17 years after the Vancouver Canucks fell short in the Stanley Cup finals against the New York Rangers in 1994, the franchise has the chance to earn their shot at redemption now one win away from earning their spot in the championship series. The Canucks have San Jose on the ropes up three-games-to-one heading into game five of their Western conference final series Tuesday night, the first of three potential chances to punch their ticket.
San Jose Sharks @ Vancouver Canucks
Tuesday May 24, 2011 – 9:00 PM ET
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Online Sports Betting Odds: Vancouver Canucks – 110
Three second-period powerplay goals powered Vancouver to a 4-2 game four-win Sunday afternoon, forcing the Sharks to the road to keep their postseason hopes alive. The Canucks have outscored San Jose 14-7 in three wins, and as long as the offense continues to click the Presidents trophy winners could have more pay per head hardware headed their way.
NHL Betting Preview: San Jose Sharks
The Sharks did an excellent job of keeping up with Vancouver through the first 20 minutes of game four after earning their first win of the series in game three, but untimely penalties and an inability to capitalize on their own chances ultimately cost them. San Jose failed to capitalize on five consecutive powerplay opportunities to open the game, and then fell apart after taking four straight penalties in the middle frame. The Sharks allowed three goals in a span of less than two minutes, each of them netted when they were two men down. San Jose will need to do a better job on special teams to have a chance to claw their way back into the series, and they won’t have much time to prepare.
NHL Betting Preview: Vancouver Canucks
Henrik Sedin and company needed just 13 shots to pull out the critical game four-win, becoming the first team in NHL scores history to score three goals with a two-man advantage in the playoffs. Henrik assisted on all three of those goals and added another helper on the Canucks’ third period goal to set the franchise record for assists in a game, which increased his total to 19 points to lead all scorers this postseason. Brother Daniel finished with three assists of his own, giving the Sedins a total of 15 points in four games for the series. One more big game could have Vancouver in the Stanley Cup finals, and they will get the opportunity to perform on home ice.
NHL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
The Sharks failed to capitalize on their opportunities in the opening frame of game four, and then looked fatigued in the second as they began taking unnecessary penalties as they fell apart. Two nights later San Jose will be asked to rebound on the road, and it may be a case of not having enough left in the tank to compete with one of the most complete and dominant teams that the league has seen in recent years, leaving the in-state MLB betting teams as California’s only spring hopes.
Gambling Advisor blog Pick: Vancouver Canucks - 120
