Last 10: San Jose 8-1-1; Toronto 3-5-2. Season Series: This is the lone meeting between the teams. They last met on Dec. 2, 2008, when the Sharks cruised to a 5-2 victory at HP Pavilion. Joe Thornton had a goal and three assists. Big Story: The entire League is mourning the loss of Brendan Burke, the son of Leafs GM Brian Burke. The 21-year-old passed away on Friday due to injuries suffered in a car accident in Indiana. Toronto won one for the Burke family on Saturday night with a convincing 5-0 victory against Ottawa at the Air Canada Centre. "I think our goal here is to make sure that Burkie and his family don't have to worry about us,'' Leafs goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere said after recording his second straight shutout. "They have enough on their plate right now. It's hard enough as it is to lose somebody you love like this, and I can't even imagine a kid.'' Team Scope: Sharks: San Jose continues to roll, as the Western Conference's top team enters Monday's action with wins in eight of its last 10 games. The Sharks increased their lead in the West to four points with a 4-3 win at Nashville on Saturday night. Dany Heatley scored twice for San Jose. "I thought we settled down a little bit in the third period, and we were good enough at that point to win," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "The way it was going, you didn't know if a one-goal lead was going to be enough." Maple Leafs: Not only did Toronto pull out the aforementioned emotional victory on Saturday, but it snapped the Senators' 11-game winning streak in the process. Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn each scored twice and added an assist in the victory, while Giguere, recently acquired from Anaheim, was perfect again in a 30-save effort. "Having lost my dad and my mom when they were fairly young, I have a sense of what grief's all about,'' Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. "The way you go through this, you can't believe it until you get closer to the funeral. Then it hits you, then you're kind of numb. And then, after a few numb days, then it all comes piling on. "So we're going to be really strong for Brian. I'm really proud of our team.'' Who's Hot: Both of Heatley's goals against the Predators came via the power play. He has 32 tallies this season. Thornton had two more assists, increasing his League-high to 58. Giguere is the first goalie in Leafs history to record shutouts in his first two games with the club. Injury Report: Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski (wrist) hopes to return before the Olympic break, while defensemen Mike Komisarek (shoulder) and Mike Van Ryn (knee) are done for the season. Stat Pack: Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle is averaging 26:03 of ice time per game, roughly four minutes more than the next-closest teammate (Vlasic). Puck Drop: "I've known Brendan almost since the day he was born. He was a special kid. It's just the worst thing that any parent could possibly imagine. It's been so hard. You're trying to prepare for a game. There's a lot on your plate right now -- for both Brian and myself, because we have not only the Leafs, but the Olympics.'' -- Leafs coach Ron Wilson

Last 10 -- San Jose 7-1-2; Nashville 4-5-1 Season series -- This is the third of four meetings of the season between the teams. Joel Ward and David Legwand each had a goal and two assists to lead the Predators to a 4-3 victory on Nov. 17 in Nashville. The first meeting of the season on Nov. 10 saw San Jose rally for a 4-3 win as Devin Setoguchi notched the tying goal with 6:34 remaining and Dan Boyle netted the winner with a minute left in regulation. The series finale takes place March 11 at the Shark Tank. Big Story -- The Sharks are in the midst of their second of three six-game road trips this season. The club scored a 4-2 victory over St. Louis on Thursday and, following its visit to Nashville, will travel to Toronto, Columbus, Detroit and Buffalo. The Sharks are tops in the Western Conference with 83 points. Team Scope: Sharks -- Patrick Marleau scored his 38th goal of the season, already matching his career high from last season, in a 4-2 victory over the Blues on Thursday. Backup goalie Thomas Greiss, making his first start since Jan. 16, stopped 35 shots to earn his sixth victory of the season. Predators -- The club endured the longest shootout in its history on Tuesday, going 10 rounds with Phoenix before dropping a 1-0 decision to goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Adrian Aucoin finished it off when he lifted a wrist shot over the glove of Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne in the 10th round. The Predators rebounded with a 5-3 triumph over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday -- receiving a pair of power-play goals and an assist from Patric Hornqvist. Who's Hot -- Marleau has produced 7 goals and 13 points in the last nine games. Injury Report -- Nashville is without forward Wade Belak (foot) and defenseman Cody Franson (rib). The Sharks will be without defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower body) and Boyle is listed as questionable after missing the last five games with an upper body injury. Stat Pack -- Sharks center Joe Thornton, who leads the team with 56 assists and 71 points, has not missed a game while in San Jose. He's played a franchise-record 361 consecutive games with the Sharks and 380 NHL games overall dating back to Oct. 20, 2005 with the Boston Bruins. Puck Drop -- Even before the injuries to Boyle and Vlasic, rumors were rampant that the Sharks were in the market for another defenseman. One report had Niclas Wallin of the Carolina Hurricanes as a potential target. Wallin would have to waive his no-trade clause, however. "You're seeing certain teams try to bring trades prior to the (February) 12th," Sharks GM Doug Wilson told reporters. "That's what sellers do because they get money off during that time frame."

