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Penguins look to hand Sharks first home loss

Oct 28, 2008 - 1:32 PM Pittsburgh (5-2-2) at San Jose (7-2-0), 10:30 pm EDT

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins began their four-game road trip on a sour note and their fortunes could get even worse thanks to the San Jose Sharks' dominance at home.

Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins hope to bounce back from a loss when they travel to take on the Sharks - one of two teams in the NHL with an unblemished record at home - on Tuesday evening.

Leading the league with 14 points, Malkin added to his blazing start by setting up a goal by captain Sidney Crosby in the Penguins' last game against the New York Rangers on Saturday. However, they fell, 3-2, in a shootout against the fellow Eastern Conference heavyweight and now hope to avoid their second two-game losing streak.

The Penguins lost to the Ottawa Senators, 3-1, in the second game of the season and then, 2-1, in overtime to the New Jersey Devils six days later.

The Penguins have needed overtime or a shootout to decide all but four games this season. They also have outscored only seven teams in the East and may have a difficult time putting points on the board in this one, too.

Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was rested in the team's last game as Brian Boucher notched his second shutout in as many games this season with a 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nabokov is 6-1-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average in seven career starts against Pittsburgh, including a 2-1 shootout win at Mellon Arena last season.

San Jose, which is 4-0-0 at the HP Pavilion this season, and the Vancouver Canucks stand as the only unbeaten teams at home this season.

Captain Patrick Marleau has shined for the Sharks thus far, posting five goals and four assists in nine games.