NHL playoffs: Sharks at Ducks, Game 3 (Anaheim leads 2-0)
A No. 8 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed seven times in the past 15 years in the NHL playoffs, although it hasn’t happened since the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings were dumped out of the first round by the Edmonton Oilers.
But if the San Jose Sharks don’t figure out the Anaheim Ducks tonight in Game 3 of their series, the Presidents’ Cup trophy-winning Sharks are all but assured yet another early exit in the playoffs and a spot among history’s biggest chokers.
San Jose is a slight WagerWeb.com money line favorite tonight at -130, with an over/under of 5 goals.
Many people thought the Ducks would be a challenge in this series, but no one expected Anaheim to go into the Shark Tank and win the first two games. The Ducks’ penalty killing ranked 23rd in the NHL at 79.7% this season. In this series, it’s 12 for 12. Some of that is because of the composed performances of goaltender Jonas Hiller, but a significant part comes from a complete team effort.
A No. 8 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed seven times in the past 15 years in the NHL playoffs, although it hasn’t happened since the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings were dumped out of the first round by the Edmonton Oilers.
But if the San Jose Sharks don’t figure out the Anaheim Ducks tonight in Game 3 of their series, the Presidents’ Cup trophy-winning Sharks are all but assured yet another early exit in the playoffs and a spot among history’s biggest chokers.
San Jose is a slight WagerWeb.com money line favorite tonight at -130, with an over/under of 5 goals.
Many people thought the Ducks would be a challenge in this series, but no one expected Anaheim to go into the Shark Tank and win the first two games. The Ducks’ penalty killing ranked 23rd in the NHL at 79.7% this season. In this series, it’s 12 for 12. Some of that is because of the composed performances of goaltender Jonas Hiller, but a significant part comes from a complete team effort.
“I think it’s similar to our game overall in that we thought we were better than what we’d shown,” defenseman Scott Niedermayer said.
Hiller has been outstanding, as the Sharks’ 79-43 edge in shots includes 25 shots on the power play, all stopped. San Jose had the third-best power-play unit in the NHL during the regular season with a 24.2 percent success rate, so Anaheim expects the Sharks to crash the net even more tonight.
“I think the whole team is doing a great job right now boxing guys out,” Hiller said. “I see the puck pretty well, especially against a team like San Jose who always has a lot of guys in front of the net.”
Each shot that Hiller saves builds his confidence, San Jose coach Todd McLellan said, and the confidence his teammates have in him. Do those saves also drain the Sharks’ confidence?
“It can. It definitely can,” the Sharks coach said. “Has it? I’d like to think not.”
Overall, only 12.7 percent of the 291 NHL teams that have trailed 2-0 in a seven-game series have come back to win it. Yet that number surprisingly doubles to 24.4 percent in the 66 instances where a team lost its first two games at home.
WagerWeb.com Trends
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Anaheim.
* Under is 14-3-3 in the last 20 meetings.
* Road team is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
NHL Betting at WagerWeb.com
I think it’s similar to our game overall in that we thought we were better than what we’d shown,” defenseman Scott Niedermayer said.
Hiller has been outstanding, as the Sharks’ 79-43 edge in shots includes 25 shots on the power play, all stopped. San Jose had the third-best power-play unit in the NHL during the regular season with a 24.2 percent success rate, so Anaheim expects the Sharks to crash the net even more tonight.
“I think the whole team is doing a great job right now boxing guys out,” Hiller said. “I see the puck pretty well, especially against a team like San Jose who always has a lot of guys in front of the net.”
Each shot that Hiller saves builds his confidence, San Jose coach Todd McLellan said, and the confidence his teammates have in him. Do those saves also drain the Sharks’ confidence?
“It can. It definitely can,” the Sharks coach said. “Has it? I’d like to think not.”
Overall, only 12.7 percent of the 291 NHL teams that have trailed 2-0 in a seven-game series have come back to win it. Yet that number surprisingly doubles to 24.4 percent in the 66 instances where a team lost its first two games at home.
WagerWeb.com Trends
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Anaheim.
* Under is 14-3-3 in the last 20 meetings.
* Road team is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
NHL Betting at WagerWeb.com
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
