NHL Odds, Pick & Preview: Canucks vs. Sharks (Dec. 16)
Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Elias Pettersson
- The Canucks have won five straight games as they head to San Jose to take on the Sharks.
- The Sharks are looking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss on Tuesday to the Kraken.
- Pat Pickens breaks down the game and give his top pick below.
Canucks vs. Sharks Odds
| Canucks Odds | +110 |
| Sharks Odds | -130 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Vancouver Canucks will try to stay hot when they take to the road for a date against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
The Canucks have won five consecutive games, most recently completing a furious third-period rally in their 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
The Sharks fell at home 3-1 to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday yet are just a point behind the Edmonton Oilers for the second Western Conference wild card spot.
Vancouver Canucks Have Strong Goaltending
The Canucks just haven't lost since they hired Bruce Boudreau as their coach last Sunday and are 7-1 in their past eight games. They just capped a six-game homestand, where they went 5-1, and have climbed within four points of the final Western Conference playoff spot.
The Canucks' goaltending have carried them in that span. They rank third in the NHL in team goaltending (.949) and have the fifth-best High-Danger save percentage since Boudreau took over December 5. Thatcher Demko leads the NHL in goals-saved above average (5.35) in four games since.
Demko, Vancouver's likely starter against San Jose on Thursday, has been one of the best goalies in the game all season despite playing the most minutes of any goalie in the NHL. He boasts a .940 5-on-5 save percentage and has a 4.28 goals-saved above average, which ranks 14th-best in the NHL.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have had something of a roller-coaster season all year, as they have alternated wins and losses over their past five games. San Jose ranks just 28th in 5-on-5 Corsi-for percentage (46.2) and is 23rd in the NHL in Expected Goals percentage at all situations (48.4), according to Natural Stat Trick.
Still, the Sharks are in the playoff hunt largely due to their goaltending. San Jose ranks 12th in the league in team save percentage (.910) and starter James Reimer is tied for sixth in the NHL in save percentage (.936) among qualified goalies. Reimer ranks sixth in the league in goals-saved above average (11.6).
San Jose has had difficulty putting the puck in the net though. The Sharks have scored just 76 goals, tied with the Canucks for the fifth-fewest in the Western Conference, including just five in their past three games.
Canucks vs. Sharks Pick
Vancouver is averaging just 2.5 goals per game this season, and there has been fewer than five goals in four of its past six games. San Jose is averaging about 2.6 goals per game this season, and there have been fewer than four goals in four of its past seven games.
Darryl Sutter famously said years ago that it's a 3-2 league. We expected this game to finish with that score, and at even-money it's got really tasty odds too.
Pick: Under 5.5 (+100)
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