Sharks vs Panthers Preview
The Sharks continue their road trip tonight against the Panthers in Sunrise
After kicking off their most recent road trip with a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sharks are looking to log another W tonight against Florida's other (and maybe better?) team.
The Panthers haven't played since Monday night, when they squeaked by the Penguins 2-1. Prior to that they'd won only one of their last five games. With San Jose having to play again tomorrow night, going all out for victory (read: not starting Alex Stalock) tonight seems like a smart move.
Tale Of The Tape
 | @ |  |
| 30-20-5 | Record | 33-18-6 |
| 3rd in Pacific | Rank | 1st in Atlantic |
| 52.8% | Score-Adj. Fenwick | 48.4% |
| 99.7 | PDO | 101.9 |
| 22.6 | PP% | 16.3 |
| 80.7 | PK% | 81.4 |
Know Your Enemy: Litter Box Cats
The last time the Sharks and Panthers faced off was in November in San Jose, and the Sharks came away with a win, scoring five goals to the Panthers' two. The Sharks had goals from Brent Burns, Joonas Donskoi, Patrick Marleau, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Chris Tierney. Alex Stalock saved 31 of 33 of the pucks shot at him for what is probably his best game this season. Maybe we should start him tonight after all.
Storylines
- It's already been mentioned above, and it's PROBABLY going to be Martin Jones in net tonight, but the argument could be made for giving Stalock a start against a team he did well against a few months ago and going for another two points tomorrow night with Jones in net against a not-very-good Carolina Hurricanes team. I would put Jones in myself, but an argument can be made for either option. It will be interesting to see where the coaching staff's level of confidence in Stalock lies.
- The Ducks and Kings are also playing today, making this a potential big night for position jockeying in the standings. If the Sharks win and their two mortal enemies lose, they'll be in second place and only two points back of Los Angeles.
- The Panthers are not a great hockey team, but they have a great goaltender in Roberto Luongo and sometimes that's all you need, especially in a weak Atlantic Division. With the Panthers coming off two days of rest, it's almost certain San Jose will be facing Luongo tonight./