Sharks vs. Flames preview: Homestand continues against division rival

In the second game of their lengthy homestand, the Sharks host fifth-place Calgary.

Four of the Sharks' seven games on their current homestand will come against Pacific Division rivals, starting tonight with the Calgary Flames who are in town following their 4-1 trouncing of the Coyotes on Thursday. With top center Mikael Backlund healthy and back in the lineup, the Flames are slowly rebounding from a stretch that saw them lose eight games in a row beginning with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Sharks on home ice in early December.

Tale Of The Tape
Calgary Flames

@

San Jose Sharks
23-18-3, 49 points
Record 24-16-5, 53 points
5th in Pacific Rank 3rd in Pacific
45.2%
Score-Adj. Fenwick 50.5%
101.2
PDO 98.6
17.6
PP% 20.7
76.2
PK% 81.6

7PM PST | SAP Center | San Jose, California
TV: CSNCA-HD, CBC | Radio: SJSharks.com, 98.5 KFOX
Know Your Enemy: Matchsticks & Gasoline, Flames Nation

Projected Sharks Lineup

Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Matt Nieto
Logan Couture - Joe Pavelski - Melker Karlsson
Tye McGinn - Tomas Hertl - Tyler Kennedy
Barclay Goodrow - James Sheppard - Tommy Wingels

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon - Justin Braun
Matt Irwin - Matt Tennyson

Antti Niemi
Alex Stalock

Projected Flames Lineup

Johnny Gaudreau - Mikael Backlund - David Jones
Curtis Glencross - Sean Monahan - Jiri Hudler
Lance Bouma - Joe Colborne - Drew Shore
Brandon Bollig - Matt Stajan - Paul Byron

Mark Giordano - T.J. Brodie
Kris Russell - Dennis Wideman
Raphael Diaz - Deryk Engelland

Joni Ortio
Jonas Hiller

Last Meeting

Patrick Marleau's last goal, prior to his tally against the Maple Leafs on Thursday, gave the Sharks a 3-2 third period lead at the Saddledome that they wouldn't relinquish in their second of five games against Calgary this season on December 6th.

Storylines
  • 23-year-old Finn Joni Ortio, who has allowed just one goal against in two starts this season, will get a third consecutive go of it in net for Calgary. He'll face countryman Antti Niemi.
  • Calgary recently acquired forward Drew Shore from the Florida Panthers. He'll play his second game with the Flames tonight./