The two home games this week are a crucial yardstick. We’ll see a top-two PP in the Habs vs. a top-two PK in the Sharks. It will be fun to watch. And we might finally get a real look at the Sens after a crazy shakeup. Will the Sens be able to right themselves, or will the storm surrounding Paddock and Emery continue to affect this absurdly talented squad?

The Sharks are about evenly weighted in home vs. away games the rest of the season, with the longest homestand being only two games. After the trip at the end of this week to Chicago, Minnesota, and Nashville, all the games will be on the west coast (if you consider Phoenix. I do. Close enough). This means the Sharks actually will need to win consistently at home to hold onto their playoff spot. A friend emailed me this morning expressing nervousness about his Ducks holding onto the fourth seed. I just don’t see that happening- the Ducks have been on a tear since their two “I just want to play half the season” guys came back. Dallas, as of now seven points ahead, is more or less uncatchable. If the West weren’t so tight, I might advise dumping a couple of games late and sneak into the postseason as a six seed. I like our chances very much against the Wild.