The top-seeded Vancouver Canucks visit the San Jose Sharks tonight, Friday May 20th, for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, at HP Pavilion. The Canucks lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 over the Sharks. NHL oddsmakers have the Sharks as -125 moneyline home favourites over the Canucks (+105) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals. Be sure to check the Canucks vs Sharks NHL Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Vancouver (10-5, 3-2 V) beat the Sharks badly in Game 2 winning 7-3, at home. Daniel Sedin scored twice, while Chris Higgins added a goal and two assists. Higgins' goal in the third period proved to be the game winner for the Canucks, who had 12 different players record a point on Wednesday. Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis each had three assists for the Canucks, who got 28 saves from Roberto Luongo. Luongo is 10-5 in the playoffs with a 2.28GAA. Kevin Bieksa and Mason Raymond each had a goal and an assist while Raffi Torres and Aaron Rome added a goal each in the win. "We played a real solid game tonight at both ends of the rink," said Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault. "We've talked about playing whistle to whistle and staying disciplined and we've done that throughout the playoffs." Canucks forward Mikael Samuelsson, who has missed the last three games, is out indefinitely after having surgery Thursday to repair his adductor tendon and a sports hernia. The veteran Swede has one goal and two assists this postseason.
San Jose (8-7, 4-3 H) played an ugly dirty game that resulted in seven penalties. Discipline has been a problem for the Sharks during the Western Conference Final. Just ask Ben Eager. "You got to stay out of the box," said Eager, who had 20 penalty minutes during Game 2 against the Canucks. "Vancouver has a great power play, and they showed it a few times last night what they can do with it. I have to play on the right side of the line." Ben Eager, Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture each scored for the Sharks, while Antti Niemi was lit up for all seven goals on 38 shots. Niemi is 7-7 in the playoffs with a 3.30GAA. "They had more battle in their game than we did and at this time of the year if you have more battle you are going to win," said San Jose head coach Todd McLellan. "You can't chase this team cause they're too good. You either have to play with them or ahead of them." If the Sharks want to avoid falling into a 3-0 series hole, they'll need to avoid another parade to the penalty box. The Canucks had the NHL's top-ranked power play in the regular season and have scored on 25.5 percent of their chances during the playoffs.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in San Jose.
Canucks are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Favorite is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings.
Over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Home team is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.
Canucks are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings in San Jose.
Canucks are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Canucks are 9-1 in their last 10 Friday games.
Canucks are 15-3 in their last 18 vs. Pacific.
Canucks are 4-1 in their last 5 games as a road underdog.
Sharks are 0-8 in their last 8 Conference Finals games.
Canucks vs Sharks
When: Friday, May 20, 9:00 PM ET
Pick: Canucks -155
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NHL Point Spreads before Canucks vs Sharks game.
The Bottom Line: The Sharks could get the win tonight, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the Canucks steal this one. Be sure to check Canucks vs Sharks Hockey Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
