After a pair of contests in San Jose the Western
Conference final shifts back to Vancouver.
The Vancouver Canucks hold a 3-1 lead in the Conference Championship and once
again, the San Jose Sharks are on the brink of a disappointing playoff exit. It
doesn’t look good for San Jose right now and for their season; they have just
one win in seven tries against Vancouver.
There’s little reason to believe this series lasts beyond
Tuesday and the sportsbooks see it that way as well; Vancouver is way out as a
-175 favorite on the hockey odds board and the total is at 5.5.
The San Jose
Sharks Can Win Because…:
The Vancouver Canucks nearly blew a lead bigger than this in Round
One.
About the only thing the Sharks have going for them right
now is that thought, as momentum is clearly on the Canucks side.
In the opening round of the playoffs, the Canucks held a
3-0 series lead on the Chicago Blackhawks but the tides turned completely
around and the Blackhawks ended up pushing the Canucks to the brink. Vancouver
needed overtime in Game 7 to dismiss the former champs, so San Jose knows that
there is still an opening.
Even in the second round, the Canucks similarly took a
3-1 series lead but then blew their shot at home to close out Nashville and
needed a sixth game to advance.
Regardless of where the momentum lies right now, there have
been a lot of bizarre happenings in this series and it shouldn’t surprise
anyone if this series returns to San Jose.
The Vancouver
Canucks Can Win Because…:
The San Jose Sharks are cooked.
San Jose needed to win both of their home games to have a
shot in this series but in failing to do so, they have a steep hill to climb
and they might not have the will to do it.
The Sharks are known as choke artists and underachievers,
and that’s what we’re seeing from them for the most part. On top of that, Captain
Joe Thornton wasn’t able to finish Game 4 and while he’ll suit up for Game 5,
the reality is that he’s going to be well below 100%. That’s going to further
test their will.
Everything is going the Canucks way right now. About the
only time San Jose has outplayed Vancouver this series has been on the power
play but the Canucks slammed the door shut in Game 4. For the first time this
series, the Canucks didn’t allow a power play goal, killing all five penalties.
Very quietly, Roberto Luongo has played steady this
series and has outplayed his counterpart, Antti Niemi. He’s stopped 122 of 133
shots this series and six the goals he’s allowed have come on the power play.
Niemi has only faced 119 shots and he’s stopped just 102.
There’s really not a whole lot for the Canucks to change.
Just keep doing what they’ve been doing and this series is done.
Outlook & NHL
Betting Prediction:
The Canucks have now won six of the seven meetings
between the teams this season and they know what buttons to push to get the job
done. The Sedin twins are clicking and Ryan Kesler has finally gotten on the
board.
From a moral standpoint, the Sharks are simply beat down,
which includes their injured captain, Joe Thornton. Unless they get a ton of
power plays, they don’t know how to defeat the Canucks.
As long as the Canucks stick to what has worked for them
so far – and there is no reason to believe they won’t – this series will be
over and so in NHL betting, they are the only choice.
Pick: Canucks