Morning Skate: January 10

The Morning After:
Yesterday’s results:
Panthers 2, Canucks 1
Kings 5, Capitals 2

RLD 3 stars of the night:
1. Kyle Clifford, LA (1 goal, 1 assist)
2. Marcel Goc, FLA (1 goal, 1 assist)
3. Jack Johnson, LA (1 goal, 1 assist)
---

Tonight’s slate:
Jets @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Sabres @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Red Wings @ Islanders, 7:00
Coyotes @ Rangers, 7:00
Senators @ Penguins, 7:00
Flyers @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Blues @ Canadiens, 7:30
Canucks @ Lightning, 7:30
Sharks @ Wild, 7:30
Blue Jackets @ Blackhawks, 8:30
Predators @ Avalanche, 9:00
Devils @ Flames, 9:30
Stars @ Ducks, 10:00

Game of the night:
San Jose Sharks @ Minnesota Wild
7:30 ET… TV: NBC Sports Network

Records:
Overall: Sharks (23-11-4) … Wild (21-15-6)
Away/Home: Sharks (9-4-2) … Wild (11-6-3)
Last 10: Sharks (8-1-1) … Wild (1-7-2)
Season Series: Tied 1-1

Starting goaltenders:
SJ- Antti Niemi (2011-12 stats: 18-7-4, 2.28 GAA)
MIN- Niklas Backstrom (2011-12 stats: 12-11-4, 2.39 GAA)

Injury report:
SJ- Martin Havlat (hamstring, out), Colin White (lower body, out), Jim Vandermeer (upper body, out)
MIN- Pierre-Marc Bouchard (lower body, questionable), Guillaume Latendresse (concussion, out), Jarod Palmer (upper body, out)

Three things to watch:
1. San Jose’s hot streak
Todd McLellan’s crew has yet to lose in 2012, as they won all four games last week in a hectic six-day stretch, including victories over Vancouver and Washington. Overall, the Sharks have gained at least a point in 11 of their last 12 games. Additionally, they are on pace for the most points in the West (108).
2. Minnesota’s cold streak
As hot as the Sharks have been lately, Mike Yeo’s Wild have been equally as cold. They are 1-8-3 in their last 12 games and have gone from the top of the Northwest Division to the playoff bubble in a flash. This is a quick one-game home-stand before heading out on a tough four-game road swing out east.
3. Return of Brent Burns
GM’s Doug Wilson (San Jose) and Chuck Fletcher (Minnesota) had each other on speed dial last summer. One of the few trades they made involved All-Star defenseman Brent Burns, going from Minnesota to San Jose. Burns, who was a 2003 first-round pick of the Wild, will be making his return to Xcel Energy Center tonight.

Final thought: It’s been a tough stretch for the Wild, and it won’t get any easier tonight against the red-hot Sharks. Plus, Niemi has good numbers against Minnesota (4-1-0, 1.61 GAA). Prediction: Sharks 3, Wild 2

The rest of today’s predictions:
Bruins over Jets
Sabres over Maple Leafs
Red Wings over Islanders
Rangers over Coyotes
Senators over Penguins
Flyers over Hurricanes
Blues over Canadiens
Canucks over Lightning
Blackhawks over Blue Jackets
Avalanche over Predators
Flames over Devils
Stars over Ducks
---

Five must-read links:
- ESPN Boston: Marchand diary: On Canucks, critics
- USA Today: New York Rangers have the look of a champion
- Blue Jackets Xtra: Arniel fired
- SI Red Light Blog: NHLPA has valid realignment concerns
- Predators Insider: Poile discusses Ryan Suter’s contract situation
---

Video of the day:


*Follow us on Twitter – @RLDhockey