Survival of the fittest: San Jose Sharks take on Colorado Avalanche – NHL Preview
It could not get more interesting than this – Two teams with the same number of points in the National Hockey League (NHL) Western Conference, ranked below the comfort zone, playing against each other and the winner might secure a playoff spot.
Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks will face each other on Monday, March 26, 2012, at HP Pavilion, San Jose, California.
Let’s take a look at both teams.
Avalanche
They are ranked at 10th spot in the Western Conference with 86 points after 77 games. The eighth-ranked Los Angeles Kings also have the same number of points and a victory for Avalanche can also dent Kings’ chances.
Out of the last five games, Avalanche have lost three and are currently on a two-game losing streak with the defeats coming against Phoenix Coyotes (3-2) and Vancouver Canucks (3-2 in overtime).
In their last game, Avalanche lost the game after successfully gaining a handsome lead. They scored a goal in the first period and added another in the second, but allowed Canucks to rally as the latter scored two goals in the same period.
Both teams tried hard to score in the final period, but no scoring move was made and overtime was called. Canucks eventually scored to win the game.
With the game against Sharks, Avalanche will kick off their three-game road trip. Centre, Ryan O'Reilly, said:
"We have to get over it, move on and get ready for this road trip. We know that other teams have a couple of games in hand on us. ... We can't control if we make the playoffs. We can control how we play each game. We just have to stay focused on that."
Sharks
They are ranked at ninth spot in the Western Conference with 86 points. The only advantage is that they have played 75 games and still have more games to play in the regular season than Colorado.
Sharks are presently on a two-game winning streak with the victories coming against Boston Bruins (2-1) and Phoenix Coyotes (4-3 after shootout).
Sharks’ left wing, Ryane Clowe, said of the team’s recent victories:
"The last two games, I like how we're going. When something happens we just forget about it. When we play with this sort of moxie, we make it hard on other teams."
Predictions
Since Sharks are on a winning run, they are favourites.
The sum of goals scored by both teams might stay under six.
If Avalanche win, the winning margin will be less than two goals.
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