Sharks Favored in Western Conference Final Again After Stealing Game 3

• The see-saw battle between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks continued in Game 3, as San Jose claimed a 5-4 overtime victory
• With the win, the Sharks have moved back to heavy +250 favorites on the series
• The Blues have emerged as road warriors in the playoffs, and have proven their ability to rebound when pushed to the edge of elimination

The see-saw battle between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks in this this year’s Western Conference Final continued in Game 3 on Wednesday night, as the Sharks escaped with a controversial 5-4 overtime victory.

With the win, the Sharks reclaimed home-ice advantage and a 2-1 series lead, and have been rewarded on the NHL series prices, vaulting to heavy -250 favorites.

St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks NHL Playoff Series Prices

*Odds taken 05/16/19

Lengthy Series Nothing New for Sharks, Blues

Hard-fought series are nothing new for either of these clubs this spring. The Sharks were forced to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to knock off the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round, and failed to win consecutive games while eking out a second-round series win over the pesky Colorado Avalanche, once again in seven games.

The Blues have seen nine of their past 10 playoff series go at least six games.

The Blues were also pushed to the brink of elimination by the Dallas Stars before rebounding to claim their second-round matchup in seven games, and have seen nine of their past 10 playoff series go at least six games.

Game 7. Double Overtime. Hometown boy scores the winning goal.

This is what playoff hockey is all about👏

The St. Louis Blues edge Stars in double OT to move on to the Western Conference Final.https://t.co/TqG2v6vyly pic.twitter.com/sfXqJMkEFE

— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) May 8, 2019

These two teams have also taken turns leading the way on the NHL series prices. The Sharks opened the Conference Final perched as narrow -130 chalk, climbing to -230 following a 6-3 win in Game 1. They saw the Blues move to -145 favorites after evening the series at one game apiece with a 4-2 victory in Game 2 as +115 road underdogs.

Where Do These Two Teams Go from Here?

With Wednesday’s defeat, the Blues’ woes on home ice in the postseason continued. St. Louis has now dropped three of four at home, and own a 3-5 home record so far in the playoffs.

The Sharks have been far from a model of consistency so far in the postseason, posting consecutive wins just once over their past nine outings, and have been the beneficiaries of questionable calls or non-calls at critical times, including on their winning goal in Game 3.

"The referees cannot call what they didn't see."

A hand pass, unseen by the referees, gifted the San Jose Sharks the overtime game winner in Game 3 over the St. Louis Blues.

Game recap: https://t.co/55TFh8iYCb pic.twitter.com/f62iZRHXiB

— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) May 16, 2019

The Sharks continue to hold the head-to-head edge over the Blues, earning the win in four of five meetings. But San Jose has been far from dominant against the Blues. St. Louis has outshot the Sharks twice so far in the series, and has also topped San Jose in the physical department, outhitting the Sharks by a 119-84 margin through three games.

Blues’ Resilience, Exceptional Play on the Road Add Value to  Lengthy Odds

And while the Blues have not enjoyed home cooking so far in the playoffs, they have been road warriors, winning six of eight away from Enterprise Center during the playoffs after leading the Western Conference during the regular season with just 13 road losses in regulation.

St. Louis Blues: 3-4 at home in 2019 playoffs (compared to 6-2 on road); 0-11 on power play in last 3 home playoff games

— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) May 15, 2019

With this series shaping up to be a lengthy battle, it is tough to find value in the Sharks’ lofty -250 odds. Indeed, the Blues demonstrated character by overcoming the Winnipeg Jets’ brief surge to tie their opening-round series before bouncing back from a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Stars, making it impossible to count them out yet.

With this series shaping up to be a lengthy battle, it is tough to find value in the Sharks’ lofty -250 odds

While their loss in Game 3 after overcoming a two-goal deficit may be disheartening, it was far from fatal. And after demonstrating their ability to fill the net behind Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, who has now surrendered 13 goals and sports a shaky .878 save percentage in his past four against St. Louis, the Blues are worth serious consideration as a generous +210 to rebound and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1970.

Pick: St. Louis Blues (+210)