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Winnipeg Jets vs. San Jose Sharks Preview and Predictions 2018-12-20
NHL Predictions 19th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/19/2018
The San Jose Sharks aim for their sixth consecutive victory Thursday against the visiting Winnipeg Jets, whose bid for a six-game winning streak ended with a 4-1 loss Tuesday at Los Angeles. The matchup pits two of the top four teams in the Western Conference entering Wednesday, as the Jets sat tied with Calgary and Nashville at 46 points, just three ahead of the streaking Sharks after San Jose shut out Minnesota 4-0 on Tuesday.
San Jose goaltender Martin Jones was excellent in making 26 saves for his first shutout of the season Tuesday, winning his third straight appearance and improving to 5-1-0 in his past seven games. "I think everybody's better than early in the season," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the media afterward after San Jose won for the seventh time in eight games. "We're getting some timely saves, too. I think it's a little bit of everything." Playing for the seventh time in 12 days may have caught up to the Jets on Tuesday, as Winnipeg surrendered the game's final three goals. "Just one of those nights," Jets forward Mathieu Perreault told reporters after the game, in which he extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-best five games. "Bounce didn't go our way. We had our chances, just couldn't put them in, and they scored on their chances."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), NBCS California (San Jose)
ABOUT THE JETS (22-10-2): Perreault, who has never scored more than 18 goals in a season, has five to go along with one assist during his six-game point streak. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck gave up two goals on bad bounces in falling to 6-2-0 in his past eight games, allowing three or more goals for the third consecutive game. Most of Winnipeg's big offensive performers were quiet against Los Angeles, including center Mark Scheifele, who finished without a point after recording 14 in his previous five contests.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (19-11-5): Jones has allowed only 12 goals over his past seven games, posting a .936 save percentage in that span. Center Logan Couture scored twice against the Wild, giving him three goals in his past two games and three consecutive two-point games. Center Joe Pavelski scored his team-leading 21st goal Tuesday, pacing a San Jose offense tied for eighth in goals per game at 3.31 per contest.
OVERTIME
1. San Jose ranks third in the NHL in penalty kill at 85.3 percent and opponents are 0-for-6 on the power play in the past four games.
2. Winnipeg F Blake Wheeler and D Dustin Byfuglien each had five-game point streaks snapped Tuesday.
3. Sharks D Erik Karlsson has seven assists during a six-game point streak, while Couture has seven goals and 12 assists in his past 15 contests.
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Sharks 3
NHL Predictions 19th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/19/2018
The San Jose Sharks aim for their sixth consecutive victory Thursday against the visiting Winnipeg Jets, whose bid for a six-game winning streak ended with a 4-1 loss Tuesday at Los Angeles. The matchup pits two of the top four teams in the Western Conference entering Wednesday, as the Jets sat tied with Calgary and Nashville at 46 points, just three ahead of the streaking Sharks after San Jose shut out Minnesota 4-0 on Tuesday.
San Jose goaltender Martin Jones was excellent in making 26 saves for his first shutout of the season Tuesday, winning his third straight appearance and improving to 5-1-0 in his past seven games. "I think everybody's better than early in the season," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the media afterward after San Jose won for the seventh time in eight games. "We're getting some timely saves, too. I think it's a little bit of everything." Playing for the seventh time in 12 days may have caught up to the Jets on Tuesday, as Winnipeg surrendered the game's final three goals. "Just one of those nights," Jets forward Mathieu Perreault told reporters after the game, in which he extended his goal-scoring streak to a career-best five games. "Bounce didn't go our way. We had our chances, just couldn't put them in, and they scored on their chances."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), NBCS California (San Jose)
ABOUT THE JETS (22-10-2): Perreault, who has never scored more than 18 goals in a season, has five to go along with one assist during his six-game point streak. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck gave up two goals on bad bounces in falling to 6-2-0 in his past eight games, allowing three or more goals for the third consecutive game. Most of Winnipeg's big offensive performers were quiet against Los Angeles, including center Mark Scheifele, who finished without a point after recording 14 in his previous five contests.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (19-11-5): Jones has allowed only 12 goals over his past seven games, posting a .936 save percentage in that span. Center Logan Couture scored twice against the Wild, giving him three goals in his past two games and three consecutive two-point games. Center Joe Pavelski scored his team-leading 21st goal Tuesday, pacing a San Jose offense tied for eighth in goals per game at 3.31 per contest.
OVERTIME
1. San Jose ranks third in the NHL in penalty kill at 85.3 percent and opponents are 0-for-6 on the power play in the past four games.
2. Winnipeg F Blake Wheeler and D Dustin Byfuglien each had five-game point streaks snapped Tuesday.
3. Sharks D Erik Karlsson has seven assists during a six-game point streak, while Couture has seven goals and 12 assists in his past 15 contests.
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Sharks 3
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