NHL Preview: San Jose Sharks at Dallas Stars

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SAN JOSE SHARKS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Game 15 – 11/10 – SJS 3 at STL 5…Timo Meier (1g, 0a) and Erik Karlsson (0g, 2a) extended their respective point streaks to six games each to help the Sharks erase three one-goal deficits in the game, but the visitors could not find the lead as the team’s three-game point streak came to a close in St. Louis. Tomas Hertl (1g, 0a) skated in his 600th career NHL game while Jaycob Megna (0g, 0a) appeared in his 100th on milestone nights. Kevin Labanc (0g, 2a) notched his second consecutive multi-point game with a pair of helpers and Logan Couture (1g, 0a) tallied his fifth goal of the season.
SJ Goals: Meier (6), Hertl (3), Couture (5)
SF: 30
SA: 33
SJ PP: 0/0
SJ PK: 1/2
W: Binnington
L: Kahkonen

RECENT SHARKS TRANSACTIONS
10/18 Activated F Alexander Barabanov off IR
10/10 Assigned C Thomas Bordeleau, D Nick Cicek, G Aaron Dell, LW William Eklund and F Jeff Viel to the San Jose
Barracuda; Placed F Alexander Barabanov and D Markus Nutivaara on IR; Returned F Ethan Cardwell to his junior team

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT: DALLAS STARS
The Sharks look to hand Dallas its second set of consecutive losses on the year as San Jose faces off against the Stars Friday, game two of a four-game road swing. Dallas comes into the game on the heels of a 5-1 setback against the Winnipeg Jets that snapped a 3-0-0 start to November and is led by Jason Robertson’s nine goals and 19 points on the season. Roope Hintz is on Robertson’s heels with 17 points and 12 assists in the early running of the season and Jake Oettinger has continued his strong play from the tail end of the 2021-22 season with a .952 SVP and 1.77 GAA through seven games played. Dallas has won the previous seven meetings with San Jose in the Lone Star State, the Sharks’ last win at Dallas coming on February 19, 2015, a 5-2 decision.

Nov. 11, 5:30 p.m. PT
SAN JOSE SHARKS at DALLAS STARS
3-9-3 (9 pts), 8th in Pacific 2022-23 RECORD 8-4-1 (17 pts), 2nd Central
0-2-3 LAST 5 GAMES 3-2-0

First Meeting SEASON SERIES First Meeting
58-57-5-13 ALL-TIME RECORD AGAINST OPPONENT 70-49-5-9

2022-23 PLAYER STATS
11 players (15) GAMES PLAYED LEADER 16 players (13)
Erik Karlsson (10) GOALS LEADER Jason Robertson (9)
Erik Karlsson (11) ASSISTS LEADER Roope Hintz (12)
Erik Karlsson (21) POINTS LEADER Jason Robertson (19)

STORYLINES
KARLSSON KEEPS COOKING…Erik Karlsson extended his scoring streak to six games on Thursday, recording a pair of assists to reach 15 points (7g, 8a) in the six-game stretch. Karlsson, who became the first defensemen in NHL history to reach double-digit goals and assists in his team’s first 15 games, leads NHL blueliners in goals (10) and points (21), set a career best with at least one goal in four consecutive games (10/27/22 – 11/3/22, 7g), just the second-ever Shark defenseman to accomplish the feat. Karlsson, who was named Third Star of the Week by the NHL on November 7, is the third-ever NHL defenseman and first since 1929-30 season to reach double-digit goals in 13 or fewer games, Harry Cameron needing seven games in 1917-18 with the Toronto Arenas and King Clancy needing nine games in 1929-30 with the original Ottawa Senators. Coming into Friday (11/11) at Dallas, Karlsson is tied for fourth in the NHL with 21 points alongside Artemi Panarin and Nikita Kucherov while trailing only Connor McDavid (15g, 16a), Leon Draisaitl (9g, 18a) and David Pastrnak (9g, 13a) in scoring.

