The Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks host the surprising Ottawa Senators in the two clubs' only match-up of the 2011-2012 NHL regular season.
San Jose enters the contest winners of seven out of nine games, and in third place in the Western Conference standings.
Ottawa has crept up in the Northeast Division standings behind defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston, and is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 58 points. They're led by veteran C Jason Spezza, one of four Senators named as an All Star starter in the upcoming NHL All Star game, to be held in Ottawa.
The Sharks haven't lost to Ottawa in San Jose since 2003, and will look to extend their strong play in close contests this season. 14 of their last 18 games have been decided by one goal, and they have posted a 7-3-4 record in those games.
The game can be seen on CSNC at 7:30 PM local time.