Sharks host Stars looking to end three-game losing streak (Apr 03, 2018)
Now that they're headed back to the postseason, the San Jose Sharks will spend the final week of the season looking to complete a task that was discussed in training camp.
San Jose opens its last homestand of 2017-18 on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars, who have their eyes on playing spoiler down the stretch.
The Sharks secured their 12th playoff appearance in 13 seasons when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday. The win also clinched a spot for the Minnesota Wild.
San Jose (44-25-10) looks to avoid losing its fourth in a row after reeling off a season-high eight straight wins.
"The good news is we've set ourselves up to finish this season off with three home games and an opportunity to clinch home-ice advantage, which is something that's been a goal of ours from Day One," coach Peter DeBoer said after San Jose's 3-2 loss to Vegas on Saturday night. "So, we'll sweep this one under the rug and get ready for the next one."
Following this game, the Sharks meet Colorado on Thursday before closing the season Saturday against Minnesota. San Jose is in second place in the Pacific Division with narrow leads over the Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
First, the Sharks will focus on the Stars, who handed San Jose a 6-0 defeat behind 26 saves from Ben Bishop on New Year's Eve in Texas. Six weeks later, DeBoer's club evened the season series with a 5-2 win on home ice as Mikkel Boedker scored twice.
San Jose is 10-2-1 in its last 13 at home versus the Stars.
The Sharks may be without forward Evander Kane, who missed practice Monday with an undisclosed injury and will be a game-time decision, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Since coming over from the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 26, Kane has given the Sharks a boost with nine goals and five assists in 16 games. Only Joe Pavelski has more points since the trade with 17 (six goals, 11 assists).
Pavelski is tied with Brent Burns for the team lead with 63 points, and San Jose's captain has three goals and three assists in a three-game points streak at home versus Dallas.
Martin Jones needs one win to reach 30 for the third straight season since joining the Sharks in 2015. He's 2-1-0 with a 2.66 goals-against average in three career home games versus Dallas while with San Jose. Backup Aaron Dell's only career win over the Stars came in a 29-save effort on March 12, 2017 at SAP Center.
Dallas (40-31-8), which defeated the Wild 4-1 on Saturday, was eliminated from playoff contention when the Ducks rallied with the final three goals in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Avalanche on Sunday.
"The time for reflecting is you got all summer to do that -- and it's not now," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said Monday.
Dallas' fate was sealed with 0-6-2 slide in March, when the club lost 12 of 16 (4-8-4). The Stars have missed the playoffs in eight of the last 10 seasons.
Dallas winds down its season with a three-game trip through California with the chance to play spoiler.
"This is three playoff teams that need points, so we're going to get a really good test and it starts in San Jose," Hitchcock said. "We haven't had a lot of luck there lately and we want to change that."
Kari Lehtonen, who's been pressed into service with Bishop (lower body) out for the season, is 0-6-1 with a 3.40 GAA in his last seven road games. He's also 0-2-2 with a 2.64 GAA in his last five games (four starts) in Northern California.
On Saturday, Tyler Seguin became the third player in Dallas history with 40 goals, joining Jamie Benn (41 in 2015-16) and Mike Modano (50 in 1993-94). Seguin has a goal and four assists in his last three games overall, and a goal with four helpers in seven career games in San Jose.