IT’S TIMO TIME… Timo Meier extended his scoring streak to six games with a goal on Thursday, bringing his total to to six goals and four assists in his current six-game point streak. Meier took sole possession of 10th on the Sharks all-time ranks in goals scored with his marker Thursday, surpassing Marco Sturm (128). The forward has lit the lamp in four consecutive games, with five goals in that span, and has found the back of the net in five of the past six contests.

HERTL HEATING UP… Tomas Hertl registered a season-high three points in Saturday’s (11/5) game against the Anaheim Ducks, including a goal and two assists, and extended his recent scoring run to points in four of the past five with a goal on Thursday at St. Louis (11/10). The forward has 11 points in the team’s previous 10 games dating back to October 20 at New York Rangers and has three multi-point efforts in San Jose’s last five games. He has goals in consecutive contests for the first time this season entering Friday (11/11) at Dallas.

CRANK THE POWER… The Sharks’ power play closed out the six-game home stand in style with goals in five consecutive games, notching six goals in that span, to go 6-for-18 (33.3-percent) since October 25. Of those six power play markers, Erik Karlsson factored into five with a goal and four assists. San Jose did not get any power play opportunities in the first game of the four-game road trip Thursday at St. Louis.

PRIME PENALTY KILL…San Jose killed off their first 22 penalties of the season before finally allowing a power play goal on Oct. 22 at New Jersey, and has remained near the top of the league at 90.2-percent on the year, second-best in the NHL. San Jose has been operating at a league-best 87.9% shorthanded efficiency since the 2022 NHL All-Star break, and the Sharks have the league’s fourth-best penalty kill Percentage since the start of the 2020-21 season (83.7%).

WORKING OVERTIME… San Jose has been logging plenty of ice time of late, going beyond the 60 minutes of regulation in four of the past six games, including shootouts in three straight (11/1 – 11/5). The recent run was the fourth time in Sharks history that the team has reached a shootout in three straight, including February 5-9, 2021 (2-1), December 21-27, 2013 (3-0), and January 29-February 2, 2013 (2-1). The Sharks have never gone to a shootout in four straight.

STURM WARNING…Nico Sturm netted his fifth goal of the season during Saturday’s (10/29) game against Tampa Bay, the forward breaking a tie with Logan Couture (4) for second-most on the roster. Sturm has three goals and four points in San Jose’s last five games, lighting the lamp against Tampa (10/29), Vegas (10/25) and Philadelphia (10/23), and his five-goals-in-eight-games stretch was the best of his career.

CAPTAIN COUTURE…Logan Couture recorded three points (2g, 1a) in the Sharks 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose’s captain opened the game’s scoring with a strike just 26 seconds in. Per NHL PR, this put him in a tie with Joe Pavelski for the most opening-minute goals in franchise history (eight). With his second goal of the evening – the 300th of his career – Couture became the third player to score 300 goals with the franchise, after Patrick Marleau (522) and Joe Pavelski (355). He is now second on the club in scoring with seven points (4g, 3a) in 10 games.

REIM TIME…Sharks goaltender James Reimer earned his first shutout of the season on Oct. 23 with a 30-save performance at Philadelphia. Reimer’s shutout, his fifth as a Shark, moved him into a tie with Aaron Dell for eighth on the franchise’s all-time shutouts list. Reimer also owns a .937 shorthanded save percentage since joining the Sharks at the start of the 2021-22 season, the best in the NHL in that span (min. 10 games played) and the best two-season stretch by a goaltender since the NHL began tracking the statistic in 1997-98 (min. 30 games played, second best is Cory Schneider from 2010-12 with a .936 SV% in 58 GP).

QUICK START KUNIN…Sharks forward Luke Kunin tallied points in each of his first two regular games with the Sharks, recording the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl’s goal on Oct. 7 and scoring his first goal as a member of the Sharks the next day. Kunin’s 21:23 minutes of ice time on Oct. 7 is the second highest he’s logged in his career and the most he has logged since 2019. His power-play marker on Oct. 8 was the first power-play goal of his career and the first special teams goal scored in the 2022-23 NHL season. Kunin had points on each of the Sharks first two power play strikes (1g, 1a) of the season, matching his career high for power play points in a season. Including exhibition and preseason, Kunin scored one point in each of the first six games he played with the Sharks.

