Toffoli Discusses Progress; Wiesblatt Reflects on San Jose Experience
The San Jose Sharks head into a season-defining matchup with the Nashville Predators. The game carries heavy playoff implications for both clubs.
Standings and tiebreakers
San Jose, Nashville and Los Angeles each sit on 79 points. The Sharks hold a game in hand on the Predators and Kings. Regulation wins form the second tiebreaker after points percentage.
Nashville leads with 25 regulation wins. San Jose has 24, and Los Angeles 19. The next tiebreaker is regulation-and-overtime wins. San Jose leads that category with 34. Nashville has 30, and Los Angeles 26.
Recent history and momentum
The Sharks have not beaten the Predators in 14 straight meetings. Their last victory over Nashville came in a 2-1 shootout on Nov. 9, 2019.
Barclay Goodrow is the only current Shark who played in that 2019 win. Mario Ferraro was on the roster then, but did not dress.
San Jose suffered a 6-3 loss at Bridgestone Arena on Mar. 24. Since that defeat, the Sharks have collected points in five straight games. That stretch included four consecutive wins.
Player perspectives
Veterans and newcomers have both spoken about the club’s turnaround. Toffoli Discusses Progress; Wiesblatt Reflects on San Jose Experience were themes in recent remarks.
Tyler Toffoli praised the group for cleaner decision-making. He pointed to growth after a difficult previous season.
Projected lineups and special teams
San Jose will start Yaroslav Askarov in net. Juuse Saros will start for Nashville. This marks their first NHL meeting.
- Forwards: Chernyshov – Celebrini – Smith
- Eklund – Wennberg – Sherwood
- Graf – Misa – Toffoli
- Goodrow – Ostapchuk – Gaudette
- Defense pairs: Orlov – Desharnais; Mukhamadullin – Ferraro; Dickinson – Leddy
Power play group one will feature Orlov, Celebrini, Smith, Toffoli and Wennberg. Group two will include Dickinson, Misa, Eklund, Chernyshov and Sherwood.
Context on Askarov and Saros
The Predators traded Askarov to San Jose in the summer of 2024. Nashville made the move partly because it committed to Juuse Saros long term.
Broadcaster Randy Hahn noted the matchup as a notable storyline on April 4, 2026. The pair face each other on NHL ice for the first time.
Broadcast and viewing
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT at SAP Center. NBC Sports California will televise the game live.
The Sharks Audio Network will carry radio coverage. For further analysis and reports, check Filmogaz.com.
