Sharks vs. Coyotes preview: San Jose looks to snap losing streak in desert
Visit to desert breaks up block of home games.
After going 0-for their three game homestand, the Sharks will try to get back on track tonight in Arizona. The bad news: they're playing against one of the worst teams in the NHL, otherwise known as San Jose's kryptonite. Particularly with Martin Hanzal injured, the Coyotes are wafer-thin down the middle and dressing forwards you'll be excused for having never heard of, like Brendan Shinnimin (awesome name) and Jordan Martinook. With Vlasic and Braun still injured and not making the trip, hopefully the Sharks' diminished defense corps will be able to neutralize Arizona's similarly impotent attack.
Tale Of The Tape
 | @ |  |
| 28-20-8, 64 points | Record | 20-28-7, 47 points |
| 2nd in Pacific | Rank | 6th in Pacific |
| 50.9% | Score-Adj. Fenwick | 47.1% |
| 99.1 | PDO | 97.3 |
| 21.0 | PP% | 22.4 |
| 81.0 | PK% | 78.3 |
6PM PST | Gila River Arena | Glendale, Arizona
TV: CSNCA-HD | Radio: SJSharks.com, 98.5 KFOX
Know Your Enemy: Five For Howling
Projected Sharks Lineup
Joe Pavelski - Joe Thornton - Melker Karlsson
Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Matt Nieto
James Sheppard - Tomas Hertl - Tommy Wingels
Andrew Desjardins - Chris Tierney - Barclay Goodrow
Scott Hannan - Brent Burns
Mirco Mueller - Brenden Dillon
Matt Irwin - Matt Tennyson
Antti Niemi
Alex Stalock
Projected Coyotes Lineup
Tobias Rieder - Antoine Vermette - Shane Doan
Lucas Lessio - Sam Gagner - Lauri Korpikoski
Brendan Shinnimin - Mark Arcobello - Martin Erat
Jordan Martinook - Kyle Chipchura - David Moss
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Zbynek Michalek
Keith Yandle - Michael Stone
Andrew Campbell - Connor Murphy
Mike Smith
Mike McKenna
Last Meeting
Brenden Dillon scored his first goal as a Shark while Tomas Hertl also potted one in his first NHL game at the center position as the Sharks defeated the Coyotes 3-2 in a January visit to Glendale.
Storylines
- As he did the last time the Sharks were in Glendale, Tomas Hertl will be playing center tonight between James Sheppard and Tommy Wingels.
- Mike Smith, who's having an awful season but has some Shark-killing tendencies with four career shutouts against San Jose, will face the Sharks for the first time this season tonight.
- The only defenseman with more goals this season than Brent Burns' 14 is Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Coyotes./