Last 10: San Jose 7-1-2; St. Louis 5-3-2. Season Series: This is the last of four matchups. On Nov. 14, Dany Heatley and Jed Ortmeyer scored 16 seconds apart in the second period for a 3-1 road win for the Sharks. On Dec. 3, T.J. Oshie and Andy McDonald scored in the shootout round to give the Blues a 3-2 road victory. Carlo Colaiacovo scored a shorthanded goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation to tie it at 2-2 for St. Louis. On Jan. 6, Heatley scored on a breakaway at 4:06 of overtime to give the Sharks a 2-1 home victory. San Jose's Patrick Marleau tied it with a power-play goal with 7:09 left in regulation. Big Story: The Sharks can count on playing playoff hockey in April. The Blues don't have any such guarantee. They have 26 games remaining and need to climb over at least give teams to get to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Last season, Anaheim won the last playoff berth with 91 points. Currently, the Blues have 57. "We're right in the thick of it," defenseman Darryl Sydor told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I don't think you worry about leapfrogging teams. You've just got to worry about what you do and get two points." "In the era of three-point games, it seems like everybody is chipping away at it," defenseman Eric Brewer added. "It just puts so much emphasis on the teams that are chasing the pile to get points ... that's obviously us. We don't have a choice." Team Scope: Sharks: This is the start of a six-game road trip. On Tuesday, the Sharks were defeated 4-2 at home against Detroit. Joe Thornton scored twice to give San Jose a 2-0 first-period lead, but the Red Wings tied the game at 2-2 after 20 minutes. Detroit then scored twice in the third to give the Sharks their second loss in three games (1-1-1). San Jose has only two regulation losses in their last 12 games -- both at home against Detroit. "I still think (the Red Wings) are one of the best teams in the League," forward Joe Pavelski said. "We know how to beat them. It's a matter of committing to a certain style." It was San Jose's final home game for a month, as they will now embark on a six-game road trip before the Olympic break. The Sharks return to HP Pavilion to host New Jersey on March 2. Blues: This is the start of a two-game homestand. On Wednesday, St. Louis notched an impressive 3-2 win at Chicago. David Backes scored twice for the Blues. Since taking over for Andy Murray on Jan. 2, Davis Payne is 8-5-3 as interim coach. "We’re seeing a little bit more of the up-tempo play. He’s obviously got a little youthful energy himself and we’re playing more as a team and for longer, more-consistent periods," Backes said of his new coach. "We were in a shell a lot before that and he’s done a great job motivating us and been able to get us all on the same page and playing as a team." Who's Hot: For the Sharks, Joe Pavelski has 5 goals and an assist in four games, Manny Malhotra has a goal and 3 assists in four games, Dany Heatley has a goal and 5 assists in four games, Patrick Marleau has 2 goals and 2 assists in three games, and Jason Demers has 2 goals and an assist in three games. For the Blues, Andy McDonald has 3 goals and 4 assists in seven games, and Eric Brewer has a goal and an assist in two games. Injury Report: For the Sharks, defensemen Dan Boyle (upper-body) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower-body) are day-to-day. For the Blues, defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (lower-body) is day-to-day. Stat Pack: The Sharks have three players -- Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley -- in the top 10 in the NHL in scoring. With 37 goals, Marleau is tied for the League lead with Sidney Crosby. Thornton is the NHL leader with 55 assists. Heatley is tied with Marian Gaborik and Steven Stamkos for first with 12 power-play goals. In a 5-2 