Sharks visit Senators in first meeting of season Thursday

[SportsMafia Wire]

SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.​

The San Jose Sharks travel to face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in the clubs' initial matchup this season.

San Jose enters at 5-4-1, including a 3-2-1 mark away from home. The Pacific Division club has surrendered 34 goals while netting 26, carrying a minus-8 differential. Macklin Celebrini recently scored twice against the Montreal Canadiens in the Sharks' 4-3 overtime victory.

Ottawa sits at 7-3, tops in the Atlantic Division, with a 4-1-0 record in its own building. The Senators rank second in the NHL, averaging 13.3 penalty minutes per contest.

Both teams face notable absences. The Senators list Linus Ullmark as day-to-day with a lower-body issue, while Thomas Chabot is out with an undisclosed ailment, Eklund is out with an ankle injury, and MacDermid is out with an upper-body concern. San Jose has Alexander Wennberg day-to-day with an upper-body issue, plus Keyser and Musty sidelined by upper-body injuries.

Source: ESPN - Thu Oct 22, 4:12 AM ET

Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).