After defeating the Flames on Saturday, the Blackhawks will face off against the Sharks tonight. Check out all the action on Comcast SportsNet beginning with Blackhawks Pregame Live at 9:00.

Despite suffering two shootout losses in the first two matchups of their six-game road trip, the Blackhawks have yet to record a loss in regulation since the start of the shortened 2013 campaign. But tonight, the Hawks -- who sit atop of the NHL rankings with a 7-0-2 record -- will meet their match in San Jose.

The Sharks (7-1-1) rank just behind Chicago, earning 15 points in their first nine games of the season. Just last night, the team suffered their first two-point loss in a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. But even with that loss, the Sharks still rank No. 2 in the league.

Like the Blackhawks, the Sharks' strong performance on the penalty kill is much of the reason why. San Jose's earned a 87.8 penalty-kill percentage, but the Hawks still stand at No. 1 in the league at 94.4 percent since the start of the season.

As the Blackhawks battle for a win tonight, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will be the opponents to watch out for. Both lead San Jose with a total of 14 points in nine games, and Marleau previously won the NHL's No. 1 Star of the Week after becoming the first player in Sharks' history to record four consecutive multi-point games at the start of a season. While Thornton's scored just three goals since the start of the 2013 campaign, the Sharks' captain has totaled 11 assists.

The Blackhawks haven't played a game since Saturday, and having those two days will likely give the team an extra boost heading into tonight's matchup, especially as they face a Sharks' roster that saw a tough battle just the night before.

Join the conversation during tonight's matchup by using #HawksTalk on Twitter, and check out Blackhawks Pulse.