In a series with big swings, it all comes down to a deciding game between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks in Game 7 at the SAP Center. Vegas stormed out of the gate to a 3-1 series lead to put San Jose on the brink of elimination. However, the Sharks have battled back to even the series 3-3 and are a slight -115 favorite with the Knights coming back at -105 and the total Sportsbook at 6 goals.
Golden Knights vs Sharks Game Center
Standout Stats
- San Jose drew first blood in this series with a 5-2 win, but Vegas went all-in over the next three games, outscoring the Sharks 16-6, and appeared to put this series on ice. However, the Sharks aren’t going down without a fight, winning 5-2 in Game 5 and 2-1 in double overtime in Game 6, the longest game of the playoffs thus far.
- The total has been set at 6 for half of the games in this series and at 6.5 for the other three contests. The combined score has gone OVER in four of the games with an average combined score of 6.5.
- A big factor in the Sharks’ comeback over the last two games has been the play of netminder Martin Jones, who put the team in the position of needing a comeback in the first place. The Canadian had a 5.34 goals-against average and an ugly .838 save percentage through the first four games of the series. However, he’s sported a .967 save percentage and a 1.20 GAA in the last two contests to force the Game 7.
- At the other end of the ice, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Golden Knights has been just OK, carrying a .912 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA into this contest.
- Vegas’ second line of Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny and Mark Stone has been terrorizing San Jose, combining for 12 goals and 28 points through the six games. Meanwhile, the Sharks have had a much more balanced approach as their top three centers – Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton – have combined for 10 goals and 16 points.
- This series has had the most combined power-play opportunities in the playoffs as Vegas has had 27 opportunities and San Jose has had the man advantage 25 times. That being said, the two squads have performed quite differently as the Golden Knights power play is clicking at 29.6 percent while the Sharks are scoring on 16 percent of their opportunities.
My Best Bet for Vegas vs San Jose
Vegas Moneyline
I don’t have much faith in Martin Jones to have three straight good games in him, while Marc-Andre Fleury has played in many high-pressure situations and should be able to play at a high level tonight.
The total has gone OVER in four of the six games in this series (avg. combined score: 6.5). Vegas’ second line has combined for 12 goals and 28 points in this series.away Martin Jones has a .967 save percentage and a 1.20 GAA in the last two games.home
