The San Jose Sharks made a lot of people betting on hockey happy by beating the St. Louis Blues 5-2 in game 6 of the NHL playoffs Western Conference Finals and winning the series 4-2. The team led by Joe Pavelski will not go on to compete for the Stanley Cup championship for the first time in its 25-year history. Goalkeeper Martin Jones is the only Shark who has won the cup – as a backup netminder for the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 – while Dainius Zubrus is the only one of his teammates who has played in Stanley Cup final – actually in two; in 1997 with the Philadelphia Flyers and in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils (both losing efforts).
San Jose will face either the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Pittsburgh Penguins (editor’s note: it’s the Penguins) – in case you’re looking for sportsbook to bet on NHL. As for the Blues, head coach Ken Hitchcock spoke of “the devastation in our locker room” after biting the dust – or in this case, biting the ice. But it’s not all but news; one can only assume that Hitchcock will get a good night’s rest now that he no longer has to “sleep on” which goalie to start. Brian Elliot returned last night after sitting out two games and made 22 saves, but it was too little too late.
Hitchcock’s indecision between Elliot and Jake Allen may have taken a toll on the entire team. If only Hitch could’ve started both at the same time St. Louis might had a chance against the Sharks’ offence – and would have been undoubtedly the favorites of people betting on hockey.
Alas, it’s probably against the rules to have two goalkeepers. Then again, you can’t stop the Sharks; you can only hope to contain them. Pavelski put San Jose ahead in the first period, jamming the puck inside the right post on a wraparound past Elliott, who was looking the other way. D’oh! Joel Ward made it 2-0 in the second period when he deflected Brent Burns’s shot from the point past Elliot. And now to the third period because the highlights are better there.
Ward scored his second goal of the night off a pass from Logan Couture, as did Joonas Donskoi. At 11:39 of the third period and with St. Louis down 4-0, Blues right winger Vladimir Tarasenko decided to score his first two goals of the series – that dog won’t hunt, monsignor. After two assists Couture thought it appropriate to score one of his own – an empty netter with 19 seconds to go to send the Blues packing. The Sharks now have the betting on hockey momentum – speaking of which, when it comes to a sportsbook to bet on NHL remember, hockey’s our friend this year.