NHL Playoffs 2019 - San Jose Sharks vs St. Louis Blues: Odds and Predictions for Round Three

Where: SAP Center at San Jose – San Jose, CA.

When: Saturday, May 11, 8PM EST

How (TV/Radio): NBC, Sportsnet, CBC, TVAS | WFAN

Offense

We start right away with San Jose’s biggest advantage – firepower. This team boasts essentially two offensive teams as their defense core is always quick to jump in on a play. Their leading scorer in the regular season was a defenseman after all. The Sharks finished the season in second overall in most goals scored. They also had the sixth most shots in the league. They were also ranked sixth on the power play and had the fourth-highest shooting percentage.

The Sharks are second to only the Bruins for goals scored in these playoffs. They have 43 – most of which have come at even strength. The Sharks power play has not quite carried over into the postseason as they currently sit with only a 18.5 percent success rate. San Jose is averaging 31.7 shots per game and their faceoff percentage sits at over 50 percent.

The Blues didn’t play with quite the same offensive style as the Sharks. This series will definitely be a battle of styles – offense vs, defense. The Blues finished 15th overall in both goals and shots for. They had the tenth best power play in the league and 16th best shooting percentage. A big advantage will be puck possession for the Blues. They finished sixth in faceoff wins compared to San Jose’s 15th overall rank.

Through 13 games, the Blues have scored 34 goals and allowed 33. Their power play also leaves much to be desired as they are sitting at only a 17.1 percent success rate. They are averaging more shots per game than the Sharks but only by 1.5. All that being said, the wildcard factor here is goaltending. The Blues faced all-star goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury and Ben Bishop in their first two rounds and still came out on top. Their offensive numbers could drastically improve as they face Martin Jones, a Sharks goalie that has thus far been hit and miss in his performances.

Defense

San Jose wasn’t without their ups and downs this season. Although their defensemen added quality offense for the team, the Sharks also allowed quite a few goals themselves – finished 21st for goals against. They also took the 25th most penalty minutes in the NHL and finished in the middle of the pack when it came to killing those penalties off (15th overall). They did, however, allow the second-least amount of shots against.

Out of the four teams remaining, the Sharks have allowed the most goals against during these playoffs. But they’ve scored the second-most goals – a testament to how their D-men can jump in on the play. They are allowing just over 30 shots per game – only Boston allows more on average out of the final four. Their penalty killing has remained much of the same from the regular season, constantly hovering around 80 percent success.

It’s been well documented that the St. Louis Blues struggled defensively throughout the first half of their season. Up until January, the team was in trouble. Enter rookie goalie Jordan Binnington and a new sense of confidence overtook the team. The Blues finished in the top-10 in all major defensive statistics for the regular season. They tied for fifth in fewest goals allowed and were fourth in fewest shots against. They took the eighth least penalty minutes and had the ninth-best penalty kill in the NHL.

The success has carried over into the postseason but compared to the other remaining three teams, it is sometimes hard to tell. However, the Blues have allowed fewer goals in the postseason than the Sharks. They’ve also allowed fewer shots against. Their penalty kill is modest in the playoffs at 75 percent success. Luckily, the Blues don’t take many penalties, which is something the Sharks would definitely look to exploit otherwise.

Goaltending

Through 62 games played during the regular season, San Jose goalie Martin Jones wasn’t without his inconsistencies. He put together a solid record of 36-19-3 but he also had one hell of a team in front of him, including defensemen Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. Jones finished out the year with a 2.94 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. He had three shutouts, one assist, and two penalty minutes.

His play has been described as up and down throughout the first two round of the playoffs, although his numbers are still slightly improved from his regular season stats. Through 13 playoffs games this year, Jones has a goals against average of 2.72 and a much improved .910 save percentage. He has yet to register a shutout in the postseason but has registered another assist.

Rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington put up incredible numbers for the St. Louis Blues in the second half of the season and he was rewarded with a Calder trophy nomination. Binnington finished the regular season with a 24-5-1 record. He had a .927 save percentage and 1.89 goals against average. He also had five shutouts by season’s end.

His numbers have continued into the playoffs, as him and the Blues are coming off of a double- overtime elimination of the Dallas Stars. In that game seven, Binnington held strong, stopping 29 of 30 shots. His goals-against average through 13 playoff games is 2.39 and his save percentage is .915. He is 8-5 through two rounds and has one assist and four penalty minutes.

Playoff Performers

The San Jose Sharks have two players in the top-3 for playoff scoring and three in the top-5. Leading the way is Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture, who both have 14 points in the form of nine goals and five assists. They both have a point-per-game average. Hertl is a plus-2 with six power-play points, one short-handed goal, and two game-winners (one in overtime). Couture is a plus-4 with five power-play points and one game-winning goal.

Jaden Schwartz had a strong series against the Dallas Stars and is leading the way for St. Louis’ offense. Schwartz is ninth overall in playoff scoring and through 13 games played has registered eight goals and three assists (11 points). He is a plus-7 through the first two rounds, with a 0.85 points per game average, one power play goal, and two game-winners. He has 35 shots on goal, good enough for a 22.9 shooting percentage and has won 80 percent of his faceoffs.

San Jose Sharks Injury Report

D Radim Simek – day-to-day (right ACL, MCL)

St. Louis Blues Injury Report

F Erik Foley – IR (concussion)

San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues Predictions, Odds, and Betting Line

If you are new to the world of sports betting you can check out our comprehensive video on How To Bet on the NHL and our terminology betting guide. If you are in New Jersey and are ready to bet on the NHL, you can do so at 888Sport and BetStars NJ. Here are the latest odds for Sharks vs Blues. Good luck!

Moneyline

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Total Goals

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Puck Line

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