The Sharks were a preseason favorite of many to win the Stanley Cup. While they haven't exactly set the world on fire, they haven't necessarily been a disappointment either. If anything, San Jose is doing a nice job of stringing together some wins and maintaining an unassuming profile until playoffs begin.
Heading into Thursday's game against the Oilers, the Sharks were 6-3-1 in their past 10 games, though they lost 4-3 in overtime to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday despite enjoying a 43-18 advantage in shots. A huge part of the team's success has been Evgeni Nabokov. The goaltender has been an absolute workhorse, starting 55 of the team's 56 games. Obviously, if you're goalie is starting that many games he must be playing well, and it rings true for Evgeni Nabokov; he's leading the NHL in wins and is fourth in goals against average.
The Rangers have actually been playing good hockey as of late, also going 6-3-1 in their past 10. They need to keep things moving along, though, because any sort of slump could knock them out of a playoff position. New York signed Scott Gomez and Chris Drury as major free agent prizes in the off-season, but the latter has been a huge disappointment. Drury has only 40 points and is -11, and his season totals will be a far cry from last year's 37-goal, 69-point campaign. He showed signs of life in late January/early February with seven points in four games but has just one point in his past three contests.
Interestingly, the Sharks have been much better on the road (17-5-3) than at home (14-12-5), so venturing into Madison Square Garden won't be an issue. And if San Jose can figure out how to win in its own building, it'll be a legitimate Cup contender.
San Jose Sharks at New York Rangers
Sunday, February 17 @ 1:00 p.m. ET
Free NHL Pick: San Jose
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