posted April 22, 2008 at 16:05 in NHL Articles

Calgary Flames (42-30-10) vs. San Jose Sharks (49-23-10)

Tuesday, April 22nd --- HP Pavilion, San Jose --- 10:00pm EST

NHL Betting Line: San Jose -200

Either Calgary is much better than I originally thought, or San Jose is as bad in the playoffs as their reputation supposes. No matter which way you split it – tonight’s online hockey betting game is going to be a barn burner. San Jose is in desperate need of a win, lest their vaunted reputation finally tank in to the depths like many suggest that it should. For a team that is such a consistent playoff bust, they receive far too much praise.

And try not to be too scared of Calgary’s reputation as a poor road team. They score 2.9 goals per game away from home, ranking them sixth in the league. Their road defense is a concern because they allow 3.1 goals against, but the Sharks are not an offensive powerhouse. I mean, they can be, but the numbers suggest that they are not. They averaged only 2.7 goals per game this season.

The Flames are still 3-6 SU in their last 9 road games, but are just the opposite when playing San Jose. They are 6-3 SU in their last 9 against the Sharks, which means that they have confidence when playing San Jose.

Problem is that the Sharks are no pushover at home. They are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games, and clamp down at home with a steady 2.4 goals against, ranking them third in the league. But you have to wonder about a team that is littered with so many big names (*big breath in…Cheechoo, Rivet, Thornton, Marleau, Nabokov, Campbell, Roenick, Grier, Michalek *gasp*) that can’t seem to put a one-dimensional team like Calgary away.

But that shows you just how physical Calgary is, and how important that element is in the NHL playoffs. Especially if you’re betting online on the sportsbook games. For now, however, I will stand by my original pick of San Jose in this series. I’m surprised it pushed to Game 7, but all that means is that San Jose is still the playoff chump that we thought they were. I see them, however, as a clear second-round exit team instead of losing to the Flames in big game with Keenan at the helm.

Bet Sharks in the UNDER but stay the hell away from the puckline. The Sharks are miserable when they need to put up a two-goal win. But Evgeni Nabokov is great enough to keep things quiet in his net with no major problem.

NHL Free Picks: San Jose -200 (UNDER)

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