Sharks Face Predators in Crucial Matchup Tonight in San Jose

San Jose, California — The San Jose Sharks will host the Nashville Predators at SAP Center on Tuesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. PT. Coming off a recent hat trick, Predators forward Steven Stamkos leads his team into this critical matchup against a Sharks squad eager to turn their fortunes around.

The Predators, who are currently 24-32-7 with 55 points, are favored by sportsbooks at -167, while the Sharks, sitting at 17-39-9 with 43 points, come in at +140. This is a significant game for both teams as they navigate the final stretch of the regular season.

Nashville enters the game riding a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in overtime. The Predators have been scoring an average of 4.67 goals over their last three games, while allowing only 2.67 goals against. Stamkos has been on fire, contributing eight points in the past three games with four goals and four assists.

Conversely, the Sharks have struggled of late, losing two straight games after falling 4-2 to the New York Islanders. In their last five games, they hold a 2-3-0 record, averaging 3.40 goals per game but allowing an average of four goals. Sharks players Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will look to extend their point streaks tonight, as Celebrini has registered two goals and four assists in his last three games.

“It’s crucial for us to discover what our younger players can do in games like these,” Sharks head coach said during a press conference. “We have to build for the future.”

The projected lineups for the game have some notable names on both sides. For the Predators, Stamkos will center a line with Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Evangelista, while Philip Forsberg will be flanked by Colton Sissons and Jonathan Marchessault. Patrons at SAP Center can expect to see Juuse Saros in goal.

On the Sharks’ side, William Eklund is expected to play alongside Alexander Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli, with Klim Kostin joining Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Alexandar Georgiev is likely to defend the net for the Sharks.

Sharks fans will have the opportunity to watch the game on NBC Sports California and listen via the Sharks Audio Network. Meanwhile, the Predators’ fanbase can tune into FDSNSO. Expected game time is 7:30 PM PT.