Preview: Sharks at Senators

SHARKS (17-11-1) at SENATORS (16-11-2)
7 p.m. ET; SN, TVA Sports, CSN-CA, NHL.TV

Sharks team scope

The San Jose Sharks will play the second game of a four-game road trip and conclude their fifth set of back-to-back games this season. The Sharks were behind 2-0 going into the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and rallied for a 3-2 win in a shootout, their second victory in a row. The Sharks split three back-to-back situations so far this season and swept one (2-1 win against Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 29, 4-1 win at Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 30). This is the third time they have won the first of back-to-back games. The Sharks are 5-2-0 in their past seven games and 8-3-0 in their past 11. Defenseman Brent Burns has three goals and two assists in his past five games and six goals and six assists in his past 11 games. Center Logan Couture, who had the game-deciding goal in the shootout against the Maple Leafs, has five goals and three assists in his past eight games. Center Joe Thornton does not have a goal in 16 games.

Senators team scope

The Ottawa Senators have lost two games in a row for the fourth time this season but they haven't lost three straight. They are playing their first game at home after a 1-3-0 road trip but the win came against the Sharks in San Jose on Dec. 7. The penalty kill has given up six goals (2-for-8) in the past two games and slipped to 23rd in the NHL (80.2 percent). The Senators are 9-5-2 at home. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has three goals and five assists in the past five games. After a 10-game stretch in which the power play was 2-for-29 (6.9 percent), it is 9-for-32 in the past eight games (28.1 percent). With goaltender Craig Anderson on personal leave, Mike Condon will start for the fifth time in six games. He has lost his past two starts and is 2-2-1 in his past five starts. Forward Bobby Ryan hasn't scored since Oct. 30, a span of 16 games. Forward Chris Neil will be honored before the game for playing his 1,000th NHL game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Sharks projected lineup

Patrick Marleau -- Joe Thornton -- Joe Pavelski
Joonas Donskoi -- Logan Couture -- Joel Ward
Kevin Labanc -- Chris Tierney -- Mikkel Boedker
Micheal Haley -- Tommy Wingels -- Melker Karlsson
Paul Martin -- Brent Burns
David Schlemko -- Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon -- Dylan DeMelo
Martin Jones
Aaron Dell
Scratched:Mirco Mueller, Matt Nieto
Injured: Tomas Hertl (knee), Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower body)

Senators projected lineup

Mike Hoffman -- Derick Brassard -- Mark Stone
Ryan Dzingel -- Kyle Turris -- Bobby Ryan
Zack Smith -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Tom Pyatt
Chris Kelly -- Curtis Lazar -- Chris Neil
Marc Methot -- Erik Karlsson
Dion Phaneuf -- Cody Ceci
Ben Harpur -- Chris Wideman
Mike Condon
Andrew Hammond
Scratched: Andreas Englund, Craig Anderson
Injured: Fredrik Claesson (hip), Clarke MacArthur (concussion)
Suspended: Mark Borowiecki

Status report

The Sharks did not have a morning skate Wednesday. Jones, who made 29 saves against the Maple Leafs, is expected to start in goal. … Harpur, called up from Binghamton of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, will play his first game of the season and the sixth in the NHL. Borowiecki is serving the second game of a two-game suspension by the NHL Department of Player Safety for boarding Tyler Toffoli of the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Lazar returns after missing three games because of a concussion.

Who's hot

Marleau has a goal and two assists in his past three games. Boedker has eight goals and four assists in nine career games against the Senators. … Stone has six goals and six assists in his past 11 games.