesday at Anaheim, Winnipeg’s fifth defeat in its past seven games. Even with two goals from Nikolaj Ehlers, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck surrendered four tallies on six shots in the second period before being pulled. “I’m not putting it on the goalie,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice told the media afterward. “He’s been too good for us up until this point. It was just off. It wasn’t easy for him around the net. Nothing was clean for him.”

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE JETS (6-7-0): Winnipeg carried a 2-1 lead into the second period before being blitzed by Anaheim and Hellebuyck gave way to Laurent Brossoit after allowing four goals on 19 shots in 29 minutes. Ehlers finished with three points to give him five (three goals) in his past three games, and center Bryan Little added a goal and an assist. The Jets took 31 shots on goal across the final two periods, getting a team-high nine from forward Kyle Connor and five apiece from Little and defenseman Josh Morrissey.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (4-8-1): San Jose hopes Tuesday’s contest was a bottoming out after recording more than three times the number of penalty minutes (57) than shots on goal (17). Defenseman Brent Burns scored his third goal of the season and leads the Sharks with 13 points (five points during his current four-game point streak), while former Jets forward Evander Kane has a team-best seven goals (four points in his past four games). Goaltender Martin Jones faced 34 shots in the first two periods and stopped 36 of 41 overall just two days after Aaron Dell gave up four goals on 22 shots in a loss at Ottawa.

OVERTIME

1. The Jets continue to rank last in the NHL in penalty kill at 65.4 percent, allowing seven goals on opponents' past 17 power plays.

2. One strength for the Sharks has been special teams as they lead the NHL in penalty kill (90.4 percent) and ranked 10th on the power play (24.4 percent) entering Thursday.

3. The Sharks are allowing the third-most goals per game (3.69) through Wednesday, while the Jets defense gives up 3.38 per contest (11th-most).

PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Jets 3

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