Posted on
5/2/2008 2:57:22 PM
NHL Furious Playoff Picks 2008 – Dallas to Dismantle San Jose
By Tim Furious
Dallas Stars (45-30-7) vs. San Jose Sharks (49-23-10)
Friday, May 2nd --- HP Pavilion, San Jose --- 10:00pm EST
Series: Dal 3-1
NHL Betting Line: San Jose -145
So San Jose staved elimination in Game 4 and now I’m supposed to have faith in them as moderate online betting favorites tonight? Why now? Why should I all of a sudden swing my way back to a team that has been so consistently pathetic in the playoffs? Only three teams have pushed a series to Game 6 after kneeling down to an 0-3 series deficit. Can the Sharks be the fourth?
Sure the Sharks have every reason to be confident. Why not? They won 49 games this year and, on paper, have a far superior team. And now they’re playing back in the Shark Tank in the comforts of San Jose. I’d be happier if, you know, they hadn’t lost Games 1 and 2 while being outscored 8-4 in the process.
Dallas has gone 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road and are extremely comfortable when playing the Sharks. They’re not going to let one loss get to them. They are still a devastating 8-1 SU when playing on the road in San Jose. That’s absurd, especially when the Sharks outmuscle the Stars in size.
Chalk it up to Joe Thornton who, despite his heroic efforts in Game 4 to pull the Sharks back from the brink of elimination, has been about as mediocre as you get for a man of his potential and talent. It’s like he lacks a killer instinct. He might want to learn a thing or two from Brad Richards, who has 10 points in the post season. And he’s not even leading the team in points – Mike Ribeiro is with 13 (3 goals, 10 assists).
I just don’t see it in the Sharks. I just don’t. They were pushed to the brink by Calgary, and now they’ve become the play things of the Dallas Stars. This team needs to dismantle and repair because, for whatever reason, the roster they have simply isn’t getting it done.
Bet on the Stars tonight in a hard fought matchup that will stay in the UNDER due to the unearthly goaltending on both sides of the ice. Honestly, Dallas as a road dog with an 8-1 SU record on the road against San Jose is an insanely good value pick.
NHL Furious Free Pick: Dallas +125 (UNDER)
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