Chicago @ San Jose preview
SAP Center at San Jose
Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2019 ) San Jose 5, Chicago 4
The San Jose Sharks were outscored by a staggering 17-5 margin during their season-opening four-game losing streak before briefly turning around their fortunes with a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 10. The good feelings didn't last long for the Sharks, who find themselves mired in another slump heading into Tuesday's contest against the visiting Blackhawks.
"No one in this league feels sorry for the San Jose Sharks. No one," captain Logan Couture said. "We need to get that swagger, that confidence back, that we've had here for so many years. It's tough when you're losing." Couture has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last three games and has just one point -- an assist -- during the Sharks' losing skid. While San Jose has dropped seven of its last eight games (1-6-1) to plummet into the basement of the Pacific Division, Chicago is working its way out of its own troubles by following up an overtime setback in Los Angeles with a 3-2 victory at Anaheim on Sunday. "It's always nice to score, nice to score in overtime, nice for the team to get a win," Patrick Kane said after scoring 24 seconds into overtime. "Three out of four points in this California swing so far, it's a good start."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (4-6-3): Rookie defenseman Adam Boqvist became the third member of the team to record his first career goal while playing in his second NHL game on Sunday, joining Dominik Kubalik and Kirby Dach. "You always looked to scoring (your) first goal and playing in the NHL, so it happened," said Boqvist, who was the eighth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft. "I didn't see where it went in, but I did see it went by the post, so yeah, it was good (it went) in." Kubalik, whose first goal came against San Jose, also tallied against the Kings on Saturday and resides one tally shy of Kane and Alex DeBrincat for the team lead.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (4-10-1): Sputtering starts have stopped San Jose in its tracks this season, as the Sharks surrendered the first goal for the 11th time in 15 games during Saturday's 5-2 loss to Vancouver. "It's a problem that's plagued us; we've got to fix it. You can't play from behind in this league and expect to win," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. "Everybody's got to look in the mirror. There's no cavalry coming. This is our group. It is what it is, we own it. There is no hiding from that. It's our record and you take it for what it is." Patrick Marleau provided an immediate boost by scoring twice in the first meeting with Chicago, although the 40-year-old has yet to score since that game.
OVERTIME
1. Chicago C Dylan Strome collected a goal and an assist in the first encounter against San Jose, but he has been held off the scoresheet in five of his last six games overall.
2. Sharks D Brent Burns, who scored and set up a goal in the first tilt with the Blackhawks, has recorded at least one point in nine of his last 12 contests.
3. Chicago G Corey Crawford has yielded at least four goals in four of his five games this season, including all five to San Jose last month.
PREDICTION: Sharks 5, Blackhawks 4