The San Jose Sharks (15-38-6) will take on the Minnesota Wild for the first time this season on Sunday, March 3 at 7:00 PM ET at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild are favored to find success, with a puck line at -1.5 (-140).

The Sharks have lost their last six games heading into this event. Their most recent defeat was a 6-4 outing against the Anaheim Ducks, which is another game in which they allowed at least four goals or more.

They are a team that has issues on the road, as they currently have a road record of 6-20-5. Getting goals early and often will be a huge factor in their success. The problem is, their offense struggles.

The Sharks typically score an average of 2.12 goals per game from 25.7 shots, highlighting offensive challenges. Their power play, though not very appealing, has yielded 26 goals with 48 allowed, resulting in an 18.3 percent success rate.

Defensively, opponents score approximately 3.86 goals and take 35.4 shots per game against the Sharks, creating a less favorable situation compared to their offensive performance. Defensive strength is pivotal for victory. The Sharks’ penalty kill percentage matches the Wild’s at 74.5.

The Wild have lost their last two games and are needing to find success. Their latest loss was a 6-1 outing against the Nashville Predators, which pushed their last five record to 2-3.

While they have had their issue this season, the Wild are at least solid at home with a 14-12-4 record. Joel Eriksson Ek leads them in scoring with 28 goals so far, ranking tied for 21^st.

The Minnesota Wild average 3.10 goals and make 30.2 shot attempts per game. On power plays, they have scored 46 goals and allowed 52, achieving a 21.9 percent success rate. Despite having a slightly less potent offense, they perform exceptionally well at home compared to the Sharks' performance on the road.

On the defensive end, they face difficulties, allowing 3.33 goals with 30.4 shots per game. This results in a slightly negative goal differential compared to their offensive performance. Their penalty kill percentage matches that of the Coyotes at 74.4.

The NHL wagering odds from MyBookie show that the Minnesota Wild are 1.5-puck line favorites at home. This makes a compelling argument since the Sharks are not that appealing on the road.

The Sharks typically win a game every once in a while, but do so even less while on the road. As for the Wild, this is a great opportunity to get back on track and to help establish a rhythm offensively.