Record: 7-2-0
Leading scorer: Patrick Marleau (5G, 4A, 9pts)
Blogs: Fear the Fin
What do you get when you take an offensive powerhouse like the San Jose Sharks and put them up against the Pittsburgh Penguins' lackluster defense?
Heartburn.
Spare me the high hats folks. Fact is this is going to be a tough one. The Sharks have five guys tied with eight points behind their leading scorer Patrick Marleau. Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo are competent threats in their own right, but you better keep an eye on Devon Setoguchi and former-Lightning d-man Dan Boyle as well.
Maybe I'm just down on the Pens' D because of that game against the Rangers Saturday night. But if the Pens managed to lose to the Rangers like that, the Sharks will destroy them.
If the Sharks' offense and offensive defense isn't enough, we have to worry about their goaltending as well - and I don't just mean Evgeni Nabokov. Brian Boucher is their back up guy. Why should we take note? Well the guy has started in only two games this season and blanked both the Lightning and the Kings. Granted those aren't exactly the powerhouses of the NHL, but you don't get two-straight shutouts for nothing. In either case, I'd imagne Nabokov will get the nod in tonight's late-night match.
On a final note, get those SPG picks in for a chance to win a Pittsburgh Penguins wall clock courtesy of Carroll's Cove.