win against Minnesota last Saturday, Sharks rookie Jason Demers became the third defenseman in franchise history to score two power-play goals in a game, joining Dan Boyle and Doug Wilson. With two PIM’s last Saturday against Columbus, Keith Tkachuk of the Blues became the fourth player in NHL history to record 2,200 PIM and 1,000 points in his career, joining Dale Hunter, Brendan Shanahan and Pat Verbeek. Only Tkachuk and Shanahan have recorded 2,200 PIM, 1,000 points and over 200 power-play goals. Puck Drop: "We can score, this team. Some games when we are not playing well, we are still able to win because of that. Some guys can be having a tough night, but we are still able to get two points." -- Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov to the Contra Costa Times

Last 10: Detroit 3-3-4; San Jose 8-0-2. Season Series: This is the third of four meetings between the teams. Detroit won the first two games, including a 4-1 decision at HP Pavilion on Jan. 9. Darren Helm had a goal and an assist in the victory, while Jimmy Howard made 31 saves. Big Story: San Jose is enjoying yet another successful regular season. After winning the President's Trophy with 117 points in 2008-09, the Sharks enter Tuesday's action atop the NHL standings with 81 points. Detroit, meanwhile, is battling for a playoff spot after back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final. To be fair, though, the Wings have been ravaged by injuries this season. Team Scope: Red Wings: Detroit snapped a three-game skid last Friday night with a 4-2 win against Nashville at Joe Louis Arena, but gave Howard little support on Sunday in a 2-1 shootout loss at Pittsburgh. Howard made 46 saves but only Danny Cleary could solve Marc-Andre Fleury. "We were on our heels a little bit, I think we gave them too much respect," Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We have to do a way better job. It's going to be a tough year if we keep letting 40-plus shots go past us. He (Howard) is keeping us in games." Sharks: San Jose is rolling right along and won for the eighth time in its last 10 games on Saturday with a 5-2 victory against the Minnesota Wild at HP Pavilion. Patrick Marleau scored his 36th and 37th goals in the win. "It was a strange game but we won and I can't complain," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. "We played OK and I'm happy with that." Who's Hot: Howard, a Calder Trophy candidate, ranks third in the NHL with a .928 save percentage. He's also seventh in the League in goals-against average (2.25). Sharks center Joe Pavelski has 6 goals and 12 points in the last 11 games. Injury Report: Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom, who broke his foot on Jan. 5, could return on Tuesday night, while Johan Franzen (torn ACL) hopes to be in the lineup next Tuesday at St. Louis. Andreas Lilja is out due to post-concussion syndrome. Sharks defensemen Dan Boyle (upper body) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower body) are questionable. Stat Pack: With two tallies on Saturday night, Jason Demers became just the third defenseman in Sharks' history to have a multi-goal game. Demers was promoted from the American Hockey League prior to the game. Puck Drop: "I think he's learning a lot by playing in games like this, where you have to bear down and play real well in the last minute or in the whole third period the way he did. I think he's been really taking huge steps forward with the way he's been playing so far this year." -- Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom on goalie Jimmy Howard

