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Posted at 1:00 PM EST.

10:35 PM EST. OT included. The Predators have created less scoring chances than any team in the NHL. That’s right, in scoring chances per 60 minutes, Nashville is dead last. That does not bode well here against this defense or Martin Jones. Nashville has been absolutely dominated on the road with a 2-4 record but the two wins, a 1-0 victory in Philadelphia and a 2-1 victory in Chicago were both luck driven. Nashville created two high quality scoring chances the entire game in Philadelphia and fired away a mere 20 shots on net in Chicago. The Preds are playing a weak brand of hockey and have paid the price a few times already this year. Their goaltending is also weak.

There are many ways to handicap games. Some handicapper’s use trends, some use analytics, some look at recent results and play current form, some monitor the lines all day and play accordingly and some use a combination of everything. There are even a few geniuses out there who think they can predict the outcome using computer generated results. Whatever way you choose is up to you but what all of the above do not include is the human element and in that regard, one cannot take the human element out of anything. There is not a computer program or a statistic that takes that into consideration but we do. We’re always looking for strong situational plays because they win a high percentage of the time. That brings us to the Sharkies. 

In the last meeting between these two teams last season, Nashville defeated San Jose, 7-2 in late March. Blowouts occur and teams win with dignity and lose with dignity but the Sharks were furious, especially coach Peter DeBoer, who accused the Preds of “rubbing it in”. The Preds were over-celebrating the last two goals and nothing irks a team that is on the losing end of a blowout more than that. Peter DeBoer is an even-keeled coach that is probably the least animated coach in the game. Dude looks like math professor behind the bench so when he says something about a certain display, you know it irked him. The Sharks will be ready tonight, that you can bet on.

Aside from that, the Sharks are becoming a serious force. The Sharks are 6-3-0 in their last nine games, and they’ve been competitive in every one. In each of the three losses, they outshot their opponent. In each of the three losses, they were within one goal late in the game. Over the nine games, they’ve given up a paltry 19 goals, and two were empty net scores. Excluding the empty net goals against, San Jose has allowed three or more goals only once in the last nine games. This is a smothering defense that is not only preventing goals but the offense is generating outstanding chances and possession time in the offensive end and they haven’t even hit their stride yet. Brent Burns, Joe Thornton, and Joe Pavelski – have just five goals between them, and Pavelski’s minus-3 is the best rating of the trio. The second line featuring Logan Couture has been one of the best puck possession lines in the NHL thus far. These Sharks are seriously good and this is a game their well-liked coach has emphasized. A response is in order and even if it wasn’t, San Jose hates this rival and they couldn’t have hand-picked a riper team to beat up on.  

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