3 Keys: Avalanche @ Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche visit the San Jose Sharks tonight with puck drop being at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Avalanche are looking to break a two game losing streak, while the Sharks are just looking to play better down the stretch. If the Avalanche win tonight then they would be in first place in the Central Division. The Sharks only have pride left to play for this season, but I wouldn't expect this team to just lay down.

The Avalanche should look to get out to a fast start and maybe even get the first goal of the game. The Sharks need the first goal of the game and will likely rely have to rely on its goaltender to make saves. The Avalanche are dealing with injuries to major players, but Nathan MacKinnon is healthy and putting up some points, while Joonas Donskoi returns to San Jose for the first time since signing a free agent deal with the Avalanche in the offseason. Despite the Sharks not play well, Evander Kane has managed to score 25 goals so far this season.

Here are three keys to tonight's Western Conference match up:

1.) Avalanche Get Off to Fast Start

The Avalanche are a better team when they get off to a fast start and get the first goal of the game. If the Avs score the first goal of the game then they are 30-6-7, but if the opposition scores first then they are only 10-13-1 in those games. The team could get off to a fast start by getting some pressure on the Sharks' goalie early in the game by getting pucks to the net. The Avalanche should try to establish the forecheck and cycle game early so they can spend some time the offensive zone since they have 71 first period goals on the season. The Avs should come out using their speed and being involved in the game early.

2.)  Sharks' Martin Jones

Jones has not been the most reliable goalie in the past few years. He tends to let up at least one soft goal per game, but this season the defense in front of him has not been good at all. The goalie has a 2.97 goals against average and an .898 save percentage. Those numbers are not particularly good, and he faces a high power offense tonight in the Avalanche. Jones is going to have to be great in this game and make saves for the Sharks to even have a shot at grabbing two points in this one. The guys in front of him will turn the puck over so Jones needs to be ready and read the play to make the saves that will need to be made tonight.

3.) Get the First Goal

These two teams just play better when they manage to get that elusive first goal of the game. The Avalanche almost need to get the first goal of the game to win. If they can manage to get the first goal then they can build off of that momentum. The Sharks are 20-7-3 when scoring first, while just 9-27-2 when the opposition scores first. The Sharks are not a good team when trailing and having to come from behind especially since they've had issues putting the puck in the net all season. The game may come down to whichever team scores the first goal of the game and can build off of it.

Players to Watch

1.) Avalanche's Joonas Donskoi

This will be Donskoi's first game back to San Jose after signing a free agent contract with the Avalanche in the offseason. Donskoi spent his first four NHL seasons with the Sharks. The forward has been a depth addition to the Avalanche and has 32 points on the season despite missing some time with injury. I'd look for Donskoi to be into the game and have a multipoint night tonight since he's facing his old team and this game could mean a little more to him.

2.) Sharks' Evander Kane

Despite the Sharks having issues putting the puck in the net, Kane has 25 goals on the season. He isn't afraid to go to greasy areas to get goals. The forward can also use his speed to get to loose pucks. Kane isn't afraid to get to the front of the net for deflections or rebound chances. The Avalanche will need to be aware of where Kane is on the ice at al times, but that shouldn't be difficult since he likes to be involved in the play while he is out on the ice. 

3 Keys: Lightning @ Red Wings

The Tampa Bay Lightning visit Little Cesars Arena to take on the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The Lightning are looking to inch two points closer to the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Atlantic. The Detroit Red Wings will be playing for their pride and a chance at getting even better odds at winning the NHL Draft Lottery.

The Bolts beat the Red Wings 2-1 on Dec. 29, 2019, which was the only other time they faced each other this season. The two teams are trending in the opposite directions with the Lightning looking to have a good stretch run for better playoff positioning, and the Red Wings have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Here are three keys for tonight's match up between the two teams:

1.) Don't Play Down to Opponent- Lightning

The Lightning need to be ready to play this game from puck drop, which could be hard after coming off of a high octane game against the Bruins last night. The Bolts can't expect to win, but they're going to need to make sure to put the effort in for a full 60 minutes tonight. The Red Wings will won't be in the postseason, but that doesn't mean they still aren't playing for their pride, and could look to play spoiler for some other teams still in the race. The Lightning need to approach this game like it is against one of the better teams in the NHL and not the worst. If the Bolts don't put in the effort and are sloppy with the puck then the Red Wings could steal a very important two points from them.

2.) Avoid Slow, Sloppy Start- Red Wings

The Red Wings have only scored 42 first period goals this season, while giving up 60. If the Red Wings come out slow and aren't ready to play this game then it'll be over before it even started. The Lightning are too good of a team to not take advantage of its opposition's mistakes and slow starts, so the Red Wings need to avoid  both. A good way to do this would be to establish a forecheck and cycle game early so they can get some offensive zone time and not have to defend as much. The biggest key to the game for the Red Wings will be avoiding turning over the puck in their own zone to avoid unnecessary scoring chances for the Lightning.

3.) Leading after Second Period- Lightning and Red Wings

The Red Wings haven't been good at too many things this season, but when leading after the second period, the team actually has a winning record. The Red Wings are 9-4-2 when leading after the middle frame, so they may want to have the lead heading into the third period. A way to do that is to get an early goal so the momentum and confidence is on its side going forward. The Lightning are 31-1-4 when leading after the second period, so if the Red Wings don't have the lead going into the third, it will be virtually impossible for them to get any points out of the game.

Players to Watch

1.) Dylan Larkin- Detroit Red Wings

Larkin is one of the Red Wings that is actually having a pretty decent season. He has 18 goals, 32 assists and 50 points. He leads the team in both assists and points. The first line center can play with speed, which can be dangerous at times. Larkin not only has good vision, but he can put the puck in the net too. The 23-year-old is in his fifth season and has been one of the few bright spots for the rebuilding Red Wings. He hasn't had much help this season, but watch out when him and Tyler Bertuzzi are on the ice because they can produce. 

2.) Nikita Kucherov- Lightning

Kucherov got off to a slow start, but has managed to turn it on. He has 32 goals, 50 assists and 82 points. He leads the Lightning in goals, assists and points. Kucherov will be leaned on even more down the stretch since Steven Stamkos will miss the rest of the regular season with an injury. Kucherov can do it all and the Red Wings will need to be aware of where he is on the ice at all times. The Red Wings have to make sure that they have a man on Kucherov and not leave him wide open for a shot because he likely won't miss the net with his shot.