Sharks vs. Blues Game 6 Prediction: NHL Playoffs Betting Odds
The St. Louis Blues can clinch a spot opposite the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals with a home victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Sharks vs Blues Stanley Cup Betting Analysis
The Blues made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of their first three years of existence (losing in each) but haven’t been back since. They will return with a victory at home on Tuesday night in Game 6 vs. the Sharks. A potential Game 7 of the West Finals would be Thursday in San Jose.
Boston would be favoured over either the Blues or Sharks for the Stanley Cup and would hold home-ice advantage. The Bruins are -152 to win the Cup with the Blues at +210 and Sharks +600. On this series line, St. Louis is -435 and San Jose +325. That the series ends Tuesday is -167 with a Game 7 being played at +145.
These teams split Games three and four in St. Louis. The Sharks won Game three 5-4 in overtime, while the Blues took Game four last Friday 2-1.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks played their worst game of these playoffs on Sunday in Game 5, falling 5-0. It’s the first time they have been shut out in this postseason. To make matters worse, the Sharks are quite banged up. Captain Joe Pavelski left in the third period Sunday with an injury, while winger Tomas Hertl and defenceman Erik Karlsson both missed the third period because they were hurt. Karlsson played just 10:32 overall as he’s dealing with a groin injury. Hertl was hit high by Ivan Barbashev in the first period (managed to keep playing for a while), with the Sharks arguing it should have been a major penalty but no penalty was called. Barbashev will not receive any supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
St. Louis Blues
If they included the playoffs in determining season awards, Blues netminder Jordan Binnington would be a lock to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie – he is a finalist. Binnington stopped all 21 shots Sunday for his first career playoff shutout and only the second for the franchise in the past 15 years. Binnington wasn’t the No. 1 star of Game 5, though. That honour belonged to Jaden Schwartz, who had a hat trick. It was the sixth hat trick of his career and second in these playoffs. No Blues player had multiple hat tricks in the same postseason previously. No player in the NHL had multiple hat tricks in the same playoffs since 2008. Schwartz has 12 goals in these playoffs, one more than he had in 69 regular-season games. St. Louis has a 3-2 lead in a best-of-7 series for the 13th time. The Blues won 10 of the previous 12 series.
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