The Ducks (41-32-5) host the Sharks (37-33-7) for the fourth and final regular season meeting between the teams this season.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. PT and will air on KCOP-13 and Victory+.
Anaheim’s still seeking their first win since late March after falling to the Predators, 5-0, on Tuesday.
“It’s not the optimal time to be losing games, obviously, in the season,” Alex Killorn said. “We put ourselves in a pretty good spot and we’re kind of throwing it away a little bit here at the end. But there’s still plenty of games left to get those points back.”
“We didn’t get any offense and our team game didn’t pick up any momentum off it as well, so it kind of stymied us,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “Our penalty kill, on certain nights, it’s been decent.”
Heading into tonight, Anaheim is now third in the Pacific Division with 87 points; one point behind Vegas (second) and three points behind Edmonton (first).
San Jose comes into Honda Center on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to Edmonton, 5-2, last night.
"Just this time of year, you've got to play simple, direct hockey in the offensive zone, especially," Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "We can't seem to grasp that consistently enough right now."
The Sharks are currently fifth in the division and three points behind the Predators for the final Western Conference wild card spot.
They’ll be a tough task for the Ducks as they’re a team desperate to keep their playoff aspirations alive. Part of that push has come from the 108-point season from Macklin Celebrini.
“There's always pressure,” Killorn said. “Especially when you get to the end of the season, when points are so important, when you can kind of see where you're gonna finish off. But we have to kind of embrace that.
“[Anaheim] has been in a position where these games don't even matter. So I think we have to be confident and show that we're pretty happy to be in this position and make the most of the last four games.”
While the Ducks didn’t hold a morning skate today, in Wednesday’s practice, Radko Gudas (lower-body) returned to the ice in a non-contact jersey while Cutter Gauthier remained out.
