SAN JOSE — The level of opposition is about to get tougher for the Sharks.

Over the next six games starting Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues, San Jose will be up against four of the Western Conference’s top teams — all of whom have knocked San Jose out of the playoffs since 2009.

“I think it’ll be a very good test for us,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “Teams that are ahead of us or right in our ballpark, teams that are perennial playoff teams that have had success. Heavy, strong teams.”

The Sharks may be playing their best hockey of the season right now. There should be no lack of confidence after winning eight of their last nine games and going 4-0 on their current homestand.

While those eight wins include victories over the playoff contenders such as the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins, lesser opponents such as the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers also were among the victims.

“We’ve been able to play some finesse type games and win them,” McLellan said. “Now can we play those grinding games?”

After facing the Blues for the first time this season, San Jose will fly to Anaheim for a Monday night meeting with the Ducks in their last game before the mandated Christmas break. Four days later, San Jose will return to Southern California to meet the Kings on Dec. 27.

After that comes a game against the Vancouver Canucks before rematches with the Ducks and Blues.

As in recent years, the Sharks have had more success this season against the top teams than some of the also-rans. San Jose, for example, is 6-1-1 against the Ducks, Kings, Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders.

“Sometimes it’s getting a team at the right time, sometimes it’s executing better,” McLellan said of his team’s success against the upper echelon. “Over an 82-game schedule, you’re going to have good and bad nights.”

The Sharks will be facing a Blues team that is four points ahead of them in the standings, though coming off a 6-4 loss to the Kings in a game St. Louis led 3-0 early on.

“You’d be snarly and ready to go,” McLellan said of what he expects from the Blues because of that. “If we want to wade into the game or waste minutes, it’s not going to end up in our favor.”

Sharks defenseman Mirco Mueller will be on loan to Switzerland for the Word Junior Championship later this month in Toronto and Montreal. “It’s a great thing representing your country and I’m excited,” Mueller said. “The Swiss team is not usually one of the favorites in the tournament, but we’re still trying to get a medal,” Mueller said. “That’s my personal goal.” General manager Doug Wilson said Friday that the team believes the 19-year-old rookie will benefit from the “best on best” competition. “He’s going to be playing against his peers in a very dynamic, condensed tournament,” Wilson said. “To me it’s just a great opportunity.” Mueller has one goal and two assists for San Jose in 24 games, but has been scratched six of the last nine games. Travel arrangement were still being worked out, but it’s likely he will miss at least four games with the Sharks for the tournament that begins Dec. 26 and Sharks prospect Noah Rod is expected to be a teammate of Mueller’s while three other San Jose draft picks could be playing for other teams — Nikolay Goldobin on Team Russia, Rourke Chartier on Team Canada and Julius Bergman on Team Sweden.