NHL Hockey Free Predictions: Avalanche vs Sharks – Game Two
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Team Records:
Colorado: 43-30-9
San Jose: 51-20-11
Tonight, 10:35pm
Sportsbook odds: Avalanche: +235 +1.5 (-115) Over 5.5 (+120)
Sharks: -275 -1.5 (-105) Under 5.5 (-140)
Avalanche vs. Sharks Preview – Colorado leads series 1-0
The Colorado Avalanche will try to take the first two games of their first round series against the third best home team in the NHL during the regular season, the San Jose Sharks. The upstart Avs played the perfect road game on Wednesday night and will be looking to hold the mighty Sharks down once again and return home with a 2-0 series lead.
The Colorado Avalanche laid to rest any concerns that their 3-5-2 record down the stretch was a sign of things to come and did it without arguably their best player Peter Meuller still sidelined with a concussion. The Avs utilised their speed, aggressiveness and strong transition game to keep the Sharks off balance in front of San Jose’s raucous home town crowd.
Their game plan worked to perfection and now it is up to them to duplicate their strong Wednesday night effort.
The Colorado Avalanche were led offensively by their young guns. Chris Stewart had a goal, Paul Stastny assisted on both of the Colorado goals and Matt Duchene had an assist on the eventual game winner with less than a minute to go in the third period. Goaltender Craig Anderson emerged from his late season slump and stopped 25 of the 26 shots that he faced.
Colorado is for real and the fears that the Sharks are a matchup nightmare for the team are a distant memory.
The San Jose Sharks have now lost the first game in each of their last four first round series and we all know how those turned out. They were only able to generate 26 shots on a previously shaky Craig Anderson in game 1 and after registering 25 points in their final 10 regular season games, the line of Thornton, Heatley and Marleau were shut out on the score sheet.
Evgeni Nabokov was solid and if not for a lucky bounce for the Avs in the final minute, the Sharks may have won this pivotal game.
The Sharks’ big guns will have to be better and chances are that they will be. Friday night’s game is as close to a must win game as there can be in a Game 2 of a series. The big line needs to step up and squash any confidence that the young Avalanche gained in game 1.
I think this will be another close game in which the Sharks get a little revenge, draw even in the series and silence the critics at least for the time being.
NHL Betting Trends:
San Jose is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
San Jose is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Colorado’s last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado’s last 8 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Colorado’s last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado’s last 12 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Jose’s last 8 games when playing at home against Colorado
Pick: San Jose Sharks (Yes lay the price!!!!)
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