The San Jose Sharks will look for their first win in February when they take on the seemingly invincible Chicago Blackhawks.
The Sharks have played six games in February and have lost every single one; two of them were shutout losses and another two were blowout losses. In their most recent game, the Sharks threw 25 shots at Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne but came up empty handed in a 1-0 loss.
"We have to find a way to get over the hump, get one by some goaltenders and find some wins here," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said after the loss.
The task on Friday night will be a major challenge for San Jose as they take on a Chicago team that has not lost in regulation this season. The Blackhawks hold a 10-0-3 record and have dominated competition all season long. They are coming off a rare 3-2 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks however. During that match Chicago blew a late 2-1 lead and ultimately had to settle for just one point.
"We're up with a couple minutes left and we just get a bad bounce and they tie it," said goaltender Corey Crawford. "Then it was another rough one in the shootout. I felt good but it just seems like I've got to bear down a little bit more in the shootouts."
The team is 1-3 in shootouts this season despite the tremendous record. Crawford may be out of Friday's game as he suffered an injury during the game against Anaheim. Ray Emery is expected to start and goalie Henrik Karlsson has been called up to back him up.
This is the second meeting between these clubs. The Hawks defeated San Jose 5-3 on Feb. 5 in a game that saw six goals in the first 12 minutes.
Predictions: Chicago wins 2-1 in the shootout.
Start Time: 8:30 PM EST
TV: NHLN-US, CSN-California, CSN-Chicago
Watch Live Stream HERE.
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