The Sharks arrived in Vancouver not only looking to sweep their trip through Western Canada and build on a five-game winning streak, but also eyeing the opportunity to take the Pacific Division lead from the Calgary Flames. Once again San Jose will be without the services of Erik Karlsson, who will be missing his eighth straight game due to a lower body injury.
The Canucks enter tonight’s game just outside the playoff picture, sitting two points behind the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild. Vancouver might not have the strongest lineup in the NHL, but as their 4-3 shootout victory on Saturday over the Flames showed, Elias Pettersson and Jacob Markstrom can single-handedly steal games from even the toughest opponents.