Canucks Limp Into San Jose Chasing a Second Straight Win

Neither team has kept the puck out of its own net lately, but only one of them has been generating enough at the other end to stay afloat. That gap is the story of tonight's meeting between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks.

Over their last 10 games, Vancouver's chances have been worth just 2.34 expected goals a night (expected goals measure how many goals a team's chances were worth), while giving up 4.29. San Jose has allowed nearly as much at 4.23, but its own looks have been worth 3.16. The Sharks have also been the busier shooting team, out-attempting the Canucks by a wide margin over that stretch.

The records follow. Vancouver is 3-10-1 with a minus 22 goal difference, 16th in the Western Conference and 1-8-1 in its last 10, though it does arrive off a win. San Jose sits 6-6-1, holding the third wild-card spot, though it has lost two straight and is only 2-3-0 at home.

Yaroslav Askarov is expected in goal for the Sharks, with Macklin Celebrini at the centre of their attack. For Vancouver, Elias Pettersson brings 26 career points in 26 games against San Jose, the most among active Canucks.

The Sharks' better chance quality makes them the side with the edge on paper, but a two-game slide at home leaves little room for a slow start.