Last 10 -- Minnesota 6-3-1; San Jose 7-1-2 Season series -- Second of four meetings this season. The Sharks won 4-2 back on Oct. 10, despite 40 shots on goal by the Wild. Evgeni Nabokov held off the Minnesota attack long enough for San Jose to come back from 2-0 down. It was the second of a five-game slide in a notoriously slow start for the Wild, one they've been fighting to overcome all season. Big story -- The Sharks are fresh off one of their biggest challenges of the season, a hard-fought 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks that's leaving a bad taste in more than a few Bay Area mouths. They face a Wild team that continues to struggle on the road, but started their current road trip with a nice 1-0 win over the Avalanche. Team scope: Wild -- Backup goalie Josh Harding was the stuff of legend Thursday night against Colorado. Thrust into the starting role by Niklas Backstrom's injury, he aggravated his own injured hip with a big stop on Matt Duchene's third-period shot. He managed to play out the game in pain and preserve a 1-0 win. The main reason he had to was because backup Wade Dubielewicz had arrived only 13 minutes before game time and simply wasn't ready. "I knew I wasn't coming out," Harding told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "Dubie just flew in. He didn't even make warmups. So there was no way I was ever going to put a goalie in a position like that." The win ended a five-game road losing streak, as Martin Havlat scored the lone goal of the game with under five minutes remaining. Sharks -- The Blackhawks came into HP Pavilion on a mission to get a step closer to wresting the top seed in the NHL from the Sharks, who have occupied the spot most of the season. The Hawks quickly racked up three goals, but two tallies by Joe Pavelski and one by Manny Malhotra rallied the Sharks, who eventually lost 4-3 in overtime on Troy Brouwer's second goal of the night. "We're all going to talk about how hard we fought and we worked our way back into the game but that start was unacceptable," coach Todd McLellan said. "The mistakes we made the first five minutes of the game, that's not a characteristic of ours and is unacceptable. Yeah we fought back and we are proud of that but you're not going to win many games against good teams in this League with that kind of start." Who's hot -- Malhotra has turned it up lately for the Sharks with seven points in his last six games. Patrick Marleau may not have found the net the last two games, but his 35 goals are still good enough for the League lead. Pavelski has had back-to-back two-goal games and has a total of 11 points in his last six. That came after a seven-game point drought. Havlat is running a six-game point streak for the Wild, while Harding is 3-1-0 in his last four starts, allowing only one goal in his last two, both wins. Injury report -- Backstrom's stiff back won Harding the Colorado start, kept him out of practice Friday and will be reassessed Saturday. Veteran forward and former Shark Owen Nolan left the ice in pain Thursday after blocking a shot, while Derek Boogaard (hamstring) missed his second game in a row. Both are questionable for Saturday night. Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle (upper body) has been out three games and did not declare himself ready to go on Friday. Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower body) was evaluated by the medical staff and did not practice. He had left the Chicago game after one period and was labeled "questionable" by McLellan, who had Brad Staubitz suit up as a defenseman. Stat pack -- For Harding, the Colorado win was his fourth career shutout and first since Oct. 14, 2007. It was also the first time he'd started back-to-back games since Dec. 14-15, 2007, road wins in Anaheim and Los Angeles. He has stopped 128 of 132 shots in his last six appearances, dropping his season goals-against average from 3.47 to 2.64. Of his 55 career starts, 40 have come on the road. Puck drop -- "It's been our Achilles' heel. We really can't win on the road, and all of a sudden we put in an effort like that. Everybody was tired." -- Harding on the win in Colorado.

