Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas
San Jose Sharks (12-20-7) vs. Anaheim Ducks (11-24-4)
The 2022-23 NHL season continues Friday, January 6, with the San Jose Sharks taking on the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division showdown at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and the puck drop is set for 10:00 PM ET.
San Jose and Anaheim lock horns for the fourth and last time this regular season, and the Sharks look to tie the series. The Ducks open as +124 home underdogs, while the totals are listed at 6.5 goals.
The San Jose Sharks improved to 12-20-7 on the season following Sunday’s 5-2 victory at the Chicago Blackhawks, putting an end to their three-game losing streak. The Sharks erased a two-goal deficit, as five players found the back of the net including Timo Meier, who has scored seven goals in his last eight appearances.
“Just loved our perseverance and our mental toughness and how we responded,” Sharks coach David Quinn said.
The Sharks outshot the Blackhawks 28-22, and Kaapo Kahkonen posted 20 saves on the night. Kahkonen is now 4-7-3 with a poor 3.71 GAA and .872 save percentage in 2022-23. James Reimer is projected to patrol the crease Friday at Honda Center, and the 34-year-old netminder carries a 7-11-3 record with a 3.18 GAA and .896 save percentage.
With a pair of assists in the second period, Erik Karlsson has extended his point streak to 13 games, setting the record for the longest point streak in franchise history. Karlsson has at least a point in every #SJSharks game dating back to Dec. 3 at OTT. Congratulations, Erik! pic.twitter.com/acXrV5zLLv
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) January 2, 2023
San Jose allows 3.64 goals per game (tied-25th in the NHL) despite the third-best penalty-killing percentage in the league (84.1%). The Sharks rank 22nd in the league in goals for (3.05 per game), 18th in power-play percentage (24-for-111), and 12th in 5-on-5 high-danger scoring chances (51.7%).