"It's tough to play in that rink [at the SAP Center]. The Sharks play really well at home," said Shea Weber, who has eight goals and 27 points in 35 career games against San Jose. "A lot of guys can score goals and their defensemen like to jump in on the rush."
That's certainly the case with Brent Burns, who was a Norris Trophy candidate last season and the top point-getter among NHL rearguards so far this year.
"We talked a lot about him. We'll have to pay close attention to him and stop him," insisted Andrew Shaw, on the subject of the Sharks' No. 88. "He's so talented offensively and really good on the defensive side of things as well. He's also really physical and he likes to use his body."
As do the rest of the Sharks, too.
"They're big and powerful, but we can use our speed against them. We'll have to efficient getting back on D," added Shaw, stressing the importance of playing a disciplined brand of hockey. "They have one of the best power play units in the league, so we'll have to stay far away from the penalty box."
Meanwhile, the Canadiens could have Brian Flynn back in the lineup for the tilt in Silicon Valley. The 28-year-old forward has recovered from an upper-body injury, and he joined his teammates in California on Wednesday night. Michel Therrien said that Flynn may be in uniform in San Jose.
"We'll see how he feels on Friday morning, but right now it looks good," said Therrien, who featured Flynn on a line with Torrey Mitchell and Phillip Danault at practice. "The three of them were playing really well before Brian got hurt. That's a line that we can put up against any other line on the opposing team."
