The Sharks are in good position in an up-and-down Pacific Division, neck-and-neck with the Calgary Flames in a race to get the top seed in the division and not have to play the Vegas Golden Knights—who seem locked in to third—in the first round. The Sharks were eliminated by the Knights in six last year, so if they’re not looking for revenge they’re probably motivated to avoid a repeat.
Erik Karlsson will miss tonight’s game again (if you hear about a Karlsson it will be bottom-six forward Melker Karlsson), while Evander Kane, who has been out of the lineup for the last two weeks, is expected to return tonight.