Columbus @ San Jose preview
SAP Center at San Jose
Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2020 ) San Jose 3, Columbus 2
The San Jose Sharks already faced an uphill climb toward a return trip to the playoffs, and that task just became even harder after reports surfaced that captain Logan Couture will be sidelined for as many six weeks with a fractured ankle. The inconsistent Sharks look to rally around the injury to their leader on Thursday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Couture sustained the injury during the second period of San Jose's 3-2 setback to St. Louis on Tuesday, marking the team's 13th loss in 17 games (4-10-3). "He's a catalyst of our offense, penalty kill and everything," Sharks coach Bob Boughner said of the 30-year-old Couture, who leads the team with 36 points in his first season as captain. San Jose's 3-2 victory in Columbus on Saturday marked the latter's lone loss in its last five games (4-1-0). The Blue Jackets began their four-game road trip with victories over Los Angeles and Anaheim, giving them at least a point in 14 of their last 15 contests overall (10-1-4) and in nine straight away from the Buckeye State (6-0-3).
TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Ohio, NBCS California
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (21-15-8): Defenseman Zach Werenski, who had two goals against the Sharks on Saturday, capped his third multi-goal performance in five games by scoring in the second period of Columbus' 4-3 win over the Ducks on Tuesday. The 22-year-old, who was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week, has nine goals in 11 games since returning from a shoulder injury and 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in his last 21 contests overall. "We are finding ways to win games and this has been a fun stretch for us, and we just have to keep it going," Werenski said.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (19-22-4): Defenseman Erik Karlsson set up Kevin Labanc's goal with 3:01 remaining in the third period against Columbus to begin a point streak that he extended to three after assisting on Timo Meier's power-play goal against the Blues. Karlsson added a short-handed tally versus St. Louis for his fifth goal of the season. Meier, who also had an assist on Evander Kane's second-period goal against the Blue Jackets, has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past six games.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus C Pierre-Luc Dubois has recorded 15 (four goals, 11 assists) of his team-leading 33 points in the last 13 games.
2. San Jose C Joe Thornton will tie Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque by playing in his 1,612th career contest on Thursday.
3. Blue Jackets C Gustav Nyquist has five points (one goal, four assists) in his last five games.
PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 5, Sharks 2