The San Jose Sharks are back to their winning ways, serving a beat-down to the Western Conference rival Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, to the tune of a 5-2 win in which five different players scored goals and Marc-Edouard Vlasic has four points (one goal, three assists). San Jose had won five straight before going back-and-forth with wins and losses, then having a two-game streak snapped by the rival Phoenix Coyotes prior to the win over Detroit.
Now, they're hitting the road to take on the Dallas Stars for the first of six meetings between the teams this season. Dallas sits in second place of the Pacific Division, just one place ahead of the Sharks with 22 points (to San Jose's 21), but has played in one more game. The Kings are at the top of the division, but they've played three more games than San Jose, and two more than Dallas, yet only have a one-point lead over the latter and a two-point lead over the former.
Dallas was at the top of the division for some time, but have dropped their last three straight. They've been outscored in their last three games by a margin of 14-3, while the Sharks have outscored opponents in their last three games ... but only by a two-goal margin. This should be a big test for the Sharks despite Dallas' losing streak, as these two teams always play eachother tough. The game is set for 5:00 p.m. pacific and can be seen, as usual, on Comcast SportsNet California.