When Shark hunting is also playoff hunting

7 p.m., Rogers Arena TV: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

THE BIG MATCHUP

Jacob Markstrom vs. the Sharks’ offence Markstrom’s valiant effort in goal Saturday was the main reason his team won.

He kept wave after wave of Flames attackers at bay, giving his team a chance to win.

The Canucks as a whole will need to play better defence to beat the Sharks and Markstrom will be the first to tell you that.

But he’s also riding a high and is currently the eighth most valuable netminder in the NHL. The Canucks staying in the playoff chase is in large part due to the play of their goalie.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1.

Two’s a charm?

The Canucks pulled off a surprising win Saturday, mostly down to Markstrom’s exploits. The Sharks and the Flames are battling for top spot in the Pacific; you know that Monday’s challenge will be as ferocious as Saturday’s. At one point the Flames led shots in the second period 18-1. The Canucks were lucky to escape that onslaught; can they pull off a second straight win against a Stanley Cup contender?

2.

Brent Burns

When you have a defenceman this good, it’s always going to be about how the opposition handles it. Burns is an All-World force at both ends of the ice. He looks like a bear, and gives the impression that he swallows up opposing forwards and uses the energy from their souls to power his efforts at the attacking end of the ice. Can the Canucks contain him?

3.

Load ’em up

Putting Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture on a line together is an intimidating prospect for any opponent. Usually they centre the team’s top two lines, so putting them together suggests a bigger combined threat. Except that’s not been the case: together, they’re controlling only about 50 per cent of the shot attempts while they’re on the ice, apart, Couture’s line gets about 53 per cent of the attempts and Pavelski’s line will get 56. They’re so good that it does seem odd they don’t work as well together. Then again, that happens sometimes.

4.

PP needs a bounce

The Canucks’ power play looked better with Troy Stecher at the point, but still didn’t score. With another day’s practice, will they find the twine against the Sharks?

5.

MacEwen call-up

To some acclaim, young Zack MacEwen is in the NHL. Coach Travis Green played coy Sunday about his plans for the 22-year-old winger, not really committing to a timeline for when MacEwen might get in the lineup. But given Markus Granlund played just eight minutes on Saturday, has fallen out of both the power play and penalty kill rotations, and has been a scratch in recent games, there would seem to be a possible spot for the big, quick winger.