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The 37-39-5 Calgary Flames (11th in the Western Conference) face off against the 19-53-9 San Jose Sharks (16th) at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT. Tune in to ESPN+, SNW or NBCSCA for live coverage of the game.
After a 4-1 loss on the road against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, Calgary seeks redemption on home ice, while San Jose will look to bounce back from their 9-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames: Game preview
The Flames boast a goals for per game average of 3.06 and a goals against average of 3.28, with a power play success rate of 17.9%.
Yegor Sharangovich leads the team in scoring with 31 goals and 28 assists, adding up to 59 points. He has been well supported by Nazem Kadri, who has 29 goals and 46 assists, while Jonathan Huberdeau has 40 assists.
In the net, Jacob Markstrom has a 23-23-2 record in goal, a goals against average of 2.78 and a save percentage of .905.
Meanwhile, the Sharks have been scoring an average of 2.21 goals per game and conceding at a rate of 3.96. Fabian Zetterlund is their top scorer with 23 goals and 20 assists. William Eklund has also made a significant contribution, with 16 goals and 29 assists, while Mikael Granlund has provided 47 assists.
Goalie Devin Cooley has a 2-2-1 record, a goals-against average of 4.37 and a save percentage of .882.
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames: Injury report
The Flames are contending with injuries to key players, with Blake Coleman listed as day-to-day due to an upper-body injury, while Dan Vladar is a season-ending absentee due to a hip injury.
Meanwhile, the Sharks are grappling with a multitude of injuries across their roster. Alexander Barabanov remains sidelined with a lower-body injury, while Mackenzie Blackwood is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue.
Ty Emberson and Matt Benning are out for the remainder of the season due to lower-body injuries. Filip Zadina and Jacob MacDonald are day-to-day with lower-body and undisclosed injuries, respectively.
Vitek Vanecek is also out for the season with a lower-body injury. Logan Couture is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a groin injury, Kevin Labac is day to day with an undisclosed ailment, while Jan Rutta and Mike Hoffman are dealing with day-to-day undisclosed injuries.
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames: Head-to-head and significant numbers
The Calgary Flames and the Sharks have faced off 138 times, with the Flames leading the series 70-54-8-6.
In terms of faceoffs, the Flames have a slight edge with a 49.7% win rate compared to the Sharks' 49.0%. When it comes to penalty kills, the Flames have been more successful with an 81.1% rate, while the Sharks lag behind at 75.3%.
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames: Odds and prediction
Calgary has won 18 out 35 games as the odds favorite this season and won one of two games with odds less than -263. They have a 72.5% chance of victory in this game.
The Sharks have been the underdogs 81 times and have had 19 upsets. However, San Jose has gone 10-37 when odds list it at +214 or longer, giving the team a 31.8% chance to win this contest.
Prediction: Flames 6-2 Sharks
San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames: Betting tips
Tip 1: Flames to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 5: Yes
Tip 3: Nazem Kadri to assist anytime: Yes
Tip 4: Jonathan Huberdeau to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Sharks to beat the spread: No
