The No.1 seed San Jose Sharks get ready to take a bite out of the No.8 seed Anaheim Ducks tonight, April 16, as the Western Conference playoff battle begins. These two are no strangers and there’s bad blood that goes way back. The Sharks lead the Ducks 4-2 this season. NHL oddsmakers at SBGglobal.com have the Sharks as -230 moneyline favs over the Ducks (+190) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals. Be sure to get your 2009 NHL Playoffs San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks Prediction in now at SBGglobal.com
The Ducks know they’re going to have to play dirty, gritty, tough hockey to get past the big bad Sharks. Several years of cheap shots and contentious regular-season games peaked last month when Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov and Ducks star Corey Perry accused each other of dirty play, leading to three brutal late-season games and ending with an after-the-buzzer scrum featuring 64 penalty minutes in Anaheim. Look for Anaheim's George Parros to go up against San Jose's Jody Shelley. The Ducks have one of the NHL's most talented scoring lines with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. Getzlaf leads with 91pts 66 assists while Cory Perry has 32 goals. The Ducks are split between goalies. Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere has won five of his last ten games for a 3.30 GAA, while backup Jonas Hiller has won seven of his last ten starts for a 3.10 GAA.
The Sharks finished with an overall 53-18-11 record with a 32-5-8 home record, the best in the league. They’ve allowed 204 goals this season, the least amount in the league. They produced the third-most goals in the Western Conference with six players who scored at least 20 goals and two who scored over 30. GM Doug Wilson imported three Cup-winning defensemen to revamp the blue line. Those additions were headlined by Dan Boyle, who won with Tampa Bay in 2004. Rob Blake (2001, Colorado) and Brad Lukowich (also in 2004) were the other two champions added to the mix. As you can imagine, these proven vets get major minutes. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov has been great with a 41-11-4-4 record with a 2.44 GAA and a .910 SVPCT. He’s won five of his last ten starts for a 2.70 GAA. The Sharks are at their best when showing off their speed and offensive skill, from Thornton's passing to Patrick Marleau's finishing skills. Thornton currently has 86pts and 61 assists, while Marleau has 38 goals.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Under is 13-3-2 in the last 18 meetings.
- Under is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings in San Jose.
- Ducks are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in San Jose.
- Ducks are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings.
2009 NHL Playoffs San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks
When: Thurs, April 16, 2009 10:00 PM ET
Line: SBGglobal.com
Pick: Sharks -230
Point-Spreads.com 2009 NHL Playoffs San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks
The Bottom Line: It’s going to be a blood bath with the Sharks waking away with Duck guts all over themselves. Go Sharks! Be sure to get your 2009 NHL Playoffs San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks Prediction in now at SBGglobal.com and receive a 60% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit!