Last 10 -- Chicago 6-3-1; San Jose 8-1-1. Season series -- The Hawks lead the season series 2-1 after taking their first two meetings of the season -- including a 7-2 win at San Jose on Nov. 25. The Sharks won the last meeting, 3-2 at the UnitedCenter on Dec. 22 -- despite being outshot 47-14. Big story -- In their final meeting of the season, the two top dogs of the Western Conference are squaring off for two points that could determine the top seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Team Scope: Blackhawks -- As Chicago enters the final two games of its season-long eight-game road swing, the Hawks have managed to keep their heads above water so far. Joel Quenneville's squad is 4-2-0 on the trip and will look to carry the momentum from its 4-2 win over Edmonton on Tuesday -- a game that saw Jonathan Toews set the tone early with a goal 44 seconds in. That Toews notched the early tally shouldn't be surprising -- the captain has seven points in his last six games -- but what might be surprising is that Patrick Kane does not seem like his usual self. Kane only has points in two of his last four games, and with a battle for Western Conference supremacy on the horizon, Chicago could use a big game from the dynamic winger. If the Hawks can knock off San Jose, not only will it clinch a winning road trip, but it should make the rest of the sojourn an awful lot easier. A loss Thursday would make the cross-country flight to Carolina for the road trip finale far less palatable. Sharks -- If San Jose is looking for any help from someone who knows how to handle a stick, they could look to San Francisco Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval. The "Kung-Fu Panda" will be participating in the ceremonial puck drop Thursday night, but odds are the team will simply ask him to take his seat afterwards. The Sharks are doing just fine. San Jose has won five in a row and has picked up at least one point in its last eight. The offense has been producing at an astonishing clip, with Patrick Marleau leading the way with 11 points in his last seven games, but even unlikely sources have pitched in. Winger Jed Ortmeyer -- he of the 15 points this season -- has six of them in his last four games. With San Jose's recent run, a once-competitive race in the Pacific has become an afterthought. While the Sharks faced challenges from L.A. and Phoenix earlier this season, their lead has since stretched to 13 points. With a likely division title in their pockets, Thursday's meeting with the Hawks may be the biggest game left on the Sharks' schedule. Who's hot -- San Jose's Joe Pavelski is in the midst of his best stretch of the season, tallying nine points in the last five games, while Duncan Keith continues to give Chicago production on the blue line, recording 13 points in his last 12 outings. Injury report -- The Hawks are still awaiting the return of Dave Bolland, who is skating again after having back surgery in November, while Brent Sopel is probable for Thursday with what is being called body soreness. Defenseman Dan Boyle, who has five points in the last two games, is considered probable for San Jose after battling flu-like symptoms. Stat pack -- Hawks goaltender Cristobal Huet may have gotten back on track Tuesday, stopping 22 of 24 shots for his first win in 10 days, but his readiness will be tested against the Sharks. San Jose has scored 26 goals in its last five games. Puck drop -- With both teams holding comfortable leads in their respective divisions, Thursday has become a four-pointer that could very well determine the top seed in the West. A Chicago victory would leave the two tied atop the standings with 28 games to play, and hand the Hawks with a valuable trump card. Chicago already has more wins, and another one Thursday would clinch the season series with San Jose.

Last 10 -- Buffalo 6-1-3; San Jose 7-2-1 Season series -- Not your typical interconference one-and-done, as these two will meet again before the Olympic break on Feb. 13. Their previous meeting was last Feb. 13 at HSBC Arena, in the aftermath of a tragic plane crash near Buffalo Niagara International Airport in which 50 people perished. Having decided to play despite an offer from the NHL to postpone the game, the Sabres provided the fans with a welcome diversion: a wild, high-scoring match that saw the home team jump out to a big lead only to have the Sharks come back with a four-goal surge. Jason Pominville tied it with four seconds left in regulation and the Sabres pulled out a 6-5 shootout win. Big story -- Anything can happen between a pair of top-notch teams like these, but few would expect much to get past either Ryan Miller or Evgeni Nabokov these days. The star goalies for the United States and Russia in the Olympics are in top form, especially Nabokov of late. Team scope: Sabres -- The seven-game Western swing made a right turn in L.A. and now moves north to San Jose and Vancouver before Buffalo finally returns home Wednesday. The Sabres are 2-1-2 so far, the lone regulation loss in Anaheim with Patrick Lalime in net. He was pulled after allowing four goals in the first 10:26 of play. Miller took over, allowing one more goal but giving his teammates a chance to get back in it as the Ducks prevailed 5-4. In Los Angeles, Miller went head-to-head with USA Hockey teammate Jonathan Quick, who matched Miller with three