San Jose Sharks Picks
6th in Pacific
(8 - 11)
Next Game
PIT @ SJ Picks
NHL PicksI like the Pittsburgh Penguins to 58%.
They have managed a 51.7 xGF% at 5-on-5 over the past month, good for 11th in the league.
Two things in particular have held them back: the power play and goaltending.
Luckily for them, neither should be as problematic against the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are last in xG suppression on the kill this season, and they are also last in shooting percentage.
The San Jose Sharks have been a giant disappointment to begin the season, but there are some reasons to be optimistic about them today.
The Penguins are playing the first game of their West Coast road trip and have zero regulation wins over their last six games. This is an offense being led by Nick Robertson's seven goals, despite the forward playing just 12 minutes a night and recording only one point over his last seven games. The Sharks got a boost with the return of Alex Wennberg. It might not seem like much, but the forward returned after missing 10 games, during which the club went 3-7 SU, and immediately played over 23 minutes in a 3-2 win over the Islanders. San Jose also outshot New York 43-31, with its 43 shots on net marking a season high. It's a tough travel spot for the visitors, and the Sharks should be closer to 48% probable today. They also got a lot of weight off their shoulders with that win over the Islanders.
Erik Karlsson is playable for an assist to 57%.
He is leading the team in on-ice expected goals (26.93) while playing 60 more minutes than anybody else on the roster.
Karlsson has assisted in seven of eight games against Bottom-12 defenses, and the Sharks are tied for 24th in goals against.
Macklin Celebrini is still one point shy of 200 for his career, and Pittsburgh offers a favorable matchup. The Penguins have surrendered 65 goals and lost five of their last six games, while expected starter Arturs Silovs owns an .873 save percentage. Celebrini has three assists in his last five outings, and I'm backing his playmaking to deliver the milestone tonight.
I’m expecting Pittsburgh to control a lot of this game at 5-on-5 and get a win as a result.
Erik Karlsson has picked up a helper in 12 of 18 games thus far, including seven of eight against Bottom-12 defenses.
Macklin Celebrini recorded at least four shots in 82% of games when playing 23+ minutes last season, and sits at 78% this year (seven of nine). He has logged 23+ in seven of the past eight.