The San Jose Sharks (+230) head to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (-280) at Amalie Arena on Tuesday. The total is 6.5 (O: -110, U: -110)San Jose (15-25-11) is coming off a high-scoring 6-4 win over the Penguins on January 28, breaking a streak of four defeats in a row.
The Sharks committed five penalties in the game, conceding two power play goals. Logan Couture led the Sharks with two goals. Kaapo Kahkonen only saved 37 of 41 shots (.902%) in the win.
Tampa Bay (32-16-1) is playing the second of a back-to-back after suffering a 7-1 loss against the Panthers yesterday, breaking a three-game winning streak. Nikita Kucherov netted the lone goal for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy only had 42 saves on 49 shots against (.857%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Lightning won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 4-3 victory in October, their sixth straight win against San Jose. Alex Killorn (1G 1A), Brandon Hagel (0G 2A), and Brayden Point (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Tampa Bay.
Erik Karlsson (2G 0A) and Tomas Hertl (0G 2A) each had two points to lead San Jose. Vasilevskiy got the win despite allowing three goals on 27 shots (.888%).
FACING OFF
San Jose is averaging 3.06 goals per game for the season, 20th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Lightning team that is allowing 3.00 goals a game (14th).
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has found the net 3.57 times a game on average, fifth in the league, and will be looking to exploit the Sharks’ weak defense, which is allowing opponents to score 3.75 goals per game (29th).
Don’t be surprised to see a few power play opportunities for the Sharks, as the Lightning have been penalized 4.59 times a game, fourth-most in the NHL, for an average of 11.49 minutes (fifth-highest).
The visitors are averaging 3.43 penalties (27th) and 8.16 penalty minutes a game (25th). The Lightning’s 26.35% power play percentage is the third-best in the league, while the Sharks rank 23rd with a conversion rate of 19.42%. When it comes to defending power plays, San Jose has the league’s sixth-ranked PK% at 82.31%, while Tampa Bay is 12th at 80.50%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 66 points this season, eighth-most in the NHL, Karlsson is the top skater for the Sharks. He is among the league leaders with 50 assists (3rd) and has added 16 goals of his own. In the net, James Reimer (8-14-6) is San Jose’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 3.31 GAA and a .895% save percentage.
Kucherov leads the Lightning in scoring with 73 points (4th in the league). He has a league-best 53 assists and 20 goals (). Vasilevskiy (23-12-1) is the top goalie for Tampa Bay with a goals against average of 2.51. He has a save percentage of .918%.
HOME AND AWAY
San Jose is 10-13-4 away from home this season. Tampa Bay has won 12 in a row at Amalie Arena this season. Meanwhile, the Lightning are 3-5 without a day off and 3-5 playing with a rest disadvantage. The Sharks are 1-3 with a rest advantage.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
TB Lightning -1.5 (+100)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
