Blues vs. Sharks Game 2 Prediction: NHL Playoffs Betting Odds
If the Sharks beat the visiting Blues on Monday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals, history indicates this series is likely all but over. Since the conference format was adopted in the 1981-82 season, teams that take a 2-0 lead in the conference finals won the series 30 of 32 times.
Blues vs. Sharks Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Analysis
On the updated Sports Interaction series line, San Jose is -250 and St. Louis +187. The favoured exact series result Sharks in five at +350. The long shot is Blues in five at +1200. The Boston Bruins are the likely opponent in the Stanley Cup Finals as the B’s have dominated the Carolina Hurricanes in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. St. Louis is looking to avoid losing back-to-back games in this postseason for the third time. The Blues haven’t dropped three in a row yet.
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis has allowed six goals twice in these playoffs and lost both games. That was Game 3 of the first round against Winnipeg, 6-3, and then Saturday in the opener of this series in San Jose by the same score. Joel Edmundson (first of 2019 playoffs), Ryan O’Reilly (third) and Tyler Bozak (third) had the Blues’ goals vs. San Jose. It was Edmundson’s first goal since Feb. 14.
Rookie netminder Jordan Binnington, who might win the Calder Trophy, allowed five goals on 24 shots. Blueliner Carl Gunnarsson sat out with a lower-body injury suffered in Game 7 of the last round vs. Dallas. St. Louis outshot the Sharks 31-25 and outhit them but allowed four power-play chances while getting just one with the man advantage. The Blues still are 7-2 in their past nine as an underdog.
San Jose Sharks
Joe Pavelski gave San Jose the lead for good in Game 1 with a power-play goal at 11:24 of the first period. Timo Meier was the No. 1 star with two goals and an assist. Logan Couture added two goals and leads all players in this postseason with 11 goals and 17 points. Couture is only the sixth active NHL player to score at least 10 goals in multiple postseasons. He also did in 2016 when the Sharks reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
Since 2010, only Alexander Ovechkin’s 50 goals during the postseason are more than Couture’s 45. Pavelski, meanwhile, is now one point from becoming the 97th player in NHL history with at least 100 career playoff points. Martin Jones allowed three goals on 31 shots. The Sharks are 6-1 in their past seven at home.
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