0-2
LICKING MY WOUNDS TODAY
THIS IS WHAT I LIKE TODAY
At 19-0-2, San Jose owns the NHL's best home record, and also has played well on the road, going 10-5-3, but has struggled of late away from HP Pavilion.
The Sharks, who lead the West with 63 points, lost 5-2 at Calgary on Tuesday for their second straight road loss while falling to 1-2-3 away from home since winning five in a row there.
The Oilers (19-17-3) fell to 2-1 on their five-game homestand with a 4-2 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday. Robert Nilsson and Erik Cole each scored for Edmonton, which has lost three of five since winning three in a row.
Dwayne Roloson made 18 saves and allowed three second-period goals for the Oilers while falling to 11-7-3 with a 2.62 GAA on the season.
Dustin Penner had a goal with an assist against the Sharks last month for his most recent multi-point contest. Roloson, meanwhile, made 41 saves in that contest and is 11-9-0 with three ties and a 2.93 GAA in his career versus San Jose.
The Oilers have won the last three meetings between the teams, all coming in San Jose. The Sharks are 2-0-1 since losing three in a row at Edmonton.
Sharks are 2-7 in the last 9 meetings in Edmonton.
Sharks are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings.
PICK: EDM
Vancouver (22-15-5), second in the Northwest Division behind Calgary, added Sundin in hopes of making its deepest playoff run in 15 years. Since losing to the New York Rangers in the 1994 Stanley Cup finals, the Canucks have reached the postseason seven times but have reached the second round only twice and have not advanced further.
With Sundin still rounding into form, Steve Bernier stepped up in the win over the Oilers, scoring twice in a 12-second span and adding an assist. The right wing has had at least one point each time he's faced the Blues, with five goals and four assists in six career games.
The Canucks also got some encouraging news on Thursday when All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo briefly returned to practice.
St. Louis owns the worst record in the Western Conference, and will try to win back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 6-8. On Saturday, Keith Tkachuk scored the go-ahead goal in the second period as the Blues defeated Columbus 5-2 to snap a three-game losing streak.
"They were really desperate, and they played like that," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said of St. Louis (15-21-3).
Tkachuk ranks second on the Blues with 14 goals and 27 points. The All-Star has points in four of his last five visits to Vancouver, with two goals and four assists in that span.
Brad Boyes leads St. Louis with 18 goals, but has none in his last five road games. He's scored three in his last two games at GM Place.
The Blues are beginning a three-game swing through western Canada in a building where they have struggled lately. St. Louis is 0-2-2 since its last win in Vancouver in March 2006, and 2-6-2 with three ties over the last 13 visits there.
Home team is 23-8-2 in the last 33 meetings.
Blues are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings.
Blues are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings in Vancouver.
PICK: VAN
GL TONIGHT