goals allowed in regulation, then secured the extra point in the shootout, 4-3. "That was a battle on both ends," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought both teams put a lot of work into it. They play hard in their end, and they're a physical team. They've got some big bodies, so we knew we were in for a battle." Sharks -- The Big Teal Machine just keeps chugging along, riding a four-game winning streak, an 8-2-1 record in January and a 15-2-1 mark since a five-game losing streak in early December. That means they're first in the NHL again. They can knock in pucks by the bucket as Calgary found out in a 9-1 win on Monday, or they'll flat out stone you like they have just about the entire League since Dec. 11, the last time they allowed more than two goals to an opponent. Defense is the name of that game, and the Sharks have an absolute clampdown going when they're down a man. They haven't allowed a power-play goal in 29 chances, which coincides with this latest string of 13 of a possible 14 points in the last seven games. "Within the system itself, there's no magic," coach Todd McLellan said. "You have to be prepared." Who's hot -- The goalies are, for sure. Nabokov has benefited from the guys playing in front of him, but a 5-0-1 record in his last six starts and a 0.99 goals-against average says he has something to do with it as well. Miller isn't doing too badly, either, going 6-0-2 with a 1.94 GAA in his last eight starts. Tim Connolly had two assists on Thursday to keep a 14-game points streak alive, the longest active in the NHL and four shy of Gilbert Perreault's franchise record set in 1971-72. Connolly has six goals and 17 assists in that span. Patrick Marleau leads the NHL with 35 goals and the Sharks are 19-4-2 when he scores. Joe Thornton leads the League with 53 assists. Injury report -- Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle is a central figure in that vaunted Sharks defense and is an important source of offense from the blue line as well, but an undisclosed upper-body injury kept him out Thursday and may knock him out Saturday as well. Stat pack -- Neither goalie was at his best last time these two teams met, but Nabokov didn't have such a good time last time the Sharks were in HP Pavilion on Dec. 8, 2007. He was pulled after allowing four second-period goals in a 7-1 loss. Puck drop -- The way the Olympic qualification groups are set up, a meeting in Vancouver is unlikely for Miller and Nabokov, so their fans will have to settle for a regular-season matchup or two.

Last 10 -- Anaheim 7-3-0; San Jose 7-2-1 Season series -- This is the fifth meeting between the Pacific Division rivals. San Jose won the previous four games, outscoring the Ducks, 16-6. The teams conclude the season series March 14 in Anaheim. The Sharks defeated the Ducks 4-1 in Anaheim on Opening Night Oct. 3, a game that was billed as chance to avenge San Jose's first-round playoff loss to the Ducks last season. The Sharks won 3-2 on Nov. 21 when Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Ryan Clowe scored, and 4-1 in San Jose on Dec. 17 on two goals by Thornton. Patrick Marleau got his 300th and 301st career goals in a 5-2 victory in San Jose on Dec. 26. Big story -- Two of the hottest teams in the NHL will face off at HP Pavilion. Between them, the Ducks and Sharks have one regulation loss in their past 13 games combined. The Pacific Division has an outside chance to put all five teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks lead the Western Conference. Phoenix ranks fifth and Los Angeles is eighth. Dallas and Anaheim are tied for 10th with 53 points, four points behind Los Angeles. Thornton again leads the NHL in assists and seeking his fourth career assist title. Team Scope: Ducks -- The Ducks are playing their best hockey of the season, winning seven of their past eight games. Six of those victories were against teams currently in playoff positions. The streak includes wins over division leaders Chicago and Buffalo -- Anaheim beat the Sabres 5-4 on Tuesday for its eighth consecutive home win. But the Ducks are in for a severe test; they start a six-game road trip against another division leader -- their own. Rookies Dan Sexton, Matt Beleskey and Troy Bodie have performed very well in the absence of injured team leaders Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Sharks -- The Sharks are 5-0-1 in their past six games and are locked in a battle for the Western Conference lead with the Chicago Blackhawks. This first game of a five-game homestand could help the Sharks open some distance on the Blackhawks, who are on an eight-game trip. San Jose ranks second in penalty killing and 5-on-5 play and fourth on the power play. They beat the Kings 5-1 in Los Angeles on Tuesday thanks to their special teams -- the Sharks were 3-for-3 on the power play and killed all five penalties. They've scored 14 goals in winning both of their games this week. Who's hot -- Another hockey website that tracks such things list 14 Sharks as "hot" right now. Among the hottest: Thornton has 15 points in 15 games. Heatley has 6 goals and 10 points in 10 games. Marleau has 9 goals and 13 points in 10 games, and 23 goals in his last 30 games. