Now that they're out of the gate and the weird early-season scheduling is out of the way, the San Jose Sharks are settling into their first "full" week of hockey. They're 1-2 in three games, and have dropped their last two, games against the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues. This week, they've got three games, two of which are on the road, and we'll take a look at their opponents below.
They'll rematch the Ducks on Monday night, this one at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The Ducks have won three of their four games, including the aforementioned game against the Sharks. They've got one shootout win, and are looking to battle the Dallas Stars for the early lead in the Pacific Division. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. pacific time and will be on CSN California, as usual.
Then they hit the road to take on the Devils on Friday at 4:00 p.m. They're also won three of their four games, and are looking better each time out. On Saturday, the Sharks head to Boston to take on the Bruins, who have won two of their five games. Boston has two more games before the Sharks come to town, and could have a winning record by that point.
Things are at least looking up for the Sharks, who are craving stability. They have a timetable for Martin Havlat and his return from injury - the game on Friday against the Devils. Coach Todd McLellan said that Havlat hasn't been cleared by a doctor yet, but fully expects him to get good news on Wednesday when he goes to see him. Starting goalie Antti Niemi is going to make the start on Monday night for the first time this season, allowing the still-green Thomas Greiss to get back on the bench.