Betting Online Overview
While some sports fans were following the online Preakness betting last week, others were watching hockey analyst Barry Melrose on ESPN. Melrose said that the Sharks need to learn how to attack in the third period and challenge Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo if they want to win the Western Conference finals. The NHL highlights of game two show a San Jose team that was on their heels all night long, and a team that was let down by their goaltender. The Sharks had a horrible defensive game in game two, and a scoring team like Vancouver is going to exploit that.
The Vancouver Canucks decided that Roberto Luongo was playing well enough that the Canucks could attack the Sharks with all five players looking to move the puck up the ice. The result was 31 shots against Luongo and only three goals, where the Canucks generated 38 shots and seven goals. As long as Luongo can hold up against the Sharks offensive push, the Canucks will continue to play strong offensive hockey. But if the sports bookie software tide starts to shift back to the Sharks scoring goals on a weak Luongo, then the Canucks could be in trouble.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks will have to play the role that they forced the Detroit Red Wings into in the Western Conference semifinals in that San Jose will have to come from behind to win the series. This third game is critical. The Sharks stand a chance of coming back from a 2-1 deficit in the series, but at 3-0 the Sharks are done. Vancouver can win one of the four remaining games to move on to the finals. The Sharks defensive problems are a combination of the San Jose defense standing flatfooted as the Canucks fly around them, and goaltender Antti Niemi fighting the puck. The Canucks own the front of the San Jose net, and there is little Niemi can do about point blank one-timers from 10 feet in front of the net. But there were several goals in game two that Niemi either mishandled or was out of position. San Jose needs to step up their defensive play and get more out of their goaltender if they want to win this series.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks played strong defense in the second and third periods of game two, allowing only nine shots in each period. Roberto Luongo was more than up to the task as he turned away all but one of the final 18 shots. Where Luongo impressed everyone is when he turned away 11 of the 13 shots in the first period. The Canucks developed a game plan around Luongo’s strong play, and the goaltender came through. Expect the same approach for the rest of the series from Vancouver, unless Luongo begins to falter.
The Bottom Line
The Sharks look over-matched in this series. They are not skating like they did in the first two series, and they are not hitting like they did all season long. The Sharks are coming up against some familiar failures in the playoffs, and it could be their undoing again as they fall to the Canucks.
Pick: Vancouver Canucks
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