Does anybody really view Blues as an underdog in this series because of the Sharks 1-0 lead? The Blues were by far the better team on the ice last night and all season, gotta see value in +150
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obviously being down 1-0 puts them at a disadvantage because STL now has to go at least 4-2 over next 6 games.
but yes i think there is value in +150. Gotta think down the stretch of the series st. louis' goaltending edge will kick in. What concerns me about san jose, other than goaltending, is their penalty kill. We saw it last night. During the regular season they were 2ND TO LAST in the entire league in penalty kill at 76.9%, only behind columbus' 76.6%. 76.9% is just pathetic. sharks just cannot kill penalties. That is a BIG PROBLEM in the playoffs. You might make it through the playoffs without a powerplay, like bruins did last year, IF your pk is strong and you are dominant 5-on-5.... but you just can't make it through the playoffs with a terrible penalty kill. Not 76.9%. You just cant. Niemi was good last night, but i still think that st louis' goaltending edge will be a factor in the next several games. And San Jose's penalty kill is really a recipe for disaster. you CANNOT win down the stretch of the playoffs with a terrible penalty kill. you just can't.
Good news is they were #7 during regular season with taking fewest penalties at 9.6 PIM per game. And they do have a great powerplay. So hopefully their powerplay will be so good it can neutralize? maybe. but i think that's wishful thinking.
...but still.... sharks' penalty kill is a BIG problem.Comment -
i am rooting for sharks though, as i foolishly bet them to win cup in offseason for like 140 to win 2,000.
regarding PK... maybe they can get through this series because they have 1-0 advantage. They will need to really not take any penalties. Their pk is so bad they have to stay out of the box. But, down the stretch of the playoffs, its tough to think their horrific PK won't catch up to them.Comment -
What experience do the blues players have? Edge definitely goes to sharks with lead but value is there.Comment -
obviously STL has an edge in net with the tag-team of Halak and Elliott (who just set single season save% record with .940- broke Thomas' from last year). Obviously Niemi played great last night... so here come everyone calling me a fool because of last nights one game.. but i still think STL has significant edge in net. Niemi was #36 in nhl with .915 save %. if you knock out the goalies that played fewer than 15 games hed probably be around #20. Niemi is good, but not as good as halak nor elliott in my opinion. But obviously niemi won last night so everyones gonna come here and call me crazy.Comment -
well san jose has experience but its kinda of them choking every year lol.
What i like about STL other than goaltending is their size. I love teams that are built to battle along boards, and that play physical. Playoff hockey is different than the regular season. You need big guys that can battle along boards, hit, etc. night in and night out. blues are an excellent team when their big guys are hitting, playing physical, and battling along the boards. Everytime i watch them im impressed of how physical and how big their guys are.Comment -
After watching the Sabres with miller in net, I can tell you edge in net doesn't always matter. Miller is 100x better than Bobrovsky and Boucher but the better team in Philadelphia prevailed last year even though the flyers goalies were pulled numerous times.Comment -
I don't know what game you guys were watching but our pk looked pretty ok last night. Yes we tried to do too much and got caught low in their zone on a 3 on 2 breakout but we'll learn from that. Niemi and Moore were beasts and got it done. The Sharks are playing their best team defense I've seen all year and they've been consistently good in that facet. Turnovers are the only thing we need to worry about. We are pumped and primed for our best run yet.Comment -
not basing pk issues on last night. saying it was terrible all season. look at stats. 2nd worst in league at 76.9%. That is just pathetic. Sharks' 76.9% was only behind columbus' 76.6% (just shoot me).Comment -
If you're going to base your predictions on what happened during the entire regular season why even have the playoffs? Just give the cup to Vanc and wait for next year. Sharks are a much different team than they were 40 games ago. Hell, they're a different team than they were 10 games ago. All the Sharks have ever needed was a sense of urgency and they seem to have it.Comment -
Blues on the road aren't good at all. Home ice is the only reason they had a great season, I like sj to win and if blues win gm2 ill make a small wager on sj to winComment -
Can't wait till the books try to post Blues ad the underdog cause I'm firing the house on them at +1.5 goals!Comment -
I don't know how anyone can watch these games and not think the Blues are the better team, by far.Comment -
As far as talent goes, I don't see how anyone would trade the Sharks roster for the Blues lineup (not counting goaltending - those guys are studs). But what a difference a top tier coach makes. I've had concerns about McLellan for years and I can't believe Wilson hasn't made a change yet. The pk is downright pathetic on most nights, the power play seems to score only enough to have people forget how bad it looks despite the fact that it could easily be the best in the league, and the top players seem to disappear when we need them the most. This is a coaching problem, period. This is probably the best Sharks team I've ever seen yet we've been basically impotent against a mastermind like Hitchcock for two games. I just don't think McLellan can hang with the best no matter what tools he's given. Here's hoping the players can take it on themselves to overcome the faulty leadership.Comment -
well abv, goaltending is important! Elliott and Halak have played significantly better than niemi all year.
also, the sharks cannot kill penalties. it doesnt matter how good your team is. A pathetic PK is a BIG PROBLEM in the playoffs. if they could kill penalties theyd be a great team. they gave up 3 ppg goals last night. it was problem all season. you will never get anywhere in the playoffs if your pk is that bad.Comment -
This may have been the best +150 bet of all timeComment