Oilers, Sharks tilt has massive Pacific implications

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EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks both trail the Anaheim Ducks by two points for the Pacific Division lead.

So, Thursday night's encounter between the Sharks and Oilers has massive implications when it comes to the race for top spot. And, the Oilers host the Ducks on Saturday, so this promises to be a massive three-day stretch for Edmonton.

"Our focus is to keep going," Oilers goalie Cam Talbot said. "We're still battling it out for seeds and top spot in the division. Hopefully, we can get a few big wins coming up, and we're playing the teams that are ahead of us. So, any time you can pick up two points against those teams, then we can climb up in the standings and hopefully finish first."

Even though the Sharks and Oilers have both clinched playoff spots and are tied in the standings, their journeys could not be any more different. The Sharks are the defending Western Conference Champions. The Oilers, by clinching a playoff spot Tuesday with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, ended an 11-year postseason drought.

NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid recalled what it was like to play at this time last season, with the Oilers long eliminated from the postseason race.

"It's crazy to think about, when you look back at this time last year," McDavid said. "It was a real dark period, we're out of it, fans were hard on us, not a lot of good things going on. But, we're definitely happy to be in this position this year."

What has been notable is how, as the Oilers have turned the doubters into believers, how much the volume level has gone up at Rogers Place. It hit a new level in the third period of Tuesday's win over Los Angeles, as fans helped push their team to the finish line.

"The fans were the loudest they've been all season long," Talbot said. "They created an amazing atmosphere that night and they carried us, and we're going to need that down the stretch and come playoff time."

The Sharks are still in the hunt for the division title, but they just snapped a six-game losing skid Tuesday with a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers, with defenseman Brent Burns getting the overtime winner.

It was Burns' 28th goal of the year, a whopping total for a blueliner, but it broke a 16-game goalless drought.

"Burnsie is a huge piece for us," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "It's no secret he's dried up a little bit lately. But his importance to us over the season, and where we are sitting right now, can't be understated. He works so hard at his game, he cares so much, I think everyone was happy to see him get rewarded."

After the Sharks play Edmonton on Thursday, they head to Calgary to face a Flames team that also is in the Pacific Division race. It is a huge road trip for San Jose.

"It's big to play those teams that you're battling with," Burns said. "They're both great teams and it's going to be tough. But I think it's good to start ramping it up. It's only going to get harder. It is what it is. If we were playing Florida or Carolina, they'd still be huge games. We've just got to win."

The Sharks won't have center Logan Couture for the Edmonton game, as he still isn't ready after taking a puck to the mouth on Saturday. The injury necessitated extensive dental work.