Penguins Game 65 vs. Sharks: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins, following a game where they picked up a point, will find out Thursday how they match up against the worst of the worst when the San Jose Sharks visit.

The Penguins (28-27-9) are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss Tuesday at Ottawa against a Senators team that ranks below them.

San Jose (16-41-7), in contrast, sits last in the NHL standings.

Game Time

The game starts a little after 7 p.m.

Penguins Preview

The point the Penguins got Tuesday – newcomer Michael Bunting scored in the last minute of regulation before Ottawa won in overtime – still left them with a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) and a 1-6-1 record in their past eight games.

The Penguins’ offense remains mostly AWOL. They have scored two goals over their past four games. They have been shut out three times in their past eight games.

In addition, their power play is 0 for 11 over their past four games.

Forget the tiny chance the Penguins mathematically have to make the playoffs after the missed them last year; they need a win. Any win. And some offense.

Read more:

Kingerski: Penguins Big Mistake With Core; Who Still Believes?

Molinari: Ottawa Beats Penguins 2-1 in OT; How Low is Rock-Bottom?

The Sharks became the first team this season to be eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday when they lost 3-2 at Philadelphia and Vegas beat Seattle.

San Jose will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season. To put things in perspective, the 2016 Stanley Cup final pitted the Sharks and Penguins, with the Penguins prevailing.

The cycle of things in a salary cap sport can sting.

San Jose is on a 1-7-2 slide over the past 10 games and has just six road wins on the season.

One bright spot has been the Sharks’ power play, which has produced nine goals over the past seven games.

Expected Penguins Lines

Michael Bunting-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Rickard Rakell-Evgeni Malkin-Drew O’Connor

Reilly Smith-Lars Eller-Valtteri Puustinen

Emil Bemstrom-Noel Acciari-Jeff Carter

Defense

Marcus Pettersson-Kris Letang

Ryan Graves-Erik Karlsson

John Ludvig-P.O Joseph

Goalies

Tristan Jarry

Alex Nedeljkovic

Expected Sharks Lines

Alexander Barbanov-Mikael Granlund-Fabian Zetterlund

Filip Zadina-William Eklund-Luke Kunin

Thomas Bordeleau-Nico Sturm-Kevin Lebanc

Klim Kostin-Ryan Carpenter-Justin Bailey

Defense

Mario Ferraro-Kyle Burroughs

Henry Thrun/Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Jacob MacDonald-Calen Addison

Goalies

Magnus Chrona

Devin Cooley

Penguins Special Teams

Penguins power play: 14.6%, 29th

Penguins penalty kill: 82.5%, 6th

Sharks power play: 21.3%, 17th

Sharks penalty kill: 73.6%, 31st

Penguins Game Notes

The Penguins spanked the Sharks 10-2 in San Jose on Nov. 4, with nine different goal scorers, in the teams’ only previous meeting this season.

The Penguins have won four of the past five meetings between the teams and, at home, are 5-3-1 in the teams’ past nine games.

The game starts a three-game homestand for the Penguins.

Sidney Crosby has nine points (1 goals 8 assists) in his past six games against San Jose.

Erik Karlsson has 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists) in 14 career games against the Sharks, his former club. He had two assists in the Nov. 4 Penguins win.

Bryan Rust has 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 11 career games against San Jose.

Crosby leads the Penguins with 64 points in 64 games, but his point-per-game pace is in jeopardy as he has gone nine games without a goal and has one point, an assist, in the past six games.

How to Watch

TV: SportsNet TV

Radio: 105.9 FM The X

Also visit sister site San Jose Hockey Now