Game #21

San Jose Sharks (6-11-5) vs. Buffalo Sabres (10-9-1)

Puck Drop: 8:00 PM EST | SAP Center | San Jose, CA

TV: MSG

Know Your Opponent

San Jose Sharks

Record: 6-11-5 | 17 PTS

Last Game: 3-2 loss to St. Louis Blues (shootout)

Division Ranking: 8th in Pacific

PP: 17.7%

PK: 81.3%

What to Watch

1. On A High Note

The Sabres will look to finish their four-game roadstand, and the California trip, on a high note on Saturday evening. Following Wednesday’s 1-0 win in Los Angeles, the Sabres snagged a 3-2 overtime win on Friday night thanks to Jiri Kulich’s heroics. Now, they’ll look to cap off the road trip with one more win and sweep California before heading back east.

Entering Saturday’s game, the Sabres are 6-4-0 in their last ten games and 4-4-1 on the road this season.

The Sharks, meanwhile, come into Saturday’s game on a two-game skid, having dropped 5-2 (Dallas) and 3-2 (St. Louis) decisions earlier this week. Overall, the Sharks have lost six of their last seven games. While the Sabres certainly shouldn’t take this one lightly, it’s also a game they should win.

2. The Leaders

Alex Tuch & Tage Thompson, both recently/currently dealing with injuries, lead the Sabres with 18 points each this season. JJ Peterka is also creating a nice offensive streak this season, with 16 points in 18 games. Let’s not forget Jason Zucker (14 points in 20 games) and Ryan McLeod (12 points in 20 games), either. Tuch played Friday, while Thompson did not and is questionable for today’s game.

For the Sharks, Mikael Granlund leads the way with 24 points in just 22 games, including a team-high 15 assists. His nine goals are also tied for the team lead with fellow center Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli has 15 points on the season, while William Eklund has 16 points. Fabian Zetterlund (14) and Alex Wennberg (11) have also hit the double-digit mark.

3. Honoring Jumbo Joe

The Sharks have spent this weekend so far honoring the legendary Joe Thornton, which will continue before tonight’s game against the Sabres. After Thursday was declared “Joe Thornton Day” in San Jose, the team held a special Legends Game on Friday night that featured Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe and others.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the Sharks will formally retire #19 in honor of Thornton. Festivities outside the arena begin at 11 a.m. local time, and the retirement ceremony starts at 2:30 p.m. local time – a whopping 2.5 hours before puck drop. Fans will also receive a nifty “magic puck” that unfolds to reveal images throughout Thornton’s years in San Jose.

Thornton’s NHL career ended following the 2021-22 season with the Panthers. He finished his career with 1,714 games played and 1,539 points. He spent 15 seasons with the Sharks, playing 1,104 games and accruing 1,055 points there.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

JJ Peterka – Ryan McLeod – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Dylan Cozens – Sam Lafferty
Jason Zucker – Jiri Kulich – Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Defense

Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson – Connor Clifton

Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, James Reimer

San Jose Sharks

Forwards

William Eklund – Mikael Granlund – Fabian Zetterlund
Barclay Goodrow – Macklin Celebrini – Tyler Toffoli
Klim Kostin – Alex Wennberg – Luke Kunin
Carl Grundstrom – Ty Dellandrea – Givani Smith

Defense

Jake Walman – Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro – Timothy Liljegren
Jan Rutta – Jack Thompson

Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood, Yaroslav Askarov