Upcoming Match-ups
Tmrw
26
Apr
5:30 PM
MIL
IND
+6
-6
222.5
8:00 PM
LAC
DAL
+4.5
-4.5
211.5
10:30 PM
MIN
PHO
+4
-4
207.5
Saturday
27
Apr
3:30 PM
OKC
NO
-1
+1
209.5
6:00 PM
BOS
MIA
-9
+9
204

Sharks Favored to Win Western Conference After Completing Comeback Against Golden Knights

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NHL Hockey

Updated Mar 24, 2020 · 1:31 PM PDT

Pregame festivities at the Shark tank in San Jose.
The San Jose Sharks are favored to win the Western Conference heading into round two. Photo by Elliot (Wikimedia Commons)[CC License].
  • The San Jose Sharks climbed out of a 3-0 third-period deficit in Game 7 vs Vegas
  • San Jose tied for the best goals-per-game mark (3.52) among Western Conference teams in the regular season
  • Martin Jones had an .896 save percentage in the regular season, fourth-worst among qualified goalies

The San Jose Sharks stunned the hockey world on Tuesday night when they climbed out of a 3-0 third-period deficit to win Game 7 of their first-round series against Vegas.

They are now the highest seed remaining in the Western Conference and the betting favorite to reach the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Are the defensively-challenged Sharks the best bet, though?

2019 NHL Western Conference Odds

Team 2019 odds to win Western Conference
San Jose Sharks +185
St. Louis Blues +230
Colorado Avalanche +350
Dallas Stars +350

Sharks Have Most Experience and Best Regular-Season Record

With the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets falling in the first round, the Sharks are the only team of the top four seeds to advance.

Were the Sharks that impressive, though? It’s hard to say. They fell into a 3-1 hole and managed to climb out of it. However, their Game 7 win was controversial. Vegas center Cody Eakin was handed a five-minute major for a pretty minor infraction due, almost entirely, to the fact that Joe Pavelski wound up badly injured on the play.


The Sharks scored four times on the ensuing five-minute power-play.

On the other hand, this team has – by far – the most experience of any of the remaining teams. Sure, their playoff journeys have fallen short of expectations, but the Avalanche, Stars, and Blues are mostly new to the second round. The Sharks have a huge edge on that front.

Stars Given 8-1 Odds to Win Stanley Cup After Eliminating Predators
Read More

Sharks Have the Worst Goaltending

One major concern the Sharks have is goaltender Martin Jones. He finished the regular season 36th in goals-against average and 47th in save percentage (.896). The Sharks mostly won their first-round series in spite of him as he had a save percentage of .895 or less in four of the games. For the series, he finished at .904.

The other three teams in the playoffs have outstanding defense and goaltending. The Blues have led the NHL in goals allowed per game since the All-Star break (2.18) while Dallas was third (2.25) and Colorado was 10th (2.59). That’s a concern here.

But Sharks Also Have the Best Offense

Where the Sharks lack at the back end, they excel on offense. They finished the year third in goals per game (3.52). Colorado is just 17th in that category since the All-Star break and seem to be a bit of a one-trick pony. The Sharks have to deal with one really good line. San Jose won all three regular season meetings, so they seem to know what to do.

As for the Stars, their offense has been a weakness all season long as they finished 28th in goals per game. Meanwhile, the Blues were 15th in that category.

Be Wary of the Blues

The one team that I can see beating San Jose is St. Louis. This is a team that went 24-6-4 down the stretch of the season and then ousted the Winnipeg Jets in six games. Goaltender Jordan Binnington has been outstanding, posting a 1.89 GAA in the regular season and performing very well in the first-round series. He allowed six goals in Game 3 but allowed just 10 goals in the other five games.

The Blues offense ranks 10th in the NHL since the All-Star break and leads the league in goals allowed n that same span. They are capable of pulling off this upset and winning the West.

Bet the Blues

Of course, a lot of people will bet the chalk and that makes sense. They have momentum after winning three straight games, they’ll have home-ice advantage and they’re the top seed remaining. But I’m willing to take a flier on the Blues, who have arguably been the best team in the NHL in the second half of the season. I’ll take a shot with them at +230.

Author Image