Panthers vs Sharks Picks & Props

The defending Stanley Cup champions have been inconsistent lately, although they have managed to win three of their last five games.

However, they're coming off a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday and are 6-7-1 in a span that began with consecutive 4-0 losses to Tampa Bay on Dec. 23 and Montreal on Dec. 28.

Despite that middling mark, coach Paul Maurice believes his squad is on track.

"There's been a couple of periods I haven't liked since Christmas, and that's about it," Maurice said. "We've played hard, battled hard. But we're going to have a whole bunch of these the rest of the year, so we've got to get used to it -- scratch and claw for points."

The Panthers held a 1-0 lead nearly seven minutes into the third period against the Kings but could not hang on. At one point in the third, shots were 13-1 for Los Angeles.

"I think we played pretty good most of the game," Florida forward Anton Lundell said. "In the third period, they got a couple quick goals, and we couldn't answer that."

One factor in the loss could've been playing the night before in Anaheim. The clash against the Sharks is the first half of another set of games on consecutive nights, with Florida facing the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

The time off between the Los Angeles game and this one was about one thing.

"Rest up and get back to work," Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling said.

Meanwhile, the cellar-dwelling Sharks will look to snap a five-game skid. San Jose continues a homestand it opened with a roller coaster of a ride in a 6-5 loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

After falling behind 3-0 less than seven minutes into the game, the Sharks made it a one-goal game before Nashville scored a pair of second-period goals to make it 5-2. San Jose pulled even before the second intermission but could not drum up another comeback.

The loss came in the second half of a home-and-home series with Nashville. In the first of the two meetings, the Sharks surrendered a 5-1 lead en route to a 7-5 loss on Tuesday.

"We battled. It got away from us there," San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "We competed, did some things to get back in the hockey game. We showed some fight and character. Unfortunately, we come up with a loss."

Despite having lost eight of nine, the Sharks can build on some positives. Rookie Macklin Celebrini has scored in consecutive games, including the power-play marker that tied Thursday's game at 5-all.

Mikael Granlund, who leads the team with 43 points, has netted two goals and three assists in the past two games.

Walker Duehr, who was claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, scored in his San Jose debut, which injected life into the team and him.

"It was nice to find one there," said Duehr, whose first goal of the season came in his 17th game.

Sharks forward Ty Dellandrea was placed on injured reserve on Friday with an upper-body injury after leaving Thursday's game following a high check from Nashville's Cole Smith. Smith was assessed a match penalty and game misconduct.

San Jose recalled forward Scott Sabourin, signed forwardColin White and assigned Collin Graf to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda.

--Field Level Media