GRIER’S GAMEPLAN…On July 5, Sharks president Jonathan Becher and assistant general manager Joe Will introduced Mike Grier as the team’s fifth General Manager and first black general manager in NHL history. The 47-year-old appeared in 221 games with the Sharks from 2006 through 2008 as part of a 14-season, 1,060 game NHL playing career. Just two days later, Grier was with the team as they selected center Filip Bystedt with the 27th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. On July 13, the Sharks traded longtime defenseman Brent Burns and signed Matt Benning, Oskar Lindblom, Markus Nutivaara and Nico Sturm on the first day of free agency. A full list of players under NHL contract that have joined the organization since July 5 is below:

QUINN FOR THE WIN…On July 26, Grier introduced David Quinn as Head Coach of the Sharks and later named Scott Gordon, Ryan Warsofsky and Brian Wiseman as Assistant Coaches, Thomas Speer NHL Goaltending Coach and Nick Gialdini Video Coach. Quinn, who most recently served as head coach for Team USA at both the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 World Championship, spent three seasons as head coach of the New York Rangers from 2018 to 2021, earning a 96-87-25 record. In his three years, the Rangers held the league’s eighth-best power-play percentage (22.1%), ranked seventh in team blocked shots (4,195) and takeaways (2,244), and were tied for tenth in wins when trailing first (52). Adam Fox, who made his NHL debut under Quinn in 2019-20, was awarded the Norris Trophy following the 2020-21 season. Quinn’s first NHL win was a 3-2 overtime victory against the Sharks at Madison Square Garden with the Rangers on Oct. 11, 2018. His first NHL win with the Sharks was a 3-2 overtime victory against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 21, 2022. The 56- year-old is one win shy of 100 as an NHL head coach.

DALLAS STARS NOTES:

LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
Nov. 8, 2022 – STARS 1 at JETS 5
Dallas’ three-game winning streak came to an end in a 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday. Forward Jason Robertson (1-0—1) recorded the lone tally for the Stars giving him goals in a career-best six consecutive games. Forward Roope Hintz (0-1—1) picked up the lone assist, while goaltender Scott Wedgewood took the loss in a 28-save effort. It was the first Filipino Heritage Night for the Jets, which included a ceremonial puck drop featuring Robertson, who is half Filipino. PP: 0-1 | PK: 1-1 | SF: 22 | SA: 33 | DAL TOI: Heiskanen (23:26 – game high) | Attendance: 13,847
Three Stars: 1. WPG – M. Scheifele 2. WPG – M. Appleton 3. WPG – S. Maenalanen

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Fri., Nov. 11, 2022 San Jose Sharks 7:30 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK
Sun., Nov. 13, 2022 @ Philadelphia Flyers 12 p.m. Wells Fargo Center BSSW/KTCK
Tue., Nov. 15, 2022 @ Tampa Bay Lightning 6 p.m. Amalie Arena BSSWX/KTCK
Thu., Nov. 17, 2022 @ Florida Panthers 6 p.m. FLA Live Arena BSSW/KTCK
Sat., Nov. 19, 2022 New York Islanders 7 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 26 – Recalled forward Matej Blumel from Texas (AHL); loaned forward Jacob Peterson to Texas
Oct. 30 – Loaned forward Matej Blumel to Texas (AHL)
Oct. 31 – Signed goaltender Matt Murray to a one-year entry-level contract
Nov. 9 – Recalled forward Matej Blumel from Texas (AHL); loaned goaltender Matt Murray to Texas

INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 7
NAME INJURY # OF GAMES DATES
D Miro Heiskanen Upper body 3 Oct. 25-29
G Jake Oettinger Lower body 4 Nov. 1-8

DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Stars are back on home ice to host the San Jose Sharks at American Airlines Center (7:30 p.m. CT, TV: Bally Sports Southwest, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). This is the first of three meetings between the Stars and Sharks, and one of two in Dallas (also Dec. 31). The three-game season series will conclude Jan. 18 at SAP Center in San Jose. Dallas took two of three past season against San Jose, earning victories April 2 at SAP Center (5-4) and April 16 at American Airlines Center (2-1). Following tonight’s game, the Stars will embark on a three-game road trip beginning Sunday in Philadelphia (Noon CT).

