Game 81 goes down on Monday night as the Vancouver Canucks welcome the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena for their second-last home game of the season.
Monday night’s game will be the fourth matchup of the season between the Canucks and Sharks. The Canucks have won each of the previous meetings by a combined score of 9-6 through three games.
Jake DeBrusk scored his 27th goal of the season on Saturday night in the game against the Minnesota Wild. DeBrusk leads the team in goals and possesses the team lead with 14 power play markers on the year.
He has found success on the man advantage through battling in the crease and having a quick stick to pucks while also being able to deflect shots from the point.
Nils Höglander picked up another primary assist on Saturday night, and head coach Rick Tocchet has liked how the young forward continues to grow his game. Höglander has found his scoring touch over the last six weeks, scoring four goals and adding eight assists for 12 points in his previous 17 games.
Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland are on the cusp of scoring 20 goals. Each of them has scored 19 goals this season. Sherwood has already set a career high with 19 goals, and if he can pick another one up in the final two games, it will be the first time in his career to eclipse the 20-goal plateau. Garland has scored 20+ goals twice in his career, and if he can notch another goal, it will be the third time he has done so.
The Sharks come into Monday’s game on an eight-game losing streak. They have clinched the top spot in the draft lottery and are in line to add another strong talent in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft to your young core.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- Vancouver-born, 18-year-old Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks with 62 points this season. He has scored 24 goals and added 38 assists through 67 games played. The rookie leads the Sharks with 229 shots on net and is averaging 19:52 of ice time per game.
- Tyler Toffoli has 29 goals this season and has the potential to have his fourth 30-goal season if he can score in the final three games of the Sharks’ season.
- Alexandar Georgiev has made 28 starts for the Sharks and has a 7-18-3 record, an .870% save percentage, and a 4.03 goals-against average.
- Carl Grundstrom plays on the fourth line for the Sharks and plays a physical game. He has 162 hits in 53 games.
- Will Smith has 45 points in his rookie season. The 20-year-old fourth overall pick in 2023 has 18 goals and is playing alongside Celebrini on the Sharks’ top line.
The Story: Filip Chytil Update
Filip Chytil skated in a non-contact jersey at Canucks’ practice on Sunday. It was the first time he had skated with the team since his injury, and Tocchet was pleased to see him back with the group.
