San Jose @ Calgary preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 13, 2019 ) Calgary 1, San Jose 3

The Calgary Flames will try to pick themselves up after an embarrassing loss to their biggest rival when they host the struggling San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night in another Pacific Division matchup. The Flames have lost four of their last six games (2-3-1) and followed an inspiring 4-3 shootout victory over Edmonton on Wednesday with a fight-filled 8-3 setback against the Oilers on Saturday.

“I want (this) feeling to stick with us for a while, for sure,” Calgary interim coach Geoff Ward told reporters. “If you’re not a little big angry in your stomach about what happened (Saturday) and it’s not bothering you, you’ve probably got an issue. So, we need to harness that a little bit. … we have to make sure our minds get there, that we take what we need to get out of this game.” The Flames also look to avenge a 3-1 loss at San Jose on Oct. 13 as they try to climb back into the top three in the Pacific Division after falling one point behind Vegas while sitting one point up on Arizona for the top spot in the Western Conference wild-card race. The Sharks are 11 points out of the final wild-card spot after losing five of the past six games - scoring seven goals combined in the last five outings, capped by Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay. “We’re not creating a lot offensively,” San Jose left wing Evander Kane told reporters. “We haven’t since before the (All-Star) break. We’ve got to find a way to create more offense and score more goals. We can’t have the mindset that one goal is enough to win.”

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS California, Sportsnet West

ABOUT THE SHARKS (22-27-4): San Jose is dealing with the absence of its top two centers Logan Couture (fractured ankle) and All-Star Tomas Hertl (knee surgery) while trying to improve an offense that ranked 28th in scoring (2.53) entering Monday. Defenseman Erik Karlsson leads the team with 37 points - one ahead of Hertl and Couture - and Kane tops the team with 19 goals, but has not added to his 35-point total in five games. Goalie Aaron Dell (9-10-2, .911 save percentage) has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his last nine appearances with a .927 SP during that span, after stopping 32-of-34 shots Saturday.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (27-20-6): Calgary needs more from speedy left wing Johnny Gaudreau, who had 36 goals and 99 points last season but has been held to 13 tallies - none in the last six games - and 41 points through 53 games. All-Star left wing Matthew Tkachuk has two goals and two assists in three games since the All-Star break to take over the team lead with 42 points while forward Elias Lindholm scored in each of the last two contests to push his team-leading total to 22. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano registered four assists in three games since the break and the captain has 21 helpers on the season.

OVERTIME

1. San Jose veteran F Joe Thornton is two points from 1,500 for his career, but has managed one in his past seven games.

2. The Flames have allowed a power-play goal in each of the last five games while the Sharks are 0-for-9 with the man advantage in the same span.

3. Sharks F Patrick Marleau has 561 goals and needs one to break the tie with Mike Modano for 25th in NHL history.

PREDICTION: Flames 4, Sharks 2