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov is 4-0-1 with a 0.99 goals-against average and .968 save percentage in his past five games. Anaheim right wing Bobby Ryan has 3 goals and 5 points in the past five games. Right wing Corey Perry and center Ryan Getzlaf each have 3 goals and 7 points in the past eight games. Injury report -- The Sharks are healthy. Ducks right wing Joffrey Lupul has missed 20 games with a back injury. Right wing Selanne suffered a broken jaw and has missed three games. Both are out indefinitely. Center Koivu injured his knee six days ago, has returned to skating but won't play Thursday in San Jose. He's expected back against Atlanta on Tuesday. Forward George Parros has missed the past 10 games with a hand injury but will be available against San Jose. Stat pack -- Put this one in the "makes no sense category:" Anaheim leads the NHL in home power-play scoring and is 24th on the road. San Jose is fourth-best at killing penalties at home. Anaheim is 22nd in killing penalties on the road. It's imperative that Anaheim, the NHL's fifth-most penalized team, stays out of the penalty box. San Jose is the fourth-best team when they score the first goal. Anaheim ranks 13th in overcoming first-goal against. Puck drop -- The Ducks' hot streak appears to have restored their confidence. "We knew from the beginning we had a pretty decent team. We haven't had that good feeling in here, that confidence to go out and win every night," goaltender Jonas Hiller said. "That's what happens right now. We kind of have that good feeling that we know we can pretty much beat any team in this League."

Last 10: San Jose 7-2-1; Los Angeles 5-5-0 Season Series: Sixth and final meeting of the regular season between these Pacific Division rivals. The Sharks may be tied for the lead in the Presidents' Trophy race, but the Kings have earned their respect in going 3-1-1 in their head-to-head matchups. Both of San Jose's victories have come by 2-1 scores, including the most recent game at Staples Center on Jan. 11. Dany Heatley's power-play goal in the second period held up as the winner and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 33 shots. Big Story: While San Jose is battling it out with Chicago for the Western Conference's top seed, Los Angeles is fighting just to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight years. The Kings begin play Tuesday with a one-point lead over the Red Wings, which can't be a comfortable feeling once you consider the postseason pedigree of the Detroit franchise. L.A. understands it must keep winning hockey games. Team Scope: Sharks: There had been a seven-game stretch recently when Heatley, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton were the only San Jose forwards to register a goal. Well, everyone else seemingly got well Monday night in a 9-1 thrashing of Calgary. Heatley did lead the way with two goals, but the Sharks also got tallies from Joe Pavelski (first since Dec. 30) and some of the muckers and grinders like Manny Malhotra, Scott Nichol and Jed Ortmeyer. "We've been playing hard, we've had our opportunities, and it's good to see it go in a few times for all the guys tonight,” said Pavelski, who added three assists for a career-high four points. "It was just a fun game." Kings: There are only two games remaining in a stretch of seven straight at Staples Center for Los Angeles. The homestand didn't start well at all, as the Wings edged the Kings to send them on a three-game losing streak. But things have turned around, with a 4-0 victory over the Ducks and a 4-3 shootout win over the Bruins. It took a two-goal, third-period rally Saturday afternoon in order for the Kings to claim two points. "You lose one, you might be in ninth. You lose one, you might be up to seventh,'' forward Brad Richardson said. "You've just got to try to give yourself a chance. Every point is going to help. You never want to look back at the end of the year and miss by one or two points.'' Who's Hot: They don't often get to see their names in this segment, so let's mention Nichol -- who tied his career high with three points and registered the 100th of his career with his goal Monday -- as well as Malhotra (one goal, two assists) and Ortmeyer (one goal, one assist) for their multi-point performances in San Jose's big win Monday. Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown has goals in two straight games and three of his last four. Leading scorer Anze Kopitar has two goals and two assists during a four-game points streak. Injury Report: Kings defenseman Matt Greene could return at some point next week from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him for the past nine days. Fellow blueliner Davis Drewiske is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, while forwards Justin Williams (right leg/ankle) and Andrei Lokitonov (shoulder) are also on the I.R. Stat Pack: San Jose set a franchise record Monday with eight different players scoring goals. Los Angeles has already tied its best mark for shootout wins in a season with six (previously set in 2005-06). Jonathan Quick has all six of those wins, tying him for the League lead. Puck Drop: The Sharks have to move on quickly after routing the Flames, a fact coach Todd McLellan was well aware of when he addressed the media after Monday's game. "This one's over. We're done, we have to move on," he said. "We'll get some food in us, some water in us, and get to L.A., get some rest. We know they're coming. They're a good hockey club."

