Preview: Blues at Sharks

BLUES AT SHARKS

THE MATCHUP

BLUES The Blues swept a four-game homestand Wednesday with a 2-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Enterprise Center. Jake Allen made 35 saves while Brayden Schenn and Mackenzie MacEachern scored in the win.
"I thought we played a real solid game, 60 minutes," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said after the game.
The Blues improved to 22-8-6 (50 points) to extend their lead atop the Western Conference and are 8-3-0 in their last 11 games.
SHARKS Fortunes have certainly changed for the Sharks, who were one of two teams left standing in the Western Conference in last season's playoffs. As of Dec. 20, the Sharks sat 12th in the Western Conference with a 16-18-2 record (34 points).
San Jose, who relieved Head Coach Peter DeBoer of his duties earlier this month, have lost seven of their last eight games and two of three since Bob Boughner was named interim head coach on Dec. 11.
Logan Couture leads the Sharks with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) this season, while Tomas Hertl (28 points) and Evander Kane (26 points) rank second and third, respectively. Patrick Marleau returned to San Jose in the offseason after a stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but longtime captain Joe Pavelski, who played 13 years with the Sharks, departed and signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars in the offseason.

BERUBE'S 100TH GAME

Berube recorded his 60th win behind the Blues bench on Wednesday, matching a franchise record for the most wins for a coach in his first 100 games. The record was previously set by Ken Hitchcock, who was 60-27-13 in his first 100 games behind the Blues' bench.
Saturday's game in San Jose will be Berube's 100th game as the Blues' head coach. With a win, Berube would set the new franchise record with 61 wins.

BLUE NOTES

The Blues have collected 50 points in 36 games this season. Only the 2001-01 team (31 games) and the 2013-14 team (34 games) have reached the 50-point mark faster. In the last 35 years, only four different Stanley Cup champions have reached the 50-point mark in fewer games than the Blues… The Blues are 4-0 to begin a stretch of 12 consecutive games against Western Conference opponents. Overall, the Blues are 15-2-3 against the West this season.