Sharks vs Golden Knights Prediction (Game 5): Fleury Bounces Back
The San Jose Sharks made a Jaws-sized statement in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal with Vegas yesterday, pounding the Golden Knights 4-0 to even the best-of-seven at two games apiece.
Can the Knights find a bigger boat for Game 5 back in Las Vegas tomorrow (May 4, 10:00 PM ET)?
The opening moneyline, puckline, and O/U, plus the key stats, significant injury news, and final score prediction are below.
Straight-up playoff prediction record: 10-5
Moneyline playoff prediction profits (based on $100 wagers): +$325.00
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | PUCKLINE | O/U GOALS |
|---|---|---|
| SHARKS (+129) | SHARKS +1.5 (-240) | OVER 5.5 (+106) |
| KNIGHTS (-142) | KNIGHTS -1.5 (+200) | UNDER 5.5 (-117) |
Don’t the let final shot total (34-34) fool you. San Jose controlled Game 4. They came out hard, generated better chances, scored two first-period goals that made Marc-Andre Fleury look mortal for the first time all postseason, and played solid defense in front of Martin Jones the rest of the way, despite surrendering 30-plus shots.
It was arguably San Jose’s most complete performance of the playoffs, and it gives Pete DeBoer a lot to build off as the series shifts back to the desert.
Key Injuries & Absences
| SHARKS | KNIGHTS |
|---|---|
| Clayton Stoner: Out (abdominal) | Joe Thornton: Out (knee) |
“Big Joe” has still yet to play in a game this series despite being activated from IR. Out since late January, it would be risky inserting the slow-footed center into the lineup against speedy Vegas after missing so much time, so count on him being in the pressbox once again.
Unlike the other series going on right now, injuries and absences won’t play a big role here.
Regular Season Team Stats
| SHARKS | STATISTIC | KNIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| 45-27-10 (20-14-7 Away) | REGULAR-SEASON RECORD | 51-24-7 (29-10-2 Home) |
| 1-2-1 | REGULAR-SEASON HEAD-TO-HEAD | 3-0-1 |
| +23 | GOAL DIFFERENCE | +44 |
| 252 | GOALS FOR | 272 |
| 229 | GOALS AGAINST | 228 |
| 52.24% (6th) | FENWICK % | 51.5% (8th) |
| 20.7 (15th) | POWER PLAY % | 21.4% (11th) |
| 84.8% (2nd) | PENALTY KILL % | 81.4% (10th) |
| .909% (T 13th) | TEAM SV% | .911% (11th) |
Betting Results & Trends*
| SHARKS | KNIGHTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Won 1 | WIN/LOSS STREAK | Lost 1 |
| 7-3 | LAST 10 | 6-4 |
| 44-46 | PUCKLINE RECORD | 55-35 |
| 41-46-3 | OVER/UNDER SPLIT | 45-41-4 |
| Under 1 | OVER/UNDER STREAK | Under 1 |
*All statistics date back to regular season.
Score Prediction
| SHARKS | 2 |
| KNIGHTS | 3 |
San Jose has looked like the better team for the better part of the first four games. That said, Vegas has been nearly unstoppable at home this season and, Game 4 notwithstanding, Marc-Andre Fleury is putting together a 2006 Cam Ward-like playoff performance. (Better actually.) Back on home ice with the Vegas faithful (no, that’s not an oxymoron) behind them, an amped-up Knights team is a solid bet to grab a 3-2 series lead, and I’m prepared to lay -142 on this storybook run continuing.
Martin Jones gave up eight goals on 42 shots in the first two games of the series at T-Mobile Arena.
Need a better reason than a Cinderella story? How about the fact that Martin Jones gave up eight goals on 42 shots in the first two games of the series at T-Mobile Arena.
Sascha was a hockey player in his youth, a lawyer in his capricious mid-20s, and has been with SBD since 2014. He specializes in football, basketball, politics, baseball, and hockey.
