The San Jose Sharks are gunning for a third straight road win on Monday as they get set to make their first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 as +135 betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Crucial road victories in Games 2 and 5 powered San Jose to a six-game series win over the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final, lifting their league-best road win total this season to 33 games heading into Monday’s Sharks vs. Penguins betting matchup at Consol Energy Center.
After posting 28 road victories during the regular season, the Sharks have continued their road warrior ways in the postseason, winning five of nine away from the SAP Center, and have surrendered just five total goals over their past three road contests.
Goaltending has played a crucial role in the Sharks’ march to the Stanley Cup Final, with Martin Jones rising to the occasion during his first NHL playoff run, leading the Sharks to underdog series wins over the Blues and the Los Angeles Kings.
With Jones holding opponents to just 13 total goals over his past seven outings, the Sharks’ skaters have been able to focus on offense, outshooting opponents in five of their past seven while racking up 27 total goals, pushing the total OVER in each of their past three games.
Game 1 marks Pittsburgh’s first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since their last championship victory in 2009. It has been a tale of two seasons for the Penguins, who struggled to