Despite a 4-3-0 record, the San Jose Sharks haven\u2019t won without extra time, but their best chance to change that could come on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The six-game road trip continues against the Detroit Red Wings<\/a>, who are 2-3-2 in their first seven games. Their summer was filled with controversy as now-former captain Dylan Larkin<\/a> requested a trade. He\u2019s still with the winged wheel, but his future remains unknown.<\/p>\n The Wings are also playing without top-pair D-man Simon Edvinsson, who isn\u2019t signed and \u201cprefers\u201d a trade.<\/p>\n 1. Offense must continue strong trend against decent defense<\/p>\n If the San Jose Sharks want to walk away from Saturday\u2019s game with a regulation win, they must keep putting on strong offensive showings. Against the Nashville Predators<\/a> on Thursday, the team scored only two goals but generated much more.<\/p>\n Detroit has allowed only 21 goals this season, enough to tie for 6th best in the Eastern Conference. But that should bode well for the Sharks, who have been looking for better defensive outcomes.<\/p>\n San Jose\u2019s offense can help by scoring goals. The Red Wings have scored just 16 goals this season, tied for 4th-worst in the NHL. If the Sharks can build a multi-goal lead early, the Red Wings\u2019 chances of coming back drop.<\/p>\n 2. If Allan stays in, can he repeat his performance?<\/p>\n Arguably the least-talked-about player in the San Jose Sharks\u2019 shootout win on Tuesday was Nolan Allan<\/a>. The defenseman played his third game of the season, coming in for the injured Darnell Nurse<\/a>. <\/p>\n His play won\u2019t jump off the box score, but analytically, he was a darling.<\/p>\n