New Jersey @ San Jose preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 20, 2020 ) San Jose 1, New Jersey 2

Well out of postseason contention and having raised the white flag on the season by dealing away two key players at Monday's trade deadline, the San Jose Sharks can only hope for a strong finish with 19 games remaining. Coming off a disastrous road trip, the Sharks will open a six-game homestand on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils.

San Jose has lost five in a row after wrapping up a four-game road trip with a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia -- a trek that began with a 2-1 loss at New Jersey last Thursday. "We need some goals, and not just from our depth," coach Bob Boughner said after his team scored only six goals during the road trip. "We need our top-six guys to put some points on the board." The Devils are buried at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and also traded away some top players but are vying for a season-high fourth consecutive victory. "These games matter. They matter to me, the group in here and to our fans," goaltender Cory Schneider said after New Jersey opened a five-game road trip with a 4-1 win in Detroit. "I take pride in it and the guys do as well."

TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: MSG, NBCS California

ABOUT THE DEVILS (25-27-10): New Jersey's power play entered the All-Star break in a 1-for-18 rut but has turned things around since the layoff, converting on 15 of 52 opportunities in the last 14 games. Jesper Bratt, Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev all scored on the man advantage -- a season high for the team -- in Tuesday's win, giving the Devils a 6-for-14 success rate during a three-game streak. Mackenzie Blackwood takes a six-start winning streak into Thursday's matchup, a span in which he has surrendered seven goals.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (26-33-4): Captain Logan Couture, sidelined since suffering a fractured ankle on Jan. 7, returned to the lineup Tuesday following a 17-game absence and registered two shots on goal in 18 minutes. "I wish I played a little bit better, but I'm OK," Couture said. "I still haven't gotten in a practice, so my hands I knew weren't going to be great, but I figured it's been a rough couple days." Couture survived a scare when he had to exit the game after taking a shot off the foot before returning in the third period.

OVERTIME

1. Sharks G Martin Jones fell to 6-3-0 with a 1.63 goals-against average versus New Jersey after last week's loss.

2. Devils F Kyle Palmieri, the team leader in goals (23) and points (43), has four and nine in 21 games versus San Jose.

3. The Sharks are 2-for-20 on the power play in the past seven games, including 0-for-3 versus the Devils.

PREDICTION: Sharks 3, Devils 2