[Oct 18, 2026 (Sun)] NHL Analysis Sharks @ Red Wings Preview - BeaverStats

This is an NHL analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of Sharks @ Red Wings (Oct 18, 2026 (Sun)).

*Written before starting goalies and lineups were confirmed! They can change right before puck drop, so check the link below for the latest data.

You can see the full, more detailed data on the game list.

This post was analyzed/written by AI based on data from beaverstats.com. Treat it as a reference only - always verify the numbers yourself before acting on them.

Sharks @ Red Wings

Sharks projected starting goalie: Yaroslav Askarov @ Red Wings projected starting goalie: John Gibson

Detroit has the better 5v5 numbers this season, but both projected goalies sit well below zero in GSAx, so the game may turn on which one wobbles less.

Combined with last season, 5v5 xG% is 46.4 for the Sharks and 48.0 for the Red Wings, a 1.5-point gap. This season alone, it is 39.0 versus 51.6 over seven games each, a 12.6-point gap. San Jose is 4-3-0 with goals 19-25 and 5v5 goals 10-18. Detroit is 2-3-2 with goals 16-21 and 5v5 goals 12-11.

Askarov has a .873 SV%, -8.9 GSAx and an 8-15-1 record in 25 road games over two seasons. This year he is at .848 and -2.5 GSAx in five games, and he allowed five in his last outing. Gibson has a .879 SV%, -11.1 GSAx and a 15-15-4 record in 35 home games. This year he is at .863 and -4.1 GSAx, with -4.0 over his last five, and he also allowed five last time.

San Jose beat Nashville 3-2 in a shootout on Oct. 16 for a one-game win streak, after a 3-6 loss to Boston. Detroit beat Philadelphia 2-1 the same day and also has one win in a row. The Sharks lost both recent meetings, a small sample.

If the goalies change, the picture changes too. Alex Nedeljkovic has a .933 SV% and +2.9 GSAx in two games this season. Daniil Tarasov has a .965 SV% and +5.5 GSAx in three games, plus +10.8 GSAx at home across two seasons.

In summary, the combined numbers show a small gap, but this season's 5v5 data favors Detroit. With both projected goalies negative in GSAx, the confirmed starters and who limits goals better are the key.