The Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t figure it out. Neither could the Dallas Stars. They are both high-octane offensive teams with tons of speed, but they couldn’t eliminate boneheaded mistakes from their defense, and their goaltenders weren’t the type to make enough huge saves to win a four-game series. It looks like the Sharks have learned, though, after a 4-0 tattooing of the Blues in St. Louis to bring the Western Conference finals level at a game apiece. Game 3 takes place Thursday night in San Jose. Be sure to check for more odds and lines for NHL by clicking here.
A Brief Look at the Free NHL Playoff Pick on St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks & TV Info
When: Thursday, May 19, 2016, 9:00 PM Eastern time
Where: SAP Center, San Jose
TV: NBCSports
Radio: St. Louis / San JoseLive Stream: NHL.tvNHL Odds: TBA
Why Should You Bet on St. Louis?
Home ice doesn’t seem to matter much to the Blues. They lost Games 4 and 6 at home to Dallas, but they won games 2, 5 and 7 on the Stars’ home ice. Despite the fact that the home team gets the last change at each face-off and gets to put their stick down last on face-offs, home ice does not seem to be as big a deal in the hockey playoffs as they are in some of the other major sports. Brian Elliott did make 20 saves, but he didn’t make the big ones that he has been making. He did shake off a rough Game 6 against Dallas to post a magnificent Game 7, and it is difficult to play perfect playoff hockey between the pipes for an entire postseason.
Why Should You Put Your Money on the Sharks?
The Sharks use their speed to put opposing defenses at a disadvantage, and then they draw penalties and go on the power play. Then, they use that same speed to turn a lot of those power plays into goals. When a player is out there on the penalty kill and decides to leave the zone and go get a new stick, that makes a two-man advantage that the other team can exploit quickly, as the Sharks did when Alex Steen wandered away briefly for the Blues. Martin Jones bounced back from a shaky Game 1 to post his second shutout of the postseason.
Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction
I like St. Louis to learn from their mistakes on the back end and come back with a new focus in Game 3. However, I also like the Sharks to take advantage of some momentum and come out firing. I’m predicting a 5-4 San Jose win.
