The San Jose Sharks posted the worst home-ice record of any team to make the playoffs. The Nashville Predators have never reached the conference final. Something has to give as these teams meet in Game 7 at the Shark Tank.
To defeat the Sharks in Game 7 at move on to face the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference final, the Predators will be required to do something they've never done in franchise history - win a playoff game at San Jose's SAP Center. The Predators are 0-7 in the Shark Tank during postseason play, but prior to their first round against the Anaheim Ducks, they'd never played a Game 7 before and they won that, so never say never. Visiting teams are 2-1 in Game 7 so far in this spring's playoffs and the team that scores first is 3-0.
While the Predators have never played in a conference final, the Sharks will be seeking to advance to that stage for the fourth time, but for the first time since 2011. The home team has won all six games in this series and the Sharks, who won just 18 of 41 regular-season games at the SAP Center, 26th overall in the NHL, are 4-0 there in the playoffs. Both coaches - Nashville's Peter Laviolette (5-1) and San Jose's Peter DeBoer (1-0) - are success stories in Game 7.
Laviolette moved Viktor Arvidsson up to the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen for Game 6 and Arvidsson responded by scoring the overtime winner for Nashville.
It was his first career Stanley Cup goal and second goal in 32 games. Colin Wilson, who scored the goal that sent the game to OT, is riding a franchise-record seven-game point streak (4-5-9) and his 5-8-13 numbers lead the team in playoff scoring. Wilson tallied 6-18-24 totals in 64 regular season games.
Sharks center Logan Couture has 5-3-8 totals in this series. San Jose's Brent Burns leads all defensemen in Stanley Cup scoring with 15 points. Sharks winger Matt Nieto (undisclosed injury) did not practice Wednesday. If he can't go, Tommy Wingels would draw in on the fourth line and Melker Karlsson would move up to Nieto's spot on the third line.
Pick: The Sharks (-179)
Category : News
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