San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers face off in a battle of slumping teams – NHL Preview
Last five or six weeks have been quite tough on San Jose Sharks, who have dropped down in National Hockey League (NHL) Western Conference and have jeopardised their chances of reaching the playoffs.
No matter who their opponent is, Sharks are struggling to perform as a unit and secure victories, which they desperately need at the moment.
Sharks are presently on a short road trip, which is also not yielding positive results. They are now going to face the lowly Edmonton Oilers and have a good opportunity to get back to winning ways.
However, considering the recent performances of both teams, it is hard to put odds in anyone’s favour.
The matchup will take place on Monday, March 12, 2012, at Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Let’s have a look at both teams.
Sharks
Sharks’ performance can be determined by looking their performance this month in which they have so far played five games without winning any.
The defeats came against Buffalo Sabres (1-0), St. Louis Blues (3-1), Edmonton Oilers (3-2 after shootout), Dallas Stars (4-3 after shootout) and Phoenix Coyotes (3-0).
Sharks are now ranked at 11th spot in the Western Conference with 75 points after 67 games and can qualify for the playoffs if they stay on the winning track.
Oilers
On paper, Oilers are in no match for Sharks, but they can rely on their last performance against Sharks to gain confidence.
Last week, Oilers defeated Sharks after a tough encounter and got their only victory of the month.
Oilers have lost four games this month and are presently on a two-game losing streak with the defeats coming against Montreal Canadiens (5-3) and Colorado Avalanche (3-2 after shootout).
Oilers had a lead against Avalanche after the first period, but they gave it away in the second and after battling hard for the rest of the game took it to shootout where they eventually lost the game.
Oilers’ left wing, Taylor Hall, said after the game:
"It was good to at least salvage a point. You can definitely tell these teams are in a playoff race. They know their life depends on every point that they get. When we play these teams, we have to be extra motivated.”
Oilers are ranked at 14th spot in the Western Conference with 59 points after 68 games.
Predictions
Both teams are slumping, but let’s keep the fingers crossed and favour Sharks in the game that could be a low-scoring one.
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