5 Things to Know: Sharks vs Bruins
The Sharks have two in a row! After earning their first regulation win of the season Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, Team Teal takes on the Boston Bruins for the final stop of their six-game road trip.
Puck drop is 4 p.m. PT on Saturday, October 24 at TD Garden.
Here's five things to know heading into the matchup:
- Boston Bruins Outlook (8-2-1)
The Boston Bruins are 4-1-0 at home, earning their fourth win with a blowout 6-0 shutout against the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Goaltender Michael DiPietro earned his first career shutout, and was Boston's first star of the game with 28 saves made. Bruins' captain David Pastrnak earned second star of the game with two goals and two assists, while alternate captain Charlie McAvoy earned third star, logging four assists.
First in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins will require a complete effort from Team Teal on both ends of the ice.
- San Jose Sharks Outlook (6-4-1)
San Jose enters the matchup with 13 points compared to Boston's 17, with slim margins on both their power-play and penalty kill. The Sharks hold a 26 percent PP, while the Bruins are at 23 percent. On the PK both teams are even at 81 percent.
The San Jose Sharks hold an all-time record of 15-29-8 against the Bruins. When playing in Boston, Team Teal is 6-17-3 all-time. When the two teams met in San Jose on Oct. 13, the Bruins beat the Sharks 6-3, marking the Sharks' most-allowed goals in a game during this season.
Fresh off a 6-2 win where 13 different Sharks players made their way onto the scoresheet, the team will look to carry that momentum and build on their performance.
- Boston Has Been Winning Big
Six of Boston's eight wins this season have come by at least two goals of separation on the final scoreboard, compared to the Sharks, who have had five of their six wins be decided by one goal.
The Sharks will need to stay disciplined defensively and avoid giving Boston opportunities to build a cushion with a multi-goal lead. Team Teal will also need a strong performance from their goaltender.
Yaroslav Askarov made 41 saves on Thursday to earn first star of the game. If Askarov makes the start again, it would be a redemption opportunity for the 24-year-old netminder to bounce back from the Sharks' previous loss to Boston.
Otherwise, Alex Nedeljkovic holds a 2.37 goals-against average and .917 save percentage and is tied in wins this season with Askarov (3). Regardless of who starts between the pipes, consistency will be crucial in containing Boston's high-scoring offense throughout the game.
- Road Production (4-2-1)
San Jose enters the game looking to maintain successful production on the road and perhaps extend their two-in-a-row to an official winning streak. Boston will be a challenge as well, having only lost one game at home (4-1, Ottawa).
Quick Notes
Igor Chernyshov blocked a shot from Nikolas Matinpalo on Thursday and is now out, sustaining an upper-body injury.
Nolan Allan, paired on the third defensive pair with Dmitry Orlov, has the best plus-minus for the Sharks: +4 through the first 11 games.
Five Sharks are on point streaks: Kiefer Sherwood (2), Ivar Stenberg (2), Jacob Trouba (2), Tyler Toffoli (3), and Michael Misa (2).
Tonight's game brings big homecoming energy for Adam Gaudette, Will Smith, and Collin Graf's Massachusetts roots.
- Strong Efforts From Everyone
Boston has been scoring more goals on average than the Sharks have been allowing this season. With their strong offensive capabilities, San Jose will need to play smart, limit turnovers, and capitalize on their scoring opportunities.
As Tyler Toffoli told Drew Remenda ahead of Thursday's game, "Keep things more simple, I think when we do that, we play a lot better, and then our skill comes from there."
Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky also noted that while the team did a good job keeping shots to the outside, that strategy long-term is not the goal.
Against a Bruins team that has shown ability to pull away on the scoreboard, the Sharks will need to pair disciplined defensive play with smarter puck management.
