Can the San Jose Sharks Get a Win This Week?
There are not many things that could make the start of the 2023-24 NHL season worse for the San Jose Sharks. The team most recently allowed 10 pucks to find their way to the back of the San Jose net in back-to-back matchups against the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, the Sharks still have not picked up a win, as their current record stands at 0-10-1. Will the team continue its 11-game losing streak or will the roster begrudgingly drag each other to pick up two points? Below is a look at their next two opponents:
Tuesday 11/7: PHI @ SJS — 10:30 pm ET
Image via @NHLFlyers on X
The Philadelphia Flyers will have a 5-6-1 record heading into this evening contest against the Sharks. By no means is this the best in the league, but it is quite unexpected from a team that was competing for Connor Bedard just a few months ago. Aside from the 8-2-1 Canucks, the Flyers have yet to beat a team that is truly considered a contender at this moment in time. Their wins have come against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and Buffalo Sabres — all of which are in the bottom three of their respective divisions. Of course, the Sharks are also at the very bottom of the Pacific Division but that may inspire some motivation within the San Jose locker room. Philadelphia is also coming off of a brutal loss, being shutout 0-5 against the LA Kings, which will have both teams wanting to get in the win column on the scoresheet.
With Travis Konecny and Bobby Brink leading the offense and Travis Sanheim holding down the fort on defense, San Jose has a tough test ahead. However, goaltender Carter Hart and forward Sean Couturier are both dealing with day-to-day injuries that can potentially leave holes for the Sharks to capitalize on. This matchup may not be the most exciting to watch, but it has the possibility to bring San Jose its first win of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Thursday 11/9: EDM @ SJS — 10:30 pm et
Image via saltwire.com
If the San Jose Sharks were not a part of the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers would be sitting in last place. The Oilers currently have a 2-7-1 record and do not look to be improving any time soon. They dropped their last game 2-5 against the Nashville Predators and 3-4 against the Dallas Stars before that. To say the least, Edmonton has had a very underwhelming start to the 2023-24 campaign. The team stands in seventh place among the Pacific Division, only having wins against the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators so far.
Edmonton has a game against the unlikely star of the first month of this season, Vancouver, tomorrow before the team takes on San Jose. With the Sharks playing at home and both teams potentially on a losing skid, San Jose has a bit of an upper hand on paper. Of course, the Oilers have Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard on their roster which poses a challenge in and of itself for the California squad. Due to their slow start, it is forgotten that Edmonton was Stanley Cup contender just a season ago. Nevertheless, if the Sharks are to get their first win against anyone, the Oilers are likely their best bet to do so.
