LA Kings vs San Jose Sharks -NHL Playoff Free Pick – Thursday April 14, 2011
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Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks NHL Pick
Date/Time: Thursday, April 14, 10:00 PM ET
Venue: HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.
Broadcast: Versus
Money Line: San Jose -200, Los Angeles +170
Spread: San Jose -1.5
Over/Under: 5 over -125
For the first time in NHL history, all three franchises located in the state of California have qualified for the post-season. Two of them will face each other in the first round as the second seeded and Pacific Division champion San Jose Sharks take on the seventh seeded Los Angeles Kings.
These two division rivals met six times during the regular season. Each club won three times against the other, with the Kings winning two of those in a shootout. Each team won once on the road against the other, and three of the six contests were decided by one goal.
The Sharks have qualified for the playoffs for a 12th consecutive season, and have now won the Pacific Division title in each of the last four seasons. But for hockey fans in northern California, just making the playoffs and winning the regular season title in their division is no longer enough. They reached the conference finals last season after being bounced early in the previous few seasons.
Patrick Marleau led the Sharks in goals with 37 this season, and also with 73 points. Additionally, Marleau led the club with nine game-winning goals, and was tied for the club lead with 11 power play tallies. Eight of those points came in the six games against the Kings. Joe Thornton led San Jose in assists with 49, while Dany Heatley was big on the power play scoring 11 man-advantage goals.
One area that many observing the Sharks feel gives them a better chance this season is in goal. Antti Niemi won the Stanley Cup last season with Chicago, and has been solid down the stretch of the season for the Sharks.
The Kings limp into the playoffs without their leading scorer, Anze Kopitar, who was lost for the season to torn ligaments in his ankle. Los Angeles is in post-season for the second straight season after sitting out of the post-season party the previous seven campaigns.
Dustin Brown is the Kings captain and wound up leading the club in goals with 28, one of six players on the Kings to surpass 20+ goals this season. Four of those goals came in competition against San Jose.
Jonathan Quick will get the start for the Kings in goal, and will need to put his last effort against San Jose behind him. He was pulled midway through the second period after surrendering four goals on 11 shots.
The odds makers have the San Jose Sharks as a -1.5 point favorite with an over/under of 5.
Check out the latest NHL Hockey Odds here.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Sharks – Niemi seems to be dialed in right now for the Sharks. This series will be very competitive despite the Kings not having their best player (Kopitar) due to injury. Don’t let the late-season 6-1 victory by the Sharks fool you into thinking this will be a short series. But the Sharks will be ready in the opener.
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San Jose Sharks Betting Trends:
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose’s last 6 games
- San Jose is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose’s last 6 games at home
- San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Los Angeles Kings Betting Trends:
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles’s last 8 games
- Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- Los Angeles is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
- Los Angeles is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against San Jose
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