The San Jose Sharks needed overtime to get past the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 on Wednesday night and now have a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. St. Louis had stolen home-ice advantage away from the Sharks, but quickly gave it right back in their first home game of the series. San Jose will now look to take complete control over the Blues with a victory in Game 4 on Friday night.
St. Louis just can’t seem to find their magic on home ice, but they face a must-win situation in Game 4. The Blues are hoping to improve their home playoff record to 4-5 in these playoffs, and a loss would be costly. San Jose would love to end this series as quickly as possible and earn some rest before the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks have gone just 3-4 on the road in the playoffs but have the talent to get it done. St. Louis is -133 over the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 on Friday night.
Sharks Have Plenty of Offense
The San Jose Sharks were the second highest scoring team in the NHL during the regular season, and they have been scoring goals like crazy in the postseason. San Jose has already scored 13 goals in this series, and have seven different players with at least 10 points in the postseason. The Sharks have struggled to stop opponents at times in the playoffs, but their offense usually finds a way to bail them out.
Captain and leading scorer Joe Pavelski was forced to miss some time in these playoffs, but the Sharks have had several other players step up. Center Logan Couture is leading the team with 14 goals and 20 points in these playoffs and is the frontrunner to win the Conn Smythe Award. Defenseman Erik Karlsson joined the scoring party with two goals in the Game 3 win to get up to 15 points in the playoffs.
Blues Need Binnington To Be Better
The St. Louis Blues found plenty of offense in their Game 3 loss, but their goaltender continued to let them down. Jordan Binnington looked sharp through the first two periods but gave up the final two goals of the game. The rookie has now stopped just over 90 percent of the shots he has faced, and the Blues need a better performance in Game 4.
Left winger Jaden Schwartz has been the offensive star in the playoffs for the Blues, leading the team with nine goals and 13 points. St. Louis exploded for four goals in the second period of Game 3, but they have struggled to get consistent scoring. Vladimir Tarasenko is the most dangerous player on the Blues roster, but he has tallied just six goals in the first 16 games. There is no doubt that the Blues are going to have to score goals to beat the Sharks.
St. Louis Gets Huge Game 4 Win
If the St. Louis Blues are going to move on to the Stanley Cup Finals, then they must win Game 4 on Friday night. The Blues won’t be able to bounce back from a 3-1 deficit, and they can’t lose back-to-back home games. San Jose has been getting a ton of breaks in the playoffs, but that won’t happen in this game. Bet the St. Louis Blues -133 over the San Jose Sharks.
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