Sharks host Oilers in Pacific clash (Dec 23, 2016)
As the NHL heads into its three-day Christmas break, fans will get an early present featuring one team with the pieces necessary to contend for the Stanley Cup for a second straight season and a team riding a youth movement in hopes of regaining championship glory last experienced decades ago.
Two of the Pacific Division's best square off for the first time this season on Friday night when the San Jose Sharks play the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center.
The Sharks went 2-1-1 against the Oilers last season despite being outscored 11-10. San Jose has been dominant in the series in recent years, going 13-3-2 since March 2012.
San Jose (20-12-1) leads the Pacific with 11 home wins while Edmonton's 10 road victories tie it with the Calgary Flames for the most in the division.
San Jose will be looking for its sixth win in seven games after Tuesday' 4-1 win over Calgary. Joonas Donskoi scored two goals less than two minutes apart and Joe Thornton, playing in his 1,400th NHL game, drew two assists for the Sharks, who tallied all their goals in the second period.
Thornton has just two goals this season and none in his last 17 games, but he has recorded 11 assists over that span, leaving him 16 short of being the 13th player in NHL history to reach 1,000.
Thornton had four assists in four games versus the Oilers last season -- and has 12 helpers in the last seven home matchups.
The Oilers (18-12-5) will want to watch out for Joe Pavelski, who's scored four goals with five assists in nine games this month. The Sharks' captain had a team-high three goals with an assist in four games vs. the Oilers last season.
Edmonton is looking to sweep a three-game road trip and post its fourth consecutive win overall. After opening the swing with a 3-2 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday, the Oilers topped the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on Thursday -- its first regulation win in 25 meetings in the series.
The Oilers showed some grit, picking up a season-high 47 penalty minutes. Matt Hendricks, who had a goal and assist playing on a line with Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian, said the team wouldn't be bullied.
"It's no secret to anyone in the league that's what we're trying to create in Edmonton, and we're taking the right steps," Hendricks told the Edmonton Sun. "We're a proud group, we play hard for each other, we stand up for each other and we want to be a team that doesn't get pushed around."
Leon Draisaitl continues emerge as a legitimate offensive threat for Edmonton. With an assist against the Coyotes, Draisaitl, who turned 21 on Oct. 27 and is in his third season, has seven goals and seven assists in 11 games this month. He's also posted 11 points (five goals, six assists) in a six-game streak on the road.
However, Draisaitl had a goal and two assists while appearing in all four games versus the eventual Western Conference champions last season.
While Draisaitl has been scorching, captain Connor McDavid, who turns 20 on Jan. 13, has been ice cold recently. Though he leads the league with 40 points (12 goals, 28 assists), McDavid has just two assists in his last six games.
As a rookie last season, McDavid wasn't a factor as he recorded one assist in two games against San Jose. The top overall pick in the 2015 draft missed two matchups recovering from a broken collarbone that sidelined him for just under three months.
The game will likely feature two goaltenders who have had heavy workloads.
In 29 starts, San Jose's Martin Jones is 17-11-1 with a 2.09 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and two shutouts.
"I don't think we've overplayed him," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the San Jose Mercury News. "Whether the way the schedule's laid out or the games (rookie backup Aaron Dell) has played have come at the right time where (Jones) has got a few days here and there. It doesn't feel overtaxing to me right now."
Jones has made eight starts this month, posting a 5-3-0 record with a 2.22 GAA.
Edmonton's Cam Talbot has appeared in two more games -- and posted 185 more saves -- than Jones. Talbot has six wins over in nine starts in December, and is 17-10-4 in 31 starts with a 2.50 GAA, a .918 save percentage and three shutouts.
The NHL resumes play with 10 games on Tuesday.
