The Nashville Predators will face the San Jose Sharks Saturday night. Both of these teams have 79 points and sit at eighth and ninth in the Western Conference. The Predators were one of the hottest teams in hockey a few weeks ago but have now dropped 3 of their last 4 games. The exact opposite can be said for the Sharks. They were in a slump and have now won 4 straight games while averaging 4 goals per game. In their sole head-to-head this season, the Predators won 6-3 but were outshot 30 to 19 with more penalty minutes. This is a huge game with serious playoff implications.
In looking at the statistics, the Sharks rank seventh in shooting percentage this season. They also average slightly more goals per game compared to the Predators. Nashville gives up more powerplay opportunities, which could play a major role against a rolling Sharks team. San Jose also comes into this one with the second-best record in the Western Conference over the last 5 games. Overall, I am rolling with the Sharks to extend the streak and get the win.
Predators vs Sharks Prediction: San Jose ML (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.