Morning Skate: Sharks host disappointing Flames club

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Programming note 
Sharks-Flames coverage starts tonight at 6:30 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on CSN California

Where they stand
Sharks: 13-9-0, 26 points, 2nd Pacific Division
Flames: 8-13-2, 18 points, 6th Pacific Division

The latest

Sharks: Returning home after sweeping a six-game road trip, the Sharks fell to the Blackhawks on Wednesday, 5-2. San Jose is 10-3-0 on the road, but just 3-6-0 on home ice this season. The Sharks conclude a three-game homestand with Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Flames: Calgary will be playing the second of a back-to-back tonight, after dropping a 2-1 overtime decision in Arizona on Friday. The disappointing Flames are just 3-8-2 away from the Saddledome this season.

Keep an eye on…

Sharks: Tomas Hertl. The third-year Sharks center was benched for the third period of Wednesday’s loss, has no goals in his last 19 games and just 1 assist in his last seven games. Linemate Tommy Wingels, also benched on Wednesday, is looking to get it going as well with 1 goal and 6 points in 22 games.

Flames: Johnny Gaudreau. There’s been no sophomore slump for Johnny Hockey, who leads the Flames in points (21) and assists (16). The 22-year-old New Jersey native has been particularly dangerous in overtime, where he has a league-leading 4 points.

Probable lines

Sharks
Melker Karlsson – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Joonas Donskoi – Patrick Marleau – Joel Ward
Matt Nieto – Tomas Hertl – Tommy Wingels
Dainius Zubrus – Chris Tierney – Mike Brown

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Brenden Dillon
Paul Martin – Brent Burns
Mirco Mueller – Matt Tennyson

Martin Jones (confirmed starter)
Alex Stalock

Flames
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Jiri Hudler
Sam Bennett – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik
Joe Colborne – Matt Stajan – David Jones
Michael Ferland – Markus Granlund – Josh Jooris

Mark Giordano – T.J. Brodie
Kris Russell – Dougie Hamilton
Dennis Wideman – Deryk Engelland

Jonas Hiller (confirmed starter)
Karri Ramo

Vitals

Sharks
Goals per game: 2.73 (13th)
Goals-against per game: 2.55 (12th)
Power play: 14.1 percent (28th)
Penalty kill: 80.0 percent (17th)

Flames
Goals per game: 2.35 (22nd)
Goals-against per game: 3.52 (30th)
Power play: 14.1 percent (29th)
Penalty kill: 73.0 percent (30th)

Injuries/Scratches

Sharks: Justin Braun (infected left elbow), Ben Smith (concussion) and Logan Couture (fractured right fibula) are out.

Flames: Lance Bouma (broken fibula) is out.

Season series

This is the first of five games between the Sharks and Flames. The Sharks are at the Saddledome on Dec. 8 and Jan. 11 and March 7, while Calgary returns to SAP Center once more on Feb. 11.

Calgary was 4-1-0 against the Sharks last season, winning all three games in San Jose.

Odds and ends

*Brent Burns has a three-game goal streak (4g, 1a), while Patrick Marleau has a three-game point streak (2g, 4a).

*The Sharks recalled defenseman Dylan DeMelo on Saturday morning. Braun has been placed on injured reserve.

*The Sharks will honor Ryane Clowe before the game. In 423 games with San Jose from 2005-2013, Clowe posted 101 goals and 170 assists for 271 points and 567 penalty minutes.

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