Flames looking to snap a three-game losing skid against a Sharks team that won the season's first meeting
Calgary Flames (34-37-5, 73 points) at San Jose Sharks (18-51-8, 44 points)
A three-game losing skid. Losses in eight of nine games and a 11 losses in the last 14 outings since the March 8 trade deadline. It’s been an ugly month since the Flames finished their selloff by dealing away Noah Hanifin and completed all of the deals involving the collection of pending unrestricted free agents.
The only benefit of this swoon is how Calgary has fallen down the standings, all the way to 25th — or eighth from the bottom depending on how you want to look at it. Can the Flames snap their skid or will their woes continue against the 32nd-place Sharks?
Calgary is kicking off a three-game trip through California to kick off the penultimate week of regular-season action. With rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf pegged to start a stone's throw from where he grew up, the Flames will be without another veteran defenceman with Oliver Kylington out due to an injury suffered late in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Solovyov was summoned from the AHL Wranglers and it appears he’ll step into the lineup. It appears Andrew Mangiapane could return to action after missing the last five games due to injury.
The Sharks have all but solidified having the best odds for the coming draft lottery. As they head into the finale of a five-game homestand, San Jose has lost three of four games and managed only two victories in its last 14 games (2-11-1).
The Sharks won the first meeting of the season, a 6-3 game at the Saddledome on Feb. 15. The division rivals meeting for the third and final time this season in the finale for both clubs in Calgary on April 18.
Here is a guess at the lines based on Monday's practice.
Calgary
Forwards:
Jonathan Huberdeau-Connor Zary-Andrew Mangiapane
Yegor Sharangovich-Mikael Backlund-Blake Coleman
Martin Pospisil-Nazem Kadri-Andrei Kuzmenko
A.J. Greer-Kevin Rooney-Matt Coronato
Extras: Walker Duehr, Dryden Hunt
Defence:
Dennis Gilbert-Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar-Daniil Miromanov
Ilya Solovyov-Brayden Pachal
Extra: Nikita Okhotiuk
Goal:
Dustin Wolf
Jacob Markstrom
Wolf has has a 1-1-0 record versus the Sharks, to go with a 3.50 goals-against average and 873 save percentage. Markstrom has a career 6-8-1 record against San Jose with a 3.13 GAA and .898 SvPct. He has won his last three games.
San Jose
Forwards:
William Eklund-Mikael Granlund-Fabian Zetterlund
Justin Bailey-Luke Kunin-Collin Graf
Thomas Bordeleau-Jack Studnicka-Filip Zadina
Jacob MacDonald-Nico Sturm-Ryan Carpenter
Defence:
Mario Ferraro-Jan Rutta
Henry Thrun-Kyle Burroughs
Marc-Edouard Vlasic-Calen Addison
Goal:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Devin Cooley
Blackwood has a 1-3-0 career mark versus Calgary with a 4.80 GAA and .870 SvPct. Cooley has never faced the Flames.
ICE CHIPS: San Jose has a trio of forwards who may play: Klim Kostin, Mike Hoffman and Kevin Labanc ... Sharks C Mikael Granlund is riding an eight-game point-scoring streak in which he has collected two goals and seven assists … Flames RW Andrei Kuzmenko is riding a five-game point streak with four goals and five assists ... San Jose's power play is ranked fifth in the league at home at 25%. Calgary's penalty kill has surrendered 12 opposition power-play goals in the past nine games. By the way, Calgary's power play has scored in five consecutive outings (8-for-19).
