Western Conference preview: Nashville Predators face bolstered San Jose Sharks

Just as Scott Hannan's time with the San Jose Sharks ended (he is on the Nashville Predators now), so must the current winning streak.The longest streak in franchise history is 11 games, done only one time within one season (2007-08). The longest streak to start a season in NHL history was 10 games by the 1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Sharks win Saturday, they will reach eight games—one-sixth of the season.Barry Trotz is the only coach the Nashville Predators have known. He has stayed behind their bench over a decade despite not winning his first playoff series until in April 2011 for good reason.No matter how many players his team has lost, no matter how much more money the opposition has spent, he has them competitive. They have missed the playoffs just once since the previous lockout and are one of the toughest teams to play because they adhere to Trotz's effective game plans.They are not playing as well as they should be so far in 2013, and that is bound to change.Patrick Marleau and the first line came out this season white hot. The face of the San Jose Sharks has been on the ice for 20 of 27 goals scored. But he and Joe Thornton have cooled to human levels, with no goals and two assists between them in the last two games. Both those games went all the way to a shootout.The Sharks still have only five forwards who have scored at all—none below the second line. Because of these two facts, they have nearly lost both of their last two games. The Nashville Predators have Norris Trophy candidate Shea Weber to defend the top line and one of the best goalies in the world to hold down weak secondary scoring.The biggest question is can their four lines outscore San Jose's second line and the one goal that comes from elsewhere? Probably not until overtime or a shootout, but the home team is bound to lose one of three in a row.View the list »
Recent returning players have to compete with young San Jose Sharks for roster spots

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Nashville Predators (2-2-3) coach Barry Trotz may be reminded of the overrated movie Groundhog Day when they visit HP Pavilion Saturday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. PST. They will try to be the first to beat the San Jose Sharks (7-0-0). It may feel like he is living through the 2006 and 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs again, when his scrappy but over-matched team fell in the first round with a single win.

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Right now, the Sharks are being carried by the good play from the six players coach Todd McLellan uses on the first power play (PP) unit: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Dan Boyle and either Antti Niemi or Thomas Greiss. The defensive pair of Brad Stuart and Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been reliable in heavy minutes, and Ryane Clowe, Martin Havlat and Scott Gomez all seem solid choices to flank Couture.

The rest of the forward corps needed only to push the play and stay defensively responsible. Now that the first line has slowed to human, someone will have to tickle the twine from a checking line.

The blue line may be getting exactly what it needs—reinforcements. Brent Burns is still out, but skating with the team. Dan Boyle's two-day bout with illness cost him just one game, and Jason Demers has been activated. For Demers to play, either Justin Braun, Douglas Murray or Matt Irwin would have to sit. All have made mistakes but played better than the norm for the third pair, and all bring different things the team needs to the table.

With two players probably not 100 percent, two more that could benefit from a lighter load and the fourth line having little impact, there is a good chance San Jose dresses seven on the blue line. James Sheppard would likely be the odd man out, though he has looked good.

The Sharks already had to waive Frazer McLaren, who was on the ice for opening night but invisible. He may get a chance to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who claimed him on Thursday, January 31. He was not going to in San Jose once Scott Gomez was signed and showed he still has some game.

Sheppard is not the only forward the Sharks could consider sitting. Tommy Wingels brings energy and speed, but has not shown much secondary scoring potential as the right wing of the third line. T.J. Galiardi has played the other wing with him but was a scratch (coach's decision) Thursday. He had been the best player on that line in western Canada—and the only with more than one point—but has not fared as well at home.

Two would have to sit for the Sharks to play seven defensemen. Right now, the rest are too valuable to be healthy scratches.

Andrew Desjardins is too good on the penalty kill (PK) and in the circle to come out. Adam Burish is the top player on that line and also kills penalties. Michal Handzus has been the most important checking line forward, even if the NHL point total does not reflect that.

The Sharks have depth. Their top players are elite. They are at home. But let me tell you five reasons why the Predators will win this game...

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  • Patrick Marleau and the first line came out this season white hot. The face of the San Jose Sharks has been on the ice for 20 of 27 goals scored. But he and Joe Thornton have cooled to human levels, with no goals and two assists between them in the last two games. Both those games went all the way to a shootout.The Sharks still have only five forwards who have scored at all—none below the second line. Because of these two facts, they have nearly lost both of their last two games. The Nashville Predators have Norris Trophy candidate Shea Weber to defend the top line and one of the best goalies in the world to hold down weak secondary scoring.The biggest question is can their four lines outscore San Jose's second line and the one goal that comes from elsewhere? Probably not until overtime or a shootout, but the home team is bound to lose one of three in a row.
  • Barry Trotz is the only coach the Nashville Predators have known. He has stayed behind their bench over a decade despite not winning his first playoff series until in April 2011 for good reason.No matter how many players his team has lost, no matter how much more money the opposition has spent, he has them competitive. They have missed the playoffs just once since the previous lockout and are one of the toughest teams to play because they adhere to Trotz's effective game plans.They are not playing as well as they should be so far in 2013, and that is bound to change.
  • Just as Scott Hannan's time with the San Jose Sharks ended (he is on the Nashville Predators now), so must the current winning streak.The longest streak in franchise history is 11 games, done only one time within one season (2007-08). The longest streak to start a season in NHL history was 10 games by the 1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Sharks win Saturday, they will reach eight games—one-sixth of the season.
  • The Nashville Predators have one of the three best goalies in the world. Pekka Rinne took a little while last year to reach that level, but may already have found it if his last outing is any indication.He poses some of the same problems—athletic big man between the pipes—that Devan Dubnyk posed Thursday, but can steal games. Getting more than two goals against him will be tough, and that could make it hard to beat even teams that shoot the puck as little as Nashville.
  • The Nashville Predators may have struggled with the San Jose Sharks in past years, especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, these are two different teams playing in the regular season.Nashville took both games at HP Pavilion to overtime last season, winning one. Both teams won one in regulation in the music city and have won four overall in the past two seasons. However, the regulation loss at home was the only time they did not earn a point over the last two seasons, actually giving them the edge head-to-head.
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, San Jose Sharks Examiner

Former community leader and featured columnist for the San Jose Sharks on Bleacher Report, MJ Kasprzak has been covering the Bay Area's most successful team for over four years. You may have seen MJ's work featured on Yahoo, CBS Sports and Fox Sports websites as well as numerous other places that...

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