NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Canadiens vs. Sharks (Thursday, October 28)
Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Adin Hill
Canadiens vs. Sharks Odds
| Sharks Odds | -135 |
| Canadiens Odds | +115 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-120 / +100) |
| Time | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBCS |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Montreal Canadiens continue their West Coast road trip on Thursday when they travel to San Jose to take on the Sharks.
San Jose has found some success early on, winning four of its first six games and ranking third in the Pacific Division.
The same can't be said about Montreal, as the Canadiens are just 1-6 through seven games and have not played good hockey.
San Jose is on a two-game losing skid, but it has already picked up a win against Montreal on the road this season. I like the Sharks to go out and do it again on their home ice on Thursday.
Canadiens' Offense = Huge Concern
To say that Montreal has gotten off to a bad start might be an understatement.
In 5-on-5 situations, Montreal has only scored eight total goals (29th overall), is ranked 28th in Expected Goals For per 60 minutes with 1.84 and has only generated 8.54 High-Danger Chances per 60 minutes.
Those poor offensive numbers have caused the Habs to score one goal or less in six of their seven games, ranks them last in goals scored per game with 1.57 and has them only getting off 27.4 shots on goal per game.
The defense has not been great for Montreal either.
The Canadiens do rank inside the top half of the NHL in xGA/60 and HDCA/60, but those two categories don't tell the whole story. They are allowing 3.57 goals per game and have given up the ninth-most goals in 5-on-5 situations, which certainly won't get the job done.
Goaltending has been a large issue for the Habs as well. Jake Allen is expected to start this one, and this season, he has an SV% of .904, HDSV% of .742 and -2.0 Goals Saved Above Expected.
Sharks Have Been Solid Thus Far
The San Jose Sharks have not done anything spectacular from a statistical standpoint, but they have found ways to win games this season.
The Sharks have an xGF/60 of 1.74 and only generate 9.85 High-Danger Chances per 60 minutes, both of which would suggest the offense has not done much.
However, the Sharks average 3.33 goals per game and find themselves inside the top 10 in goals for in 5-on-5. They should be able to find plenty of opportunities against a bad Montreal team.
What San Jose does lack on the offensive end is made up for on defense. As a team in 5-on-5, San Jose has an xGA/60 of 2.05 and an HDCA/60 of 8.82, both of which rank them in the top 11.
The Sharks have also gotten great support from their goalies, James Reimer and Adin Hill. As of Tuesday night no starter has been named, but both present the team with good options.
In 5-on-5 situations, Reimer has an SV% of .965, a HDSV% of 1.000 and 4.0 Goals Saved Above Expected. Hill has been worse in 5-on-5 as he has an SV% of .886 and a HDSV% of .750, but he shut Montreal out earlier this season.
Canadiens vs. Sharks Pick
After going to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, the Habs have fallen to the bottom of the league shockingly quick.
Montreal can't generate offense and its goaltending has been far from sufficient enough to support a bad offensive attack.
San Jose won the previous matchup against Montreal a little more than a week ago by a score of 5-0. The Sharks will likely pick up another win on their home ice and expose Montreal's flaws.
Pick: Sharks ML (-135)
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