San Jose is a declining team that is in a letdown position after rallying from a 3-0 deficit to pull off a dramatic 5-4 home victory against Carolina on Thursday.
The Sharks can't be faulted for taking the Senators lightly. Ottawa has lost 10 of its last 11. However, the Senators have shown signs of breaking out of their slump. They nearly ended the Kings' win streak in their last game losing 4-3 on Thursday.
Ottawa overachieved last season reaching the Eastern Conference finals. But the Senators are better than they have shown during their current skid. The Senators have disappointed offensively, but the Sharks are scoring even less goals. San Jose ranks 29th in scoring at 2.6 goals per game.
The Senators have won five of the past six in this series. They are 4-1 in their last five games at San Jose.