Vancouver @ San Jose preview
SAP Center at San Jose
Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) San Jose 1, Vancouver 4
The Vancouver Canucks have won nine in a row at home and 12 of their last 15 overall to secure sole possession of first place in the top-heavy Pacific Division. The Canucks will take their show on the road Wednesday when they open a five-game trek against the San Jose Sharks.
Vancouver captain Bo Horvat has fueled the team's recent surge with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his last 11 games, including an empty-net tally in a 3-1 victory over St. Louis on Monday. The 24-year-old has recorded four points (one goal, three assists) to help the Canucks claim two of the first three meetings with San Jose this season. Patrick Marleau has failed to dent the scoresheet in any of those encounters, but the 40-year-old scored twice on Monday to help the Sharks halt a three-game slide with a 4-2 victory over Anaheim. "You always want to be on the scoresheet, and you always want to contribute. But, over the years, one thing I've learned is not to think about it too much, just go out and let things happen," Marleau said.
TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS California
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (28-18-4): J.T. Miller is enjoying a career season in his first with Vancouver, as his two goals on Monday pushed his point total to 48 in 50 games after mustering just 47 in 75 with Tampa Bay in 2018-19. The 26-year-old, who is looking to lead Vancouver to the playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign, was thrilled with the team's compete-level against the reigning Stanley Cup champions on Monday. "That's as playoff style as it gets. For us to play the way we did, we all feel really good about ourselves right now," Miller said, via Sportsnet.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (22-25-4): While Marleau became the fourth player in NHL history to record at least 10 goals in 22 straight seasons (Gordie Howe, Mark Messier and Alex Delvecchio), Erik Karlsson also enjoyed a milestone moment by becoming the third active defenseman to reach the 600-point plateau (teammate Brent Burns, Boston captain Zdeno Chara). Karlsson set up Stefan Noesen's second goal of the contest on Monday for his ninth point in nine games (one goal, eight assists). The two-time Norris Trophy recipient, who leads the team in assists (32) and points (37), has set up three goals in the season series versus Vancouver.
OVERTIME
1. San Jose LW Evander Kane totaled two goals and an assist in the first two meetings with Vancouver before being held off the scoresheet in a 4-1 loss to the club on Jan. 18.
2. The Canucks sport a sterling 10-5-1 record against Pacific Division representatives.
3. San Jose D Brenden Dillon will skate in his 432nd regular-season game with the club on Wednesday, the most all-time by an undrafted player in franchise history.
PREDICTION: Canucks 4, Sharks 2