Sharks and Blues will be facing each other for the fifth time in the playoffs. (Each team has won two series.) This is the first conference finals meeting.
Twitter list of Blues-centric members
Guarantee: one of these teams will be in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Blues haven’t been in the Finals since 1970. The Sharks have never been.
Sharks forwards average 28.6 years old; Blues 27.2. Sharks defense averages 28.4 years old vs Blues at 26.5. So, the Sharks have the experience, by 1.5-2 years.
Sharks have the slightly (3/100s of inch) taller, but lighter (2+ pounds) forwards, but the shorter (1/2 inch) and heavier (~10 pounds) defensemen, than the Blues.
Sharks were 2-1-0 against the Blues this season.
(Regular season stats…) Blues averaged three more hits/game, but two fewer blocked shots/game. Blues had less than half the giveaways that the Sharks had. Sharks averaged 1:39 less in PIMS/game than Blues. Sharks scored 18 more goals in the season than the Blues, but gave up 10 more. Sharks have the better power play (about 1%), and drew more power play opportunities. Sharks had 63:39 power play time differential compared to the Blues 89:10 more PK time than PP.
Of course, regular season stats mean little in the post season. The Sharks have lead the league in playoff power play effectiveness (30.9%; highest among remaining playoff teams). So, the Blues need to be disciplined, or the Sharks can take advantage. The Sharks have been the more offensive team (3.42/game vs 3.14/game) and better defensively (2.33/game GA vs 2.43 GA/game).
So, how will games play out? On the physical side, definitely. But the Sharks seem to have the offensive and defensive advantage. But that’s all on paper. You have to play the games.
Of the teams remaining, the Sharks have traveled the most in the postseason (and this year, the most in regular season). But the series will be fairly equal travelwise, once things get going. Sharks may have the advantage based on their research and work with Stanford sleep center to counteract jet lag, etc., as they do so much traveling; the Blues may not be as prepared.
Another wrinkle… The NHL has an agreement with Showtime for a weekly summary show. Debut (first week) is May 20. So, the guys will be having cameras hanging around as they practice, prepare, and play.
Prediction: Sharks in 6
- AP series preview
- AP: Brouwer’s experience key to Blues playoff run
- AP: Sharks look to get into first Stanley Cup Final
- AP: Blues stayed the course, now reaping benefits
- SI: Burns, the most interesting man in the NHL
- SI series preview
- Sportsnet series preview
- Sportsnet: Sharks-Blues — who has the advantage at each position?
- Sportsnet: Things we learned – Sharks come up big
- Sportsnet: 58 fun facts from round 2
- Puck Daddy: Con Smythe watch
- Puck Daddy: Conference Finals picks
- CP: Blues on track for Finals (last made it in 1970)
- CBS: Blues not longer a playoff punchline
- CBS predictions
- NBC predictions
- NBC: Stanley Cup odds
Sharks 4/1 - NBC: Marleau – these opportunities don’t come along every year
- USA Today predictions
- Spector’s Hockey picks
- Postmedia: Sharks believe they can get first Stanley Cup Finals berth
- Rotoworld series preview
- Sharks: Five reasons the Sharks advanced to conference finals
- Sharks: Facing the mirror in WCF
- SJMN: Sharks offer no clues on Blues
- SJMN: Road team 3-0 in season series between Sharks and Blues
- SJMN: Patriot’s Gronkowski on Sharks bandwagon
- SJMN: 49ers Kelly rooting on Sharks (and Warriors) in conference finals
- SJMN: Playoff series a tale of the blues
- SJMN Gackle: 5 difference makers for each team
- SJMN: Brutal history of Sharks conference finals
- SJMN: Home not so sweet in the regular season series
- SJMN: Pavelski to face off against college teammate
- SJMN: DeBoer scoffs at regular season results
- SJMN: Nieto still hurting
- SJMN: Polak ready to go against former team (that traded him)
- SJMN WTC: Hitchcock working on ways to shut down Sharks’ power play
- SJMN: Sharks know what their facing in Tarasenko
- SJMN: Burns feature
- SJMN Purdy prediction
- Chron: Finals beckon
- Chron: Sharks have been stymied in conference finals
- Chron: Burns feature
- Blues: Conference Final berth worth the wait
- St Louis Post Dispatch: Hitchcock deserves credit for Blues’ playoff run
- SLPD: Blues know they face big challenge against Sharks
- SLPD: Fine line emerges: Stastny, Brouwer, Fabbri
- SLPD: Blues see Sharks as physical challenge
- SLPD: Blues get over hump after Blackhawks, Stars
- SLPD: Blues need to make home ice advantage
- SLPD: Postseason falling into place
- SLPD: Blues success helping ease pain of losing NFL Rams