This could be a pivotal game for the sharks. You saw them earlier this year when they were nearly perfect in every aspect of the game. Several injuries slowed them down, then Burns went down and it turns out that he is the linchpin of the lineup.
When he is paired with Thornton, they are a handful for ANYONE to cover. That leaves Hertl open WAY too much. With Burns out, several players - mostly from the second or third lines have come in to fill the spot weakening the line that they leave behind.
To complicate matters, Havlat returns from a LONG injury layoff. Havlat doesn't have an obvious spot in the lineup. He's still off of game shape and they are still trying to find a way to fit him into the lineup. So far, he hasn't been on the same page as his linemates - he's been tried on each of the top three lines. He's showing improvement, but has a ways to go still.
So the sharks are not the smooth machine that they were in the beginning of the year. They need a good solid confidence building win. That should have been against Buffalo... should have been against Winnipeg... now they've had a couple of days off to regroup.
That win should come tonight.
If it does not <shudder> CGY could really hurt SJ here. CGY certainly has what it takes to get a couple of quick ones and put SJ on their heels. If CGY comes at them in waves and never lets them setup, it could be a nightmare for SJ.
This one will be a blow out, but I'm not sure who comes out on top.
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