San Jose @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 15, 2019 ) Pittsburgh 2, San Jose 5

The Pittsburgh Penguins are relying on a pair of familiar faces in their quest to improve their standing in the Metropolitan Division. Former Hart Trophy recipients Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin look to continue their torrid ways as the Penguins bid for their fifth win in six outings on Thursday against the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Crosby extended his point streak to six games (two goals, 10 assists) with his team-leading 48th assist in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over New Jersey while Malkin has secured at least a point in his last eight contests (four goals, eight assists) for Pittsburgh, which resides two points behind second-place Washington. Crosby and Malkin were both held off the scoresheet and combined for a minus-5 rating in the Penguins' 5-2 setback in San Jose on Jan. 15. Tomas Hertl recorded a hat trick in that encounter and Joe Thornton registered his fifth career three-goal performance and first this season in Monday's 6-5 overtime loss to Boston. The 39-year-old Thornton also scored versus Pittsburgh and has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in his last 14 contests for the Sharks, who are kicking off a four-game road trip in the Steel City.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS California (San Jose), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE SHARKS (35-17-8): Captain Joe Pavelski, who leads the team with 32 goals, scored once and set up two others versus the Bruins to record multi-point performances in back-to-back games and three of his last four. Logan Couture collected a goal and an assist for the second straight game to give him eight points this month, helping San Jose post a 6-1-1 mark in that stretch. Evander Kane, who had three assists in the first meeting with Pittsburgh, registered three multi-point performances earlier this month before being limited to just one assist in his last three games.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (32-21-7): Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford came to the defense of much-maligned blue-liner Jack Johnson, telling reporters that the offseason acquisition hasn't been treated fairly since signing a five-year, $16.25 million contract on July 1. "From the media to the fans, nobody has given him a chance from the first day he got here," Rutherford told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "And Jack Johnson's doing fine." The 32-year-old Johnson has 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) with a minus-6 rating in 60 games while averaging a career-worst 19:01 of ice time.

OVERTIME

1. San Jose D Brent Burns has eight of his club-best 54 assists and 10 of his team-leading 65 points this month.

2. Pittsburgh F Jake Guentzel, who leads the team with 28 goals, has collected a point in six of his last seven contests.

3. The Sharks claimed F Micheal Haley on waivers Wednesday from Florida, bringing the 32-year-old back to the franchise with which he played from 2014-17.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Sharks 3