Tonight’s St Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks showdown is a matchup of polar opposites. The Blues travel to San Jose with the most road wins and points in the NHL. On the other side, the Sharks have the fewest home points in the league. All signs point to the Blues coming away with the two points tonight. The odds at FanDuel Sportsbook back that up, as the Blues are strong favorites for tonight’s tilt.
St Louis Blues (14-8-3) vs San Jose Sharks (8-11-3), NBC Sports California, 9:00 pm ET
Blues in Good Rhythm on the Road Despite Injuries
Home has not been where the wins are for the Blues this season, as they are 4-6-2 on home ice. Whatever the reason is for their struggles at home, they have made up for it on the road. Their four-game road win streak came to an end Saturday, as they lost 4-3 in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings. But no team has more wins (10) or points (21) on the road than the Blues.
That road dominance is keeping the Blues in the top four in the West Division, even as they deal with an injury list as long as a CVS receipt. But the team has received a massive boost in that area, as star forward Vladimir Tarasenko made his season debut Saturday. Tarasenko has played in only 11 games since the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019 due to a shoulder injury initially suffered against the Kings in October 2019. A healthy Tarasenko, who has five 30+ goal seasons, could make a big difference going forward.
Sharks Seeking to Stop Struggles in San Jose
While the Blues are dominant on the road, the Sharks are struggling at home. Well, they are not doing particularly well overall, but they are poorer at home. Yes, they have played only eight home games, but they have only two wins and five points in those games.
Tonight’s game rounds out a seven-game homestand for the Sharks. It has not been pretty so far, as they have only one win. That one win was an impressive 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche, which is their best win of the season. But they have otherwise had a difficult time of it as they have faced the West Division’s current top four. The Sharks have been shutout twice, and they have allowed 28 goals.
The Blues and Sharks have already met once on this homestand, with the Blues taking a 7-6 win in a wild game on February 27. The Sharks have actually had some success against the Blues this season. In five games, the Sharks have won twice (both on the road), and they have one-goal losses in the other three meetings.
As expected, the Blues are a decisive favorite among industry picks for tonight’s matchup. That is the likely outcome, but there is more value in the puck line for the Blues than the moneyline. However, tread with caution there. Of the Blues’ 10 road wins, six have been by one goal.