Last 10: Calgary 4-5-1; San Jose 7-2-1 Season Series: Second of four meetings this season. The Flames already own a victory this season at the Shark Tank, winning 2-1 on Dec. 5 behind goals from Olli Jokinen and Daymond Langkow. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 35 shots, with Ryan Clowe picking up the lone score for San Jose. Big Story: San Jose hosts Chicago later this month in a clash of the top teams in the Western Conference -- on Monday, the Sharks will try to tie the Blackhawks for the most points in the League with 72. Calgary, meanwhile, is looking to break through after losing four straight and six of seven. The Flames got their offense going Sunday in Anaheim but gave up a pair of third-period goals in a 5-4 defeat. Team Scope: Flames: After scoring just three goals in three games and going 0-2-1 in the process, Calgary scored four times in the first two periods Sunday. Unfortunately, they let a one-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes slip away -- and with it, the chance to tie Colorado for the lead in the Northwest Division. It's been a frustrating time for guys like captain Jarome Iginla, who hasn't scored in eight games, but he cautioned patience and said better times are ahead. "After (Anaheim) got off to a 3-1 lead we were able to stay with it, stay positive after not scoring a lot of goals for a while," Iginla said. "We were able to find them tonight. We're not winning, but guys are working hard and we want to win. It's going to break for us. It's going to go the other way and we're going to get ourselves on a roll." Sharks: Devin Setoguchi scored a pair of goals, one on the power play, as San Jose doubled up Edmonton 4-2 on Saturday afternoon. It snapped a nine-game goal drought for the third-year forward who scored 31 times in his sophomore season. While the Sharks are known for their potent offense, it had actually been seven games since a forward other than Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley or Joe Thornton netted a goal. "It was nice to get rewarded," Setoguchi said. "Now I have to keep going forward and not take any steps and keep going in the right direction." Who's Hot: Marleau scored his League-leading 32nd goal of the season against the Oilers and has five points in his last three games. Heatley has three goals and four assists during a six-game points streak. Thornton has two goals and three assists during a four-game points streak. Evgeni Nabokov has allowed one goal or less in 12 of his last 14 starts (10-2-2). Injury Report: It's an oddity at this point in the season, but neither club had a significant injury to report heading into Monday's game. Stat Pack: Kiprusoff, who started his career in San Jose and played for the Sharks from 2000-03, has 11 wins in 19 games against his former team. Thornton's next point will move him into sole possession of second on the franchise's all-time scoring list. He's currently tied with Owen Nolan, now of the Minnesota Wild. Puck Drop: Backup Curtis McElhinney got the start for Calgary on Sunday and the Flames gave him four goals to work with, but it wasn't enough. Kiprusoff hadn't been getting anywhere near that kind of support of late, but if he gets it Monday then this could be the night Iginla has been anticipating where the team breaks through.