The Sharks and Oilers have 80 points each and currently sit right on the fringe of earning playoff berths. So, it's obvious Monday night's matchup between the two teams could have an impact on the postseason picture.

It's also fairly clear that goalies are crucial this time of year. Soft goals can kill momentum, and dominating performances can single-handedly win games. Goalies will certainly be the focus Monday night in San Jose.

Both Tommy Salo of Edmonton and San Jose's Steve Shields are the top netminders for their respective teams, and the number of starts each has reflects that. But Salo comes in with a recent track record of solid play, while Shields needs to prove himself as a clutch performer down the stretch.

Salo has played in 64 games this season, tying a personal record. Monday, he should break it. Although the Oilers' All-Star has a record of 2-4-1 this month, he shows no signs of fatigue. His March numbers -- 2.27 GAA and a .907 save percentage -- may not be his best, but they're fairly consistent with his performance all year and overall stats -- 2.32 GAA and .914 saves percentage.

	San Jose's playoff hopes -- and even qualifying -- hinge on Shields' play in goal.

"I feel great myself," he told the Edmonton Sun. "The last five or six games I think I've played pretty solid hockey, and I want to do that the rest of the way."

On the other end of the ice will be Shields, who has been inconsistent since inheriting the No. 1 job when Mike Vernon was shipped to Florida in December. Currently, Shields is showing signs of fatigue.

In seven starts this month, Shields has a gaudy 3.39 GAA and .874 save percentage. Not good.

Shields has been criticized in some circles for not stepping up his game as the No. 1 guy, but the numbers don't necessarily bare that out. With the exception of January (3.03 GAA, .883 save percentage), Shields' stats are solid since the Vernon trade.

But he's in unknown territory. Last season, Shields started 34 games, almost triple his previous high. This year, the Sharks utilized Shields as a starter 57 times heading into Monday.

	SHIELDS BY MONTH
	Month	Record	GAA	Sv. pct.
	Oct.	8-3-1	1.83	.943
	Nov.	2-4-1	3.24	.899
	Dec.	3-6-1	2.65	.914
	Jan.	3-7-1	3.03	.883
	Feb.	4-5-2	2.34	.913
	Mar.	3-2-1	3.39	.874

Fatigue could be setting in for one net-minder but not the other.

Perhaps, however, the numbers do lie when it comes to this matchup, because both goalies have been stellar when facing each other's teams. In one start, Salo allowed just one goal on 32 shots in a 1-1 tie on Jan 5. In that game, Shields made 20 saves. But earlier in the season he beat the Oilers -- with Bill Ranford in net -- with a 24-save effort.

Those games were long ago, and it will be interesting to see if Shields can turn things around for himself -- and for his team. San Jose's playoff hopes might depend on it.