Following an eight-point performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference final against St. Louis, San Jose’s line of Logan Couture, Timo Meier and Gustav Nyquist will be looking to keep the momentum going when Game 2 gets underway in California tonight. Sportsbooks opened the Sharks as -135 home favorites with a total of 5.5.
Standout Stats
- Couture leads the NHL in goals (11) and points (17) in the playoffs, three goals behind captain Joe Pavelski’s franchise record established in 2016.
- St. Louis’ Game 1 setback was just its second loss in the last seven road contests. The Blues had 12 giveaways in what was an uncharacteristically sloppy game.
- Blues starting goaltender Jordan Binnington has been playing at an elite level since joining the team in January, but the rookie came back down to earth in the series opener. Binnington surrendered five goals on 24 shots in Game 1.
- Home-ice advantage continues to be huge when the Blues and Sharks get together. In the last six meetings between the Western Conference teams, home sides are 6-0 SU.
- When it comes to the total, the Sharks have been going OVER at home with ease. In San Jose’s previous 13 home games, the OVER is 11-2 with an average combined score of 7.2 goals.
- The good news for Blues bettors is their penchant for bouncing back after a loss. In St. Louis’ last nine when coming off a loss in the previous game, it’s 7-2 SU.
My best bet for Blues-Sharks
OVER 5.5 goals
With the teams erupting for a combined nine goals in Game 1, it’s clear this is going to be a high-scoring series. St. Louis was consistently seeing 5-goal totals in the second round against Dallas, but the Sharks are simply a different offensive beast than the Stars.
Binnington has proven to be a solid bet to bounce back when coming off a bad game, so while I expect a better performance out of the 25-year-old in Game 2, I think the Sharks get to him enough to put this one OVER the total.
