Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks Betting Preview
Where: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
When: Tuesday, January 31, 2017, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Chicago Blackhawks (30-16-5)
Moneyline: TBA
A 5-3 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets last Thursday handed the Chicago Blackhawks back-to-back losses entering the All-Star break. They’ll now have the displeasure of returning to regular-season action with six-consecutive road games, beginning with a trip to San Jose this Tuesday.
Chicago’s goalies, Corey Crawford and Scott Darling, have both buckled under pressure in their most recent starts. Darling started last Thursday’s game and allowed two Winnipeg goals within a 32-second span in the third period, while Crawford squandered a lead against Tampa Bay last Tuesday by giving up four goals in the final frame himself. As such, the Blackhawks have surrendered a total of seven goals in the third period of their last two outings.
The team’s top stars haven’t been getting it done on offense as expected, either. Last year’s Calder Memorial Trophy winner, Artemi Panarin, leads Chicago with 21 points on the road this season, but he only has two assists in his last six starts. Patrick Kane has 15 points away from home as well, but has found the back of the net just once over the last 14 games. Kane and Jonathan Toews, who were both announced in the All-Star Game as new entrants to the NHL’s list of 100 greatest players, have uncharacteristically combined for just 21 goals this entire season.
The long road trip ahead might actually be a blessing in disguise for the Blackhawks, as they’ve won six of their last nine contests away from Chi-town. However, they’ve also lost all four of their most recent games against teams with a winning record. And the last time we checked, the Sharks are well above the .500 mark. This now leads us to…
Betting on the San Jose Sharks (31-17-2)
Moneyline: TBA
The San Jose Sharks saw their six-game win streak come to an end last Thursday, with the surging Edmonton Oilers running away with a 4-1 victory in the Bay Area. That loss now puts the Sharks into a 64-point tie with the Oilers for the top spot in the Pacific Division and with the Anaheim Ducks breathing down their necks at just a point behind in the standings.
Goalie Martin Jones had an off-night against Edmonton to say the least. Jones allowed four goals on just 22 shots from the Oilers after giving up no more than two goals in each of his four previous starts – all four having resulted into wins for San Jose.
The Sharks lacked their usual firepower on offense as well last Thursday, but their two best players have still impressed at home. Defenseman Brent Burns – a top candidate for the Norris Trophy this season – has eight goals at the SAP Center, and so does fellow line-mate Joe Pavelski. Burns and Pavelski also have a combined 28 assists at home, and the team will even have young center Tomas Hertl back on ice after a 32-game absence dealing with a knee injury to give San Jose more options on the attack.
Furthermore, the Sharks have smelled blood in the Shark Tank’s waters over the years whenever Chicago pays a visit. They’ve won seven of their last 10 home games versus the Blackhawks, which includes a 2-1 victory on November 23 this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Sharks take another good bite out of the Blackhawks, 4-1.
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