The San Jose Sharks face the New York Rangers with both teams on opposite ends of the standings to start the season. The Sharks are 0-5 and desperate to win their first game of the season while the Rangers are 3-1 and look like one of the best teams in the NHL. The Sharks are looking to climb out of the bottom of the Pacific Division while the Rangers are hoping to remain near the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Sharks are off to the worst start in their franchise history with their offense letting them down, scoring only 1.60 goals per game. Evgeny Svechnikov, Nico Sturm, and Logan Couture have combined for five goals and two assists while defensemen Erik Karlsson and Mario Ferraro have added a goal and five assists from the point, but the rest of the offense has struggled. The hope is that Time Meier and Tomas Hertl can step up as they play a pivotal role in the top two lines but have only added a goal and an assist to the offense.
The offense has let the Sharks down but the defense has also struggled, allowing 3.80 goals per game. Erik Karlsson and Mario Ferraro have led the top pairing but the rest of the unit has been awful, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. In addition, goaltender James Reimer hopes to step up in the net, allowing nine goals on 111 shots.