For the third playoff series in a row, the San Jose Sharks followed up a series-opening win with a letdown in Game 2. With their Western Conference final matchup with the St. Louis Blues tied at 1-1, action shifts to Enterprise Center tonight for Game 3. Sportsbooks opened the Blues as -140 home favorites with a total of 5.5.
Standout Stats
- St. Louis’ power play has been non-existent lately. The Blues failed on all five power-play attempts in Game 2 and are 1-for-26 with the man advantage in their past eight contests.
- Sharks center Logan Couture, who boasts an NHL-best 13 goals and 19 points, recorded his fourth multi-goal performance of the playoffs in Game 2.
- Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington is one win shy of becoming the 10th rookie goaltender in NHL history to reach double digits in a single postseason. Binnington is 9-6 with a 2.54 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in the playoffs.
- St. Louis has been an atrocious bet on the puckline at Enterprise Center in the playoffs. In the Blues’ past 11 home postseason contests, they’re 0-11 on the puckline.
- With both Games 1 and 2 going OVER the total, high-scoring affairs continue to be the norm when the Blues and Sharks collide in the playoffs. The OVER is 5-1 in the previous six postseason matchups between the Western Conference clubs.
My best bet for Sharks-Blues
OVER 5.5 goals
Both teams aren’t lacking offensive firepower, and it’s been on display through two games of the Western Conference final. With the way both sides are clicking offensively right now, I’m comfortable backing the OVER in every game going forward unless we see our first defensive battle of the series. I think it’s going to be a tightly contested Game 3 that goes above the total.
The total has gone OVER in three of the Sharks’ last four games (avg. combined score: 6.75).away The visiting team is 1-6 SU in its last seven games in this matchup. The Sharks are 4-0 SU in their last four games after a loss.away
