Ottawa Senators – San Jose Sharks: Can San Jose make it three in a row? 
San Jose are still charging through a hefty East Coast road trip. After back-to-back wins the Sharks have dragged themselves back into the Western playoff picture and they don’t want to slip out again.
Ottawa, meanwhile, still believes it can muscle into the East top eight. Can the Sharks extend their streak and will Maclin Celebrini keep lighting the lamp? We’ve checked the form, the numbers and the matchups to find the sharpest play of the night.
Ottawa locks up shop 
The Senators have been flying since the break. They’ve picked up points in 7 of their last 8 games, and they’ve done it the hard way. Two massive shutouts in a row: 2-0 over the Canucks, then 2-0 again against the Anaheim Ducks. That burst has shoved them into 10th in the East, a mere 5 points off the playoff spots.
At the Canadian Tire Centre Travis Green’s boys play rock-solid defense, allowing just 2,71 goals per game at home (third-best in the conference). Offensively they sit around 3,03 goals per game, so there’s still room to grow. The one real worry is the injury list. Top blueliner Jake Sanderson is out until the end of March. He’s been joined on the shelf by Nick Jensen (expected back next week). Against the Ducks, Dennis Gilbert had to patch up the third defensive pairing.
Sharks bouncing back 
San Jose haven’t been idle either — they’ve picked up points in 7 of their last 9 games, even after a scary three-game skid earlier in the week. They slammed the brakes on that slide with two classy road wins over Eastern foes: Boston and Montreal, both 4-2. Result: the Sharks are back in the West’s playoff mix.
Ryan Warsofsky’s group have been dangerous on the attack during this trip — at least three goals in each of their last three games. But across the season their defense on the road has been a rolling mess (3,56 goals allowed on average, 28th worst in the league). Injuries? Goalie Yaroslav Askarov and Ty Dellandrea remain out (Dellandrea just signed a two-year extension). A minor knock to Igor Chernyshov should be sorted in time for tonight.
NHL pick Ottawa Senators vs San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks — win or lose by 1 goal
San Jose are stubborn right now. The Californians have lost in regulation only once in their last 8 games!
Ottawa just posted two shutouts in a row. Sounds good. But the stats scream caution: over the past two seasons, after a shutout the Senators failed to win by two or more goals in 10 of their next 13 games. Add this: in their last 10 meetings, Ottawa have beaten San Jose by 2+ goals just twice. The visitors have the mentality and the offense to hang around, so backing San Jose with a +1.5 goal cushion is the smart play.
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