Canucks Next Game: Will Sharks be bait or provide some bite?

The Vancouver Canucks need to keep winning to have a hope at the playoffs, and the struggling San Jose Sharks look like the perfect menu option

Publishing date:

Apr 08, 2022 • 52 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko and Sharks forward Logan Couture have faced each other several times over the years, dating back to this Demko save during the 2018-19 season. Photo by Gerry Kahrmann /PNG files

SAN JOSE SHARKS

29-32-9, 7th in Pacific Division

at VANCOUVER CANUCKS

34-28-10, 5th in Pacific Division

saturday7 p.m., Rogers Arena.

TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650.

WHY WATCH

The mad playoff dash

The Canucks’ playoff dream continues to live. It’s hanging by a thread, and even if the Canucks win all their remaining games on the season it still may not be enough. But the emphatic victories in Las Vegas and Arizona this week suggest there’s still plenty of life left in the Canucks’ room, even if three losses a week ago really put them behind the eight-ball playoff.

LEADER POINTS

CANUCKS

1. JT Miller GP 70 W 29 A 56 PTS 85 (+7)

2. Elias Pettersson GP 70 W 25 A 31 PTS 56 (+1)

3. Quinn Hughes GP 66 W 5 A 48 PTS 53 (+8)

SHARKS

1. Timo Meier GP 65 G 31 A 38 PTS 69 (+1)

2. Tomas Hertl GP 70 G 27 A 31 PTS 58 (-4)

3. Logan Couture GP 65 G 23 A 26 PTS 49 (-10)

SPECIAL TEAMS

CANUCKS: PP 23.0% (11th) PK 73.6 (30th)

SHARKS: PP 18.9% (23rd) PK 85.3% (3rd)

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE SHARKS

•Five straight: The Sharks are limping to the finish. They’ve lost five straight games, four of which have been to teams with playoff aspirations in Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton and Calgary (on Thursday). They also lost to Arizona. They’ve scored just 11 goals in that stretch.

• Lacking punch: The Sharks have scored just 182 goals this season. Only Arizona has scored fewer. They’ve got a handful of veterans driving the offense — forwards Logan Couture, Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl and defensemen Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns — but that says everything about the Sharks’ offensive struggles. They’re just too light in young, attacking talent.

• Goalie question: No. 1 goalie James Remier left Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames late in the game after Couture fell awkwardly on him. Post-game, Couture said he was worried he had caught the goalie in the head. Sharks head coach Bob Boughner was optimistic that Reimer would be ready to face the Canucks. He said the team’s medical staff was still assessing Reimer after Thursday’s game, “but I’m hoping it’s nothing too serious.”

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