The San Jose Sharks finish their season series against the Washington Capitals tonight before heading out on a six-game road trip.

The San Jose Sharks (4-15-2) finish their season series against the Washington Capitals (10-5-2) tonight before heading out on a six-game road trip.

The Capitals beat the Sharks 3-1 in D.C. on Oct. 29. At the time, San Jose still didn't have a win. The Sharks held a 1-0 into the third period but could not hold on.

Tomas Hertl will miss tonight's game with a mid-body injury. Sharks head coach David Quinn said it happened yesterday but doesn't expect him to be out long. 

"Embrace it. To me, it'll make this win even sweeter." Quinn said about Hertl being out. "When you continue to face adversity, it's an opportunity to take advantage of more ice time for some certain guys. I feel really good about where we're at."

Justin Bailey will make his Sharks debut tonight. 

"He immediately becomes our biggest forward. So that's always a good thing," Quinn said. "He can skate. He plays with pace, and I liked him in training camp, and he's earned this opportunity. I feel really good for him."

Marc-Edouard Vlasic will be healthy scratched tonight, as Nikita Okhotiuk will return to the lineup. Vlasic had been scratched in four straight games before returning on Saturday. 

Since GM Mike Grier spoke to the Sharks' locker room, the team has gone 4-5-1, including winning four of its last five games at home. 

Sharks projected lines:

Eklund-Kunin-Hoffman
Duclair-Granlund-Zetterlund
MacDonald-Sturm-Baliey
Smith-Carpenter-Labanc

Ferraro-Emberson
Addison-Benning
Okhotiuk-Burroughs

Blackwood

Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBC Sports CA or the Sharks Audio Network. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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