Preview: Sharks at Kings

SHARKS (26-16-2) at KINGS (22-18-4)
10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV

Sharks team scope

The San Jose Sharks will look to build on a 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday when five players scored goals, including Joe Thornton. His goal gave him 1,368 points in his NHL career, one behind Johnny Bucyk for 24th on the all-time list. The Sharks are 3-3-1 in January and after playing the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, they'll play four of six games at home, where they are 15-6-1. Goaltender Martin Jones is expected to make his third straight start and eighth in the past nine games. Jones, who played 34 games with the Kings from 2013-15, is 5-2-2 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in nine games against them. Forward Joonas Donskoi, who will miss his third straight game because of an upper-body injury, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

Kings team scope

Kings captain Anze Kopitar is expected to return to the lineup after missing a 2-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday because of an illness. Kopitar participated in an optional morning skate Wednesday. "It was a stomach virus and I didn't feel great after Sunday practice," Kopitar told the Kings website Tuesday. "We're desperate to get points and you obviously want to help the team in getting those and in order to do that I've got to produce. I expect the very highest of myself, so yeah, it's not the best feeling when you look at the numbers, just because of my personal expectation." Kopitar has four goals and 24 points in 38 games this season, but one goal and seven points in his past four games. The Kings are 2-2-0 against the Sharks this season; a win and they will clinch their fourth season series against their Pacific Division rival in the past five seasons.

Sharks projected lineup

Patrick Marleau -- Joe Thornton -- Joe Pavelski
Kevin Labanc -- Logan Couture -- Mikkel Boedker
Timo Meier -- Chris Tierney -- Joel Ward
Micheal Haley -- Tommy Wingels -- Melker Karlsson
Paul Martin -- Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Justin Braun
Brenden Dillon -- David Schlemko
Martin Jones
Aaron Dell
Scratched:Tim Heed, Ryan Carpenter, Barclay Goodrow
Injured:Joonas Donskoi (upper body), Tomas Hertl (knee), Dylan DeMelo (broken wrist)

Kings projected lineup

Marian Gaborik -- Anze Kopitar -- Trevor Lewis
Tanner Pearson -- Jeff Carter -- Dustin Brown
Andy Andreoff -- Nic Dowd -- Devin Setoguchi
Kyle Clifford -- Nicholas Shore -- Dwight King
Derek Forbort -- Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin -- Alec Martinez
Kevin Gravel -- Matt Greene
Peter Budaj
Jeff Zatkoff
Scratched:Jordan Nolan, Brayden McNabb
Injured:Tyler Toffoli (lower body), Jonathan Quick (groin)

Status report

The Sharks recalled forwards Ryan Carpenter and Barclay Goodrow, and defenseman Tim Heed from San Jose of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. ... Toffoli, who has missed the past 12 games because of a lower-body injury, skated on his own Wednesday. There is no timetable for his return, according to the Kings website.

Who's hot

Pavelski has five goals and 13 points in 13 games. ... Carter has nine goals and 16 points in the past 13 games.