THROW THE BAIT, CATCH THE SHARK

  • The Stars went 2-1-0 against the Sharks last season, including a 1-0-0 mark at home.
  • The Stars have posted wins in five of their past eight (5-3-0) and eight of the previous 12 games against San Jose (8-4-0).
  • Dallas has also earned points in 12 of the past 17 games against San Jose, boasting an 11-5-1 record dating back to the 2014-15 season.
  • The Stars are riding a seven-game home winning streak (7-0-0) vs. San Jose, tied for the third-longest active home winning streak against a single opponent (Winnipeg: 7-0-0; Anaheim: 8-0-0; Detroit: 9-0-0)
  • Additionally, Dallas has earned wins in 10 of its previous 12 (10-2-0) and has points in 15 of its past 20 games (14-5-1) against the Sharks at American Airlines Center.
  • The Stars are 70-49-14 all-time vs. the Sharks, including a 34-23-8 mark at home.
  • Forward Tyler Seguin led the Stars in scoring last season against San Jose with four points (1-3—4) in three games. He had assists (0-3—3) on three of Dallas’ five goals in a 5-4 victory at SAP Center on April 2 and potted a goal in the Stars’ 2-1 win at American Airlines Center on April 16.
  • Seguin is averaging a point per game in his career against San Jose with 23 points (10-13—23) in 23 games.
  • Forward Joe Pavelski had two points (1-1—2) in three games against his former club last season. Pavelski spent 13 seasons with San Jose, posting 761 points (355-406—761) in 963 career regular-season games.
  • Goaltender Jake Oettinger is 1-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .958 save percentage in one career appearance against San Jose (April 16: 2-1 W; 23 saves on 24 shots).
  • Netminder Scott Wedgewood went 1-0-1 with 5.29 GAA and .800 SV% in two appearances against the Sharks last season. Wedgewood owns a 2-1-2 record, 4.41 GAA and .861 SV% in five career appearances vs. San Jose.
  • Peter DeBoer served as the head coach for San Jose over five seasons (2015-19) and amassed a 198-129-34 record in 361 regular-season games. He qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four of his five campaigns with the Sharks and helped lead the team to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history during the 2015-16 season.

2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Nov. 11 vs. San Jose
Dec. 31 vs. San Jose
Jan. 18, 2023 at San Jose

BRIGHTEST STAR OF THE WEEK
Forward Jason Robertson was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week ending Nov. 6. Robertson registered eight points (4-4—8), scoring in all three of his outings to push his goal streak to a career-high five games (dating to Oct. 27: 6-5—11) and help the Stars (8-3-1, 17 points) complete a perfect week. Robertson posted three points (1-2—3), including the go-ahead goal, in a 5-2 win over the LA Kings on Nov. 1. He then scored twice in a 7-2 triumph against the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 3. Robertson capped the week with three points (1-2—3), highlighted by his 17th career game-winning goal and third of the season, in a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 5.

UPON THE MICROPHONE LIKE A BOSS D.J.

  • With a goal on Nov. 8 against Winnipeg, forward Jason Robertson (23 years, 109 days) became the fifth player in franchise history (1967-present) to have a goal streak of six games or more before turning 24, and the second player in Dallas Stars history (1993-present) to do so.
  • Robertson followed Neal Broten from Jan. 23–Feb. 4, 1982 (7-12—19 in 7 GP), Jamie Benn from March 1-11, 2011 (6-1—7 in 6 GP),Mike Modano from Feb. 29–March 10, 1992 (7-2—9 in 6 GP) and Danny Grant from Oct. 16-29, 1969 (6-1—7 in 6 GP).

