Sharks: San Jose opened November with a 4-3 victory over visiting Pittsburgh and takes a 5-1-1 record for the month into tonight’s game. . . . The Sharks beat visiting Detroit 5-2 on Thursday and defeated Dallas 4-1 on the road Saturday. . . . San Jose is 6-2 on the road overall and 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
Avalanche: Tonight’s starting goaltender will be announced at this morning’s skate. The Avs, who didn’t practice Saturday, enter the second game of an eight-game homestand. They host Vancouver on Wednesday and Edmonton next Saturday. Defensemen Ryan Wilson and Shane O’Brien are the only Colorado players with a plus-minus rating above even. Both are plus-2.
Spotlight on Joe Pavelski: “Little Joe,” as he is called in comparison with teammate “Big Joe” Thornton, Pavelski is off to an excellent start, leading the Sharks in goals and points. The 205th overall pick of the NHL’s 2003 draft already has half as many goals (10) as he scored in 74 regular-season games in 2010-11 (20).
