Gene Principe

Shawn Horcoff missed the last few games with the flu, but is expected back on Saturday.

Gilbert Brule is not on the Edmonton Oilers two game trip that starts Saturday in San Jose. Brule remains out with the flu and will miss a third game. Shawn Horcoff, who was too ill to play Thursday versus Pittsburgh, is expected back in the lineup Saturday versus the Sharks. Ryan Stone, who like Horcoff didn't practice on Friday, will be a game time decision with a sore knee. He missed 19 games with the injury and surgery earlier this year.

Edmonton and San Jose will meet for a third time this season and for a second time in 2010. The season series began with a 5-4 shootout win for the Sharks on Nov. 27. On January 2, the Sharks defeated Edmonton 4-1.

In the season series Patrick Marleau leads with four goals and two assists leads in points for the Sharks, including a hat trick in the Nov. 27 game, which is one point ahead of Joe Thornton's five assists versus the Oilers so far this season. Dustin Penner (1-2:3) is the leading point getter for the Oilers and Ryan Potulny leads the way in goals with two points.

It's been a dreadful stretch for the Oilers with just one win in its last 14 games and only three points during that span. The win came in a 3-1 win Dec. 30 against Toronto. The team picked up a single point in a 5-4 overtime loss to Phoenix on Jan. 5.

Streaking players:

Lubomir Visnovsky: Two game point streak (1-2:3)

Patrick O'Sullivan: Two game point streak (0-3:3)

Dany Heatley: Five game point streak (3-3:6)

Dan Boyle: Five game point streak (1-5:6)

Joe Thornton: Three game point streak (1-2:3)

There's no doubt a large focus for Edmonton on Saturday will be the unit of Patrick Marleau (31-18:49), Joe Thornton(12-49:61) and Dany Heatley (27-25:52). If you add up their numbers they have a combined 70 goals, 92 assists for 162 points and are plus-47 as a trio.

Patrick Marleau is seventh among active players in most games played for the same organization. Marleau will play his 920th game for the Sharks against Edmonton. The leader is Mike Modano; who has been in 1,434 games with the Minnesota-Dallas organization.

In the first decade of the 21st century Thornton led all players in points with 817. Jarome Iginla is second with 737 and Daniel Alfredsson third with 726.

Sharks coach Todd Maclellan looks like he may have had enough of no second line scoring and will break up the trio of Devin Setoguchi, Ryan Clowe and Joe Pavelski. The threesome has gone eight games without a goal. Clowe may be dropped to the third line and replaced by Manny Malhotra.

San Jose and Anaheim have something in common as both teams had eight players named to Olympic teams; four of the Sharks will represent Canada (Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley). There is one player each for Russia (Evgeny Nabokov), U.S.A. (Joe Pavelski), Sweden (Doug Murray) and Germany (Thomas Greiss).

Amid the losses that have been piling up for the Oilers, the powerplay has found a spark. In each of its last two games the Oilers have potted a pair of man advantage goals against Pittsburgh and Nashville. By comparison they only had five powerplay goals in the previous 12 games.

While there is a 31 point gap between Edmonton and San Jose in the standings there isn't nearly as big a spread between the teams 5-on-5 play. In fact, the Sharks have only scored seven more goals (94-87) than the Oilers in 5-on-5. Where the problems arises for Edmonton is what they've given up 5-on-5 compared to the Sharks (100-76).

The Oilers are still in search of that elusive first win of 2010. They are 0-4-1. Edmonton has suffered losses to the Sharks, Blue Jackets, Predators and Penguins in the New Year. The only point they picked up was in a OT defeat to Phoenix.

The Sharks start the day even in points but second in the standings in comparison to Chicago. Both the Sharks and 'Hawks have 68 points, but the Sharks have played one more game than Chicago.