The Vancouver Canucks face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, April 11, at SAP Center with more than pride at stake. Vancouver can avoid a sweep in the four-game regular-season series with a win, while San Jose is still chasing a Western Conference wild-card berth.
The matchup is priced with a total of 6.5, and the numbers point to another tight game. The Canucks rank last in scoring, the Sharks are 26th, and Vancouver has gone under seven goals in each of its last two games. San Jose has also seen eight of its last nine home games after a road loss go under the total.
That fits the recent form of both teams. Before Saturday, Vancouver had just one win in its last 11 games, and in seven of those losses it scored two goals or fewer. San Jose arrives after back-to-back losses to Edmonton and Dallas by a combined three goals, leaving it four points back of a playoff spot in the West.
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There is at least one player capable of changing the shape of the night. Macklin Celebrini is seventh in NHL scoring with 42 goals, while Jake DeBrusk has recorded three or more shots on goal in seven of his last 11 contests and has done so in three of his last four games against San Jose, along with five of his last 13 overall against the Sharks.
Eric said to expect a defensive battle in this Pacific Division showdown, and the setup supports that view. The odds were correct at the time of publishing and remain subject to change, but the story for both teams is already clear: Vancouver needs a result to keep its season from sliding further, and San Jose cannot afford to let another home game slip if it wants to stay in the chase.
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For the Canucks, this is a chance to stop the bleeding. For the Sharks, it is a chance to keep the playoff picture within reach without letting a low-scoring game turn into another missed opportunity.
