After a grueling six weeks of hard-hitting, bone-crunching action that was the NHL Playoffs, the long awaited Stanley Cup is finally here. The Pittsburgh Penguings scratched off the first win, taking the series lead, but the San Jose Sharks will be ready to bite back tonight to even out things. Keep reading for the full game preview…
Skybook offers the best NHL betting odds and hockey futures. Join now and receive incredible bonuses on your deposit.
San Jose Sharks vs Pittsburgh Penguins
- Time: Wednesday, June 01, 2016 8:00 PM ET
- Place: Consol Energy Centre
- Betting Line: Pittsburgh -124
- Total: 5.5
Sharks Betting
Pittsburgh sent a barrage of shots all night long to send a message to San Jose of what they can expect. In fact, with 41 shots it’s the most shots the Sharks have received thus far in the playoffs.
Eventually, something had to crack, and although goalie Martin Jones was impeccable protecting the pipes, two shots hit the mark early in the second period. The Sharks managed to even out the score later on, however, with a few minutes remaining in the final period of the game another score finally sealed the deal for Pittsburgh.
San Jose has what it takes to even out the series and it’s still too early for the Pens to cry victory. With talent such as Joe Pavelski in the ranks, the Sharks will be itching to do their own victory dance tonight.
The Sharks are also a tough on-the-road team. In fact, they were the best road team in the league away from home during the regular season, despite being listed as the underdogs tonight. They have a stifling defense and a capable offense that can shut out power plays and score on the turn of a dime. With Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, you can expect the Sharks to be ready to jump in the fight tonight.
Penguins Betting
It might have come as an unexpected surprise to many Penguins fans, that it wasn’t the team’s stars that saved the night in the game 1. In fact, practically every other, less-known, player was up to snuff on the ice and it was them who got them the 1-0 series lead.
Game 1 was decided in the final minutes of the game. After jumping ahead 2-0 in the second period, with goals from Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary, Nick Bonino scored the game-winning goal with some minutes left in the clock.
The Penguins seem to be on a roll right now and have been improving steadily over the playoffs. This probably shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows the Penguins’ history; this franchise has won the Stanley Cup three times, including the first consecutive win back in 91. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, and Carl Hagelin the Penguins have a fast-action offense that’s quite unforgiving.
Betting Trends
- San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- San Jose is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games on the road
- San Jose is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing San Jose
- Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Jose
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing at home against San Jose
Game Predictions: Sharks win to even out the series.