AVS PULL OFF GAME ONE UPSET OF TOP SEEDED SHARKS

The San Jose Sharks have a reputation for being a team that plays well in the regular season and struggles in the playoffs.  Last year, for example, San Jose finished the regular season with the best record in the NHL only to be dumped from the playoffs in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks.  Still, it’s hard not to feel sorry for the team after a tough game 1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.   With the game tied 1-1 in the final minute of regulation, a centering pass by Colorado’s Chris Stewart took a bad bounce off of San Jose defenseman Rob Blake’s skate and into his own net giving the Avalanche a 2-1 victory.

While it was a tough way for the Sharks to lose a hockey game, NHL betting enthusiasts who had backed the visiting Avalanche as +200 underdogs will gladly take the financial windfall.  San Jose had been a -240 favorite in game one only to see their postseason nightmares continue.  The 3 goals scored went well UNDER the posted total of 5’.  8 of the last 13 meetings overall have gone UNDER the total including 6 of the last 7 games in San Jose.

Afterwards, winning goal scorer Chris Stewart wasn’t making any excuses for how his team had won the game:

"We're confident. We knew we're the underdog and it's been the situation all year. I thought we proved everyone wrong in the regular season and we want to do it again in the playoffs."

Following a scoreless first period, Colorado took a 1-0 lead midway through the second on John-Michael Liles’ power play goal assisted by Matt Duchesne and Paul Stastny.   The Sharks tied the game 8 minutes into the third period on Ryane Clowe’s goal set up by Devin Setoguchi and  Marc-Edouard Vlasic.  The game looked like it was headed to overtime before Stewart’s pass hit Blake’s skate in front of the San Jose net and slipped past goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.
 
San Jose coach Todd McLellan is hoping his team will maintain their confidence despite the nature of the loss:

"Nabby was set, was in good position. It went off Blake's skate. That happens. There's nothing we can change there. There's nothing we can do about that. It's a break that went their way. Bad break."

Game two will be back in San Jose on Friday night.  The Sharks are a -270 favorite in what has to be described as a ‘must win’ situation for them.  The total is set at 5’ UNDER -140.