The San Jose Sharks continue the team’s road trip through Florida with a pit stop in Sunrise to play the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. The Sharks are looking to bounce back after a dismal showing in Tampa Bay, where the team allowed five goals in the first twenty minutes of the game. It was a rout the Sharks would rather not repeat.
While the Panthers are second in the Atlantic Division with a 16-9-2 record, the Sharks have the same record as the Panthers over the last ten games. Both teams are 5-4-1 in the last ten games. Of course, the Panthers outpace the Sharks in nearly every other category. Florida’s power play is operating at a 28.4% success rate. The team averages 3.78 goals per game, compared to the Sharks’ 2.79. They’re close to even on goals against per game.
Sam Reinhart is the team’s top scorer, with 37 points in 27 games. Reinhart leads the league with 19 goals this season. Amazingly, he’s only fifth in the league for scoring. The real player to look out for right now is Matthew Tkachuk, who has 13 points in the last five games. He’s jumped up to second in scoring on the team, thanks to that run.
In net, it sounds like Sergei Bobrovsky is back. The netminder missed the last two games while he and his wife welcomed their second child. Look for the new kid boost, which I firmly believe is a thing.
Bobrovsky has been the team’s 1A goaltender, even without the new baby boost. He’s 11-5-1 with a .890 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average. Backup Spencer Knight is also sporting a .890 save percentage, but his goals against average is 2.84.
San Jose Sharks lines today
Will Smith missed Friday’s practice with an upper body injury. While Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky told San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng it was a day-to-day injury, it sounds like it will take up today as well. Smith is out of the lineup, so Ethan Cardwell will slot in.
Also, it’s Mackenzie Blackwood’s turn in the net.
Here are the lines according to Peng.
Forwards
William Eklund – Macklin Celebrini – Fabian Zetterlund
Luke Kunin – Alex Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli
Klim Kostin – Mikael Granlund – Will Smith
Carl Grundstrom – Nico Sturm – Ty Dellandrea
Defense
Jake Walman – Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro – Timothy Liljegren
Henry Thrun – Jan Rutta
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Vitek Vanecek
Florida Panthers lines vs. San Jose Sharks
According to the Daily Faceoff, this is what the lines will look like today for the Panthers.
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Jesper Boqvist – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Evan Rodrigues
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Mackie Samoskevich
Defense
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Nate Schmidt
Dmitry Kulikov – Uvis Balinskis
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Florida Panthers Dec. 7, 2024
San Jose Sharks fans can watch the game on NBC Sports California or listen to the game on the Sharks Audio Network.
Florida fans can watch the game on SCRIPPS.
The puck drops at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
You can also check back here and talk to other fans about what’s happening on and off the ice.
