The San Jose Sharks will look to build on their 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers with a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.

The Sharks sit five points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but have two games in hand. Sunday’s game is one of those games in hand, meaning a second straight win becomes even more critical for the Sharks.

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said the lineup of skaters won’t change on Sunday, but Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start in goal.

With no changes, Timothy Liljegren, Adam Gaudette, and Ryan Reaves will be the healthy scratches for the Sharks. With every game of massive importance for the push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Warsofsky isn’t worried about his team’s mentality.

“I mean, if you can’t get amped up and ready for a game, never mind, in the National Hockey League at this time of year, you’re in the wrong sport,” Warsofsky said.

From the players to the coaches, the message is clear: take the schedule one game at a time. That was clear from Macklin Celebrini during his postgame interview on Saturday.

“Taking it game by game. That win won’t get us into the playoffs, but hopefully, if we keep stacking it and keep playing well, I think we’ve got a good shot,” Celebrini said.

Warsofsky told reporters that his message to the San Jose Sharks team hasn’t changed despite the time of year.

“I wouldn’t say the messaging has changed much from training camp and how we want to play,” Warsofsky explained. “You just try to press the group and push the group to be more consistent. Have an understanding of where we are in games. What the score is, more so, game management. Plays that you can get away with maybe in the beginning of the year, you probably can’t get away with this time of year.”

Winnipeg still poses a tough challenge for the Sharks despite their tough season

If the San Jose Sharks want to make the playoffs, they need to beat teams below them in the standings. The Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s best team last season. Their success hasn’t followed this year, but they remain a tough opponent. The Jets have 55 points in 58 games, but according to Warsofsky, their structure, goalie, and overall roster are still top-tier.

Reigning MVP and Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, who won gold with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, could start.

“Still a really structured team. They’re a big, heavy, physical team, and their forecheck is, analytically speaking, top 10 in the league,” Warsofsky said. “They’re going to create turnovers on the forecheck. We’ve got to make sure we’re executing our breakouts. Obviously, [they have] a world-class goalie that we’ve seen, an experienced team. They’re not just going to roll over here.”