Game 75

Date: Friday, March 22nd, 2019

Time: 7:00 PM PT

Location: Honda Center

TV: Fox Sports Prime

Radio: AM830

Your Enemy: Fear the Fin

Both the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks will be meeting at Honda Center after losses. Anaheim Ducks suffered a disappointing 3-0 shutout against the Winnipeg Jets this past Wednesday, while Pacific Division rival San Jose Sharks will be driving southbound after losing to the Los Angeles Kings last night 4-2.

Though the Sharks have already clinched, they are in a bit of a rut as they’ve dropped the past four consecutive games. To be fair, they are currently missing a few key players in their roster: Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Erik Karlsson—but Couture may potentially be back since he was only sidelined with the flu.

This game may not mean too much to the Ducks, but the Sharks will be looking to pull off the W tonight since it will help playoff seeding implications, not to mention wanting to break the current lose streak.

Keys to the Game

1. Keep the Sharks out to the periphery - Part of the reason why the Sharks are skidding a bit is because of their lack of offense. Instead of penetrating the areas in front of the net and forcing their way in the slot, they’ve are imitating the earlier-season Ducks by keeping the puck on the periphery and taking shots from the point. We know well that this did not work for the Ducks, and clearly its not working for the Sharks either. Let’s keep it that way.
2. Special teams - The last game against the Winnipeg Jets saw both teams get equal man-advantage opportunities. But Winnipeg was 1 for 5 with the Ducks were 0 for 5. While the Ducks had a few dangerous shots, they need to find ways to convert. Cycle the puck, attack the net (look for the backdoor), get in the dirty areas and look for the rebounds.
3. Keep shooting - Yes, I know its a no-brainer. But it’s true. It was rather disappointing for the Ducks to have had 29 SOG last game, and not have one of them find the back of the net. That being said, the more you shoot, the more you have chances to actually score. The Ducks need to take advantage of the Sharks’ lack of production and find more quality shots on net than their opponents.

Only three more home games for the Anaheim Ducks. Let’s wrap this one up and win one for the home crowd. Puck drops at 7pm PST.