SEASON PLAYER TEAM START DATE END DATE AGE AT
END STREAK G A P
1981-82 Neal Broten Minnesota 1/23/1982 2/4/1982 22-067 7 7 12 19
2010-11 Jamie Benn Dallas 3/1/2011 3/11/2011 21-236 6 6 1 7
1991-92 Mike Modano Minnesota 2/29/1992 3/10/1992 21-277 6 7 2 9
2022-23 Jason Robertson Dallas 10/27/2022 11/8/2022 23-109 6 7 5 12
1969-70 Danny Grant Minnesota 10/16/1969 10/29/1969 23-250 6 6 1 7
1990-91 Mike Modano Minnesota 3/10/1991 3/17/1991 20-283 5 5 2 7
1968-69 Danny Grant Minnesota 11/7/1968 11/17/1968 22-270 5 7 1 8
1979-80 Glen Sharpley Minnesota 11/3/1979 11/14/1979 23-069 5 6 1 7
1993-94 Mike Modano Dallas 11/1/1993 11/9/1993 23-155 5 6 3 9
1983-84 Dino Ciccarelli Minnesota 11/2/1983 11/12/1983 23-277 5 11 6 17

Robertson’s past six games:
Nov. 8 @ WPG: 1-0—1
Nov. 5 @ EDM: 1-2—3
Nov. 3 @ ARI: 2-0—2
Nov. 1 vs. LA: 1-2—3
Oct. 29 vs. NYR: 1-1—2
Oct. 27 vs. WSH: 1-0—1
Total points: 7-5—12

  • With a goal and two assists (1-2—3) against the Oilers on Nov. 5, Robertson became just the fifth Stars player in the past 20 years to record a multi-point streak of four or more games. Robertson joined Roope Hintz (4 GP in 2021-22), Joe Pavelski (4 GP in 2021-22), Jamie Benn (4 GP in 2011-12) and Brad Richards (4 GP in 2010-11).
  • Since entering the league in 2019-20, Robertson has recorded nine career three-point outings. Only two Stars players have more over that span: Pavelski (13) and Hintz (11).
  • Robertson leads the Stars and shares eighth in the NHL in points (9-10—19) and is tied for eighth in goals. Among team leaders, Robertson ranks first in goals and second in assists.
  • He also leads the club in even-strength goals (6), power-play goals (3), power-play points (8) and points-per-game average (1.46),
    and co-leads in even-strength points (11 w/ Hintz).
  • Robertson has been held off the scoresheet just three times in 13 games this season and has six multi-point efforts over that span, including three 3-point performances: Oct. 15 vs. NSH (1-2—3), Nov. 1 vs. LA (1-2—3) and Nov. 5 @ EDM (1-2—3).
  • The Arcadia, California native is averaging better than a point-per-game pace through his four NHL seasons (67-77—144 in 141 GP).

THIS IS HOW I, THIS IS HOW I DO

  • With a hat trick (3-0—3) against the Oilers on Nov. 5, captain Jamie Benn (333) surpassed Dino Ciccarelli (332) for sole possession of third place among franchise leaders (1967-present) in goals.
  • In addition, Benn (7) trails only Ciccarelli (14) and Bill Goldsworthy (8) for the most three-goal outings in Stars/North Stars franchise history (1967-present). Note: Mike Modano also had seven hat tricks with the Stars/North Stars franchise.
  • Benn enters Friday’s matchup vs. San Jose with points in three of his past four games (4-4—8). He has six points in his past three games (4-2—6) and 11 points (4-7—11) overall (13 GP).
  • Benn’s primary assist on the power play on Nov. 3 against Arizona game him five primary helpers with the man advantage in the 2022-23 season – his most since 2016-17 when he set a career high with 10 primary assists on the PP in 77 GP.
  • The 33-year-old ranks fourth on the team in points, shares fourth in goals and is tied for third in assists.
  • He also shares sixth in hits (16), ranks second in faceoffs taken (118), faceoff wins (70) and faceoff win percentage (59.3%).
  • Benn is 39 games shy of 1,000 and 31 games from tying Neal Broten (992 GP) for second place on the franchise’s (1967-present) all-time games played list.

