In this article, we will formulate a San Jose Sharks vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction for this NHL game on Tuesday, November 5th, at the SAP Center.
Shark Look to Bounce Back
The Sharks are looking to bounce back after they were defeated against the Vancouver Canucks, Mikael Granlund scored a goal but the offense wasn’t good enough. Mackenzie Blackwood was in goal, and he saved 24 of the 27 shots that he faced. Two games ago, against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Sharks were able to secure a 3-2 victory.
The Sharks are averaging 2.46 goals, while their defense is giving up 3.76 goals per game. The offense is ranked 28th in the league, while the defense is ranked 29th. This has been a bad season and the lack of scoring has really put a heck of a lot of pressure on the offense. In this game, the Sharks are going to need the offense to jump out to a fast start.
Blue Jackets Have Lost Two Straight
The Blue Jackets are struggling and they have lost two straight games. In the last game against the Washington Capitals the Blue Jackets scored two goals while the defense gave up seven goals and that led to the defeat. Kevin Labanc scored a goal and Damon Severson also added a goal. Danill Tarasov saved 15 of the 22 that he faced. The goaltending is going to need to be a lot better, or this is going to be a long game.
The Blue Jackets are averaging 3.55 goals, while their defense is giving up 3.45 goals per game. The offense is ranked 10th in the league, while the defense is ranked 25th. The defense has been too inconsistent.
Why the Blue Jackets Will Beat the Sharks
- The Sharks have lost 18 of their last 19 night games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Blue Jackets have won each of their last four games against the Sharks.
- The Blue Jackets have covered the puck line in five of their last six night games against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Sharks have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five night games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Sharks have lost the first period in six of their last seven games as underdogs following a loss.
San Jose Sharks vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction
The Sharks’ offense has been awful all season, averaging only 2.46 goals per game, and that is going to be the difference here. The Blue Jackets defense hasn’t been exactly great, but the Sharks’ offense can make any defense look good. I do expect the Sharks defense is going to step up in a big way also though, and that will be the difference here as this game is going to stay under the total.