(My Sportsbook) - The San Jose Sharks will try to win their fourth straight contest in tonight's battle with the
Calgary Flames at HP Pavilion.
Since a 5-2 loss to the Flames on January 6, the Sharks have outscored their opponents 15-4 over their three-game win streak. That includes Tuesday's 7-1 blowout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in which six different San Jose skaters scored.
Joe Thornton led the way with two goals and an assist, while Milan Michalek added a goal and two assists. Devin Setoguchi, Ryane Clowe, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Plihal also scored in the win.
Douglas Murray and Patrick Marleau notched two helpers each for San Jose, and Marleau now has five goals and three assists over a five-game point streak.
Evgeni Nabokov made 24 saves in helping the Sharks win the opener of a four- game homestand. San Jose is 20-0-2 as the host this year and 28-0-3 in its last 31 at home dating back to last year. The club is now just six games shy of the NHL record for consecutive home games with at least one point, set by the Montreal Canadiens from 1976-77 and 77-78. The Canadiens went 31-0 with six ties on their run.
The Sharks lead the NHL and the Western Conference with 69 points and hold the top spot in the Pacific Division by 20 points over Anaheim.
San Jose, though, has struggled versus the Flames as of late. Although they posted a 6-1 home win versus Calgary back in November, the Sharks have still dropped four of five and eight of their last 13 to the Flames, including that loss just over a week ago in Calgary.
San Jose is 9-3 with a pair of ties in its last 14 versus Calgary at home.
Nabokov lasted just 21 minutes in his last start against the Flames and is 10-9-2 with two ties and a 2.55 goals against average in 24 career starts against them.
Nabokov will face a Flames team that has won three straight and eight of its last nine games. Calgary has also won seven straight as the host after downing the St. Louis Blues, 3-1, on Tuesday.
Mike Cammalleri scored two goals to lead Calgary. He is second on the club in goals (17) and points (38) this season. David Moss was credited with his 14th goal of the season in the win and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves.
Kiprusoff has posted a 2.54 GAA over the Flames' last nine games and is 9-6-1 with a 2.91 GAA lifetime against the Sharks.
The Flames will now try to take their success on the road, where they have won three of their last four and are 10-8-1 this season. Calgary owns a seven- point edge over Vancouver for first place in the Northwest Division.
Calgary's Todd Bertuzzi has missed two straight games due to hip and back issues and is questionable for tonight. He has 11 goals and 20 assists in 40 games this year.