THE GET UP KID

  • Rookie forward Wyatt Johnston potted his fourth goal of the season on Nov. 3 against the Coyotes. The only rookies with more are Ottawa’s Shane Pinto (8) and Seattle’s Matty Beniers (5).
  • At 19 years, 173 days, he became the first teenager in Stars/North Stars history (1967-present) to record a three-game goal streak on the road with his goal on Nov. 3 at Arizona. The last teenager to have a longer road run was Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov (4 GP in 2019-20).
  • Among NHL rookies, Johnston ranks third in goals (4) and shares 12th in points (4-1—5). The Toronto native also shares second among NHL rookies in takeaways (9), shares seventh in power-play points (2) and ranks sixth among rookie forwards in TOI/GP (14:28).
  • With a goal (1-0—1) on Oct. 25 against Boston, Johnston became the third youngest player in Dallas Stars history (1993-present) to score in consecutive games. Johnston followed Valeri Nichushkin (2 GP in 2013-14) and Miro Heiskanen (2x in 2018-10, both 2 GP).
  • With a goal (1-0—1) in the season opener on Oct. 13, forward Johnston became the youngest player in Dallas Stars history (1993-present) to score a goal in his NHL debut (19 years, 151 days) and second youngest in franchise history (1967-present) with at least one goal in his NHL debut, behind Dave Archibald (18 years, 179 days on Oct. 10, 1987). Mike Modano (19 years, 120 days on Oct. 5, 1989) scored in his first regular-season NHL game but had debuted during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I’LL KEEP ON FIGHTING JUST TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE

  • Forward Roope Hintz added an assist Tuesday night against Winnipeg, extending his point streak (3-7—10) to six games. He sits one game away for matching the longest streaks of his career at seven (twice: April 8-22, 2021 & March 18-April 1, 2021).
  • Like his linemate Jason Robertson, Hintz has been held off the scoresheet just three times in 13 games thus far in 2022-23.
  • Hintz leads the Stars in assists (12), ranks second in points (5-12—17) and ranks third in goals (5). He also co-leads the squad (with Robertson) in even-strength points (11), shares third in even-strength goals (3), ranks second in points-per-game average (1.31) and shares second in plus-minus (+9).
  • His first of two helpers against the Oilers represented his 100th career NHL assist. Among players to debut with the Stars since the club relocated to Dallas in 1993-94, only two players required fewer games to reach the 100-assist milestone (all w/ DAL): John Klingberg (192 GP) and Jamie Benn (240 GP).
  • Hintz scored his sixth career shorthanded on Oct. 15 vs. Nashville as part of a multi-goal performance (2-1—3). Hintz established a career high for shorthanded goals in a season (3) during the 2021-22 campaign.
  • The 25-year-old registered 72 points (37-35—72) in 80 regular-season games in 2021-22, establishing new career highs in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (9) and game-winning goals (7).
  • Hintz finished the 2021-22 campaign second on the Stars in goals, third in points and fourth in assists.
  • Selected by the Stars in the second round (49th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, the Tampere, Finland native has amassed 186 points (85-102—187) in 252 career regular season games.

HE’S BURNING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SKYLINE

  • Forward Joe Pavelski has points (2-3—5) in four of his past five games and seven of 13 overall (6-6—12).
  • Through 13 games this season, the Plover, Wisconsin native ranks second on the Stars in goals (6), ranks third in points (6-6—12) and shares fifth in assists (6).
  • He also paces the club in plus-minus (+11), ranks second in even-strength goals (4) and ranks third in even-strength points (4-5—9).
  • Pavelski needs just two goals to tie Bill Guerin (429) for eighth in goals among U.S.-born skaters in NHL history.
  • With a three-goal, four-point performance (3-1—4) on Oct. 22 at Montreal, Pavelski (38 years, 103 days) became the oldest player in Stars/North Stars franchise history (1967-present) to score a hat trick. He eclipsed Brett Hull (36 years, 224 days) as the oldest player to accomplish the feat.