Sunday, May 15, 2016

2016 Western Conference Final Preview: Sharks vs Blues


The St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks will meet in the Western Conference Finals, as they vie to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup. San Jose took the season series from the Blues, winning the first two meetings. 

The Sharks shocked the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, winning the series in five games. In the Semifinals, the Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators in seven games, after they played a nearly flawless Game 7. The Blues defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in seven games, after nearly blowing a 3-1 series lead. 

In the Semifinals, the Blues dominated in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars, which gave them the 4-3 series win. San Jose has gotten to this point because of a balanced attack. Center Logan Couture has 17 points, including a league high 11 points during the second round. Brent Burns, a Norris Trophy finalist, has 15 points, to lead all defensemen on the team. 

Veteran centers Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton have combined for 24 points throughout the playoffs. The biggest surprise perhaps, has been the starting goalie for the Sharks. Goalie Martin Jones has been 8-4 with a 2.16 GAA. If you could draw a similar team to the Sharks, it’s the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are led by defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk, who have combined for 16 points in the playoffs. 

On offense, the team is led by Vladimir Tarasenko, who has 13 points in the postseason. What might separate the teams a little is the Blues netminder. Brain Eliott has been one the league’s best goalies throughout the year. In the playoffs, Elliott is 8-6, with a playoff high .929 save percentage. These two teams couldn’t be more evenly matched. Both play similar styles, as they both like to play physical hockey. What will make the difference in this series is goaltending.

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