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Sharks look to keep pace vs. Blue Jackets

Feb 8, 2008 - 1:14 PM Columbus (26-23-7) at San Jose (29-17-7) 10:30 pm EST

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - With the Dallas Stars running away with the Pacific Division, the San Jose Sharks need as many wins as they can get.

The Sharks will look to keep pace when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

San Jose has been extremely inconsistent over the past three weeks, following a four-game slide with a three-game winning streak before dropping two of the past three games. The inability to find a consistent winning flow has allowed Dallas (33-20-5) to open up a six-point lead in the Pacific.

Last in the division with just 140 goals scored this season, the Sharks rely on workhorse goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to keep them in games. However, the All-Star netminder has matched his teammates' inconsistency of late, allowing four goals or more in four of his last nine starts and allowing two goals or less in the other five.

Star center Joe Thornton has been held without a goal in the last seven games, and has been held without an assist in four of the last seven contests.

The Blue Jackets will enter Friday's contest on a high after snapping a four-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday. Nikolai Zherdev tallied the game-winner - his 22nd goal of the season.

Columbus has not been an offensive team of late either, managing more than two goals in just two of its last eight games.

The teams have split two meetings this season, with the Sharks claiming a 3-2 win in the latest matchup, on January 5. Left wing Patrick Rissmiller tallied twice in the victory for San Jose.