Sharks - Flames Series Outlook
By Judd Hall
No. 2 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 7 Calgary Flames
Series Price: San Jose -270, Calgary +230
Series Format: San Jose, 2-2-1-1-1
Skinny: There was no team that impressed more at the close of the season than the Sharks. They won 18 of their last 22 games, covering the all important puck line in nine of those victories. And San Jose is getting offensive production from the much maligned Patrick Marleau. He has scored 19 goals this year, while Joe Thornton paced the squad with 29 lamp lighters.
San Jose also has seen its defense improve a great deal over the season thanks to Craig Rivet having a full year in Ron Wilson’s system. The Sharks also picked up Brian Campbell from Buffalo and he has gelled with the team with no issues whatsoever.
Calgary boasts an offense that has four 60-point scorers. Jarome Iginla leads the charge with 50 goals…the most he’s posted since the 2001-2002 season. The Flames have received strong output from Daymond Langkow (30 goals, 35 assists), Dion Phaneuf (18 goals, 40 assists) and Kristian Huselius (25 goals, 41 assists) is finally out of Mike Keenan’s doghouse.
The Flames also have a shut down defensemen in Wayne Primeau and Stephane Yelle. And that doesn’t even take into account Phaneuf’s ability to flat out knock the taste out of any forwards mouth.
Since both teams have great defenses, which means the goaltenders have prospered a great deal. Evgeni Nabokov was tops amongst NHL netminders with his 46-21-8 record and 2.14 GAA in 77 appearances. Meanwhile, Miikka Kiprusoff was just behind him at 39-26-10 with a 2.69 GAA in 76 starts.
Gambling Notes: The Flames have gone just 3-6 in their last nine road matches during the regular season. San Jose, on the other hand, is 8-2 in its final 10 tilts at the HP Pavilion.
Those numbers would mean that the Sharks would be the safe play though, right? Wrong.
Calgary has held its own in the Silicon Valley as evidenced by the 4-3 SU and PL record. Also, the Flames have gone 4-1 SU in their last five head-to-head tilts with San Jose since February 2007.
Outlook: Everyone and their degenerate mother is taking the Sharks to win this series. I just don’t see it though. San Jose dropped two straight heading into the playoffs and it’s my experience that teams slump after a coming off of a huge win streak.
San Jose is also banking on Thornton and Jeremy Roenick to lead the way. The former Hart Trophy winner has scored 240 goals in his NHL career, but just nine in the playoffs…three of which have been in a Sharks sweater. Roenick has never been a consistent performer in April either, averaging .85 points per game in 136 postseason appearances.
Now look at the Flames and you’ve got a team that is playoff tested with Iginla and Kiprusoff coming within a victory of a Stanley Cup in 2004. It’s a team that has dealt with the pressure well and have a coach that actually won something of merit in Keenan. Not to knock Wilson’s Finals sweep with Washington at the hands of the Red Wings in 1998.
The Flames will win this series in six games…mark it down now.
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