St. Louis Blues vs. San Jose Sharks: How they match up in Western Conference finals
A look at the NHL playoff matchup between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks:
Western Conference finals
ST. LOUIS BLUES 49-24-9, 107
Round 1: def. Chicago, 4-3.
Round 2: def. Dallas, 4-3.
SAN JOSE SHARKS 46-30-6, 98
Round 1: def. KINGS, 4-1.
Round 2: def. Nashville, 4-3.
Power play: Season — Blues 21.5 % (sixth); Sharks 22.5% (third). Playoffs — Blues 27.5% (fourth); Sharks 31% (second).
Penalty killing: Season — Blues 85.1% (third); Sharks 80.5% (21st). Playoffs — Blues 79.5% (eighth); Sharks 82.4% (seventh).
Top scorers: Season — Blues, Vladimir Tarasenko 40-34—74; Sharks, Joe Thornton 19-63—82. Playoffs — Blues, Tarasenko 7-6—13; Sharks, Logan Couture 7-10—17.
Outlook: The line of Robby Fabbri (three goals, 13 points), Paul Stastny (three goals, nine points) and Troy Brouwer (five goals, 10 points) boosted the Blues past the Stars and lifted the team’s playoff-best average to 3.42 goals per game. Tarasenko’s speed and skill will create problems for the Sharks, though they can match bruiser David Backes’ size. Brian Elliott (2.29 goals-against average, .929 save percentage) stumbled in Game 6 against Dallas but rebounded in Game 7. The Sharks got fine goaltending from Martin Jones (2.27, .918) and are averaging 3.14 goals per game. Defenseman Brent Burns (four goals, 15 points) has been a workhorse, and forward Joe Pavelski (nine goals, 13 points) has been a strong leader.
The pick: Very close. Blues in seven.
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