It sure would be nice if the San Jose Sharks could treat the Bay Area fans to a dominant beatdown of the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. I'm sure that would be great for Sharks fans. I'd imagine the team could be winless, and a win over the Ducks would make them feel great about the season. That's how much it means ... to the fans at least.
In their last outing, the Sharks beat the Devils in a 5-2 affair in which captain Joe Thornton secured himself a hat trick and matched a career-high five points. It was his fourth career hat trick and the first since March of 2008. You'd have to go back nine years to find his last five-point game. Dany Heatley and Patrick Marlaeu continued their assisting ways, picking up three assists each on top of a goal apiece in the victory.
Antero Niittymaki is now 3-0-1 and made twenty-seven saves in the win, and is probably going to get the start tonight as well over the struggling Antti Niemi. Coach Todd McLellan has been silent up until the last minute as to which goalie would be starting thus far, and is continuing the trend.
The Ducks lost their last outing, to the very same Devils team that the Sharks just put a beating on. That's a good sign to start, wouldn't you think? It was a 2-1 loss. The Ducks haven't been great on the road this year, either, with a 2-5-0 record to show for their traveling efforts.
Jonas Hiller had twenty-five saves in the losing effort. Cam Fowler may be back tonight for the Ducks. The rookie has been on the bench due to a broken nose and stiff neck, the Ducks would surely like him back on the defensive unit.
Eleven of the last fourteen meetings have gone to the Sharks, and they'll look to make it twelve of the last fifteen against the division rivals.