Colorado Avalanche vs San Jose Sharks Preview

Sports Book Preview

The March Madness betting is underway, and the San Jose Sharks have decided to finally make their move. Even though the Sharks were relatively quiet at this year’s trade deadline, NHL experts still expect the Sharks to push their way up the standings. The price per head NHL observers had left the Sharks for dead just 20 games ago. But many of the Sharks’ big name players are finally playing up to potential and pushing the Sharks towards the top of the Western Conference.

The Colorado Avalanche had great plans for their 2010-2011 showing. Goaltender Craig Anderson was supposed to lead the young Avalanche team to the top of the conference and deep into the playoffs. However, an early season injury to Anderson delayed his debut, and the Avalanche suffered. When Anderson did come back, things did not work out as he would have hoped. Both he and the Avalance played poorly—leading Anderson to be traded to Ottawa—and the Avalanche collapsed to the bottom of the Western Conference.

Colorado Avalanche

A team that thought it had all the answers in the off-season suddenly finds itself back to square one and rebuilding for next year. The Avalanche’s playoff run last season was a glimmer of hope for the once proud franchise. But as this season wears on, the hopes for it are dashed. In the last 10 games, the Avalanche are 1-8-1 and riding a three-game losing streak. They have no goaltending, their scoring punch has been diluted, and the team is wading in the waters while waiting for the season to mercifully end. There may not be many moves by the Avalanche at the trade deadline this season, but look for major moves in the off-season to try and bring that spark back to Denver.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks used to be one of the best regular season teams in the league. But winning in the regular season did not translate into Stanley Cups, so changes were made. The biggest change was to jettison goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and replace him with Stanley Cup champion goalie Antti Niemi. At the beginning of the season, the move looked to be a bad one. In the last 20 games, however, Niemi has stepped up his game and the Sharks are now third in the Western Conference. San Jose is 8-2-0 in the last 10 games including an impressive six-game winning streak. There is no indication that the Avalanche will be able to put a stop to the Sharks’s winning ways.

The Bottom Line

You have to feel for the Colorado Avalanche and their fans. Everyone in Denver was ready for the season to begin, and now they are praying for it to end. There is almost nothing that the Avalanche can do to stop the incredible roll that the Sharks are currently on.

Pick: San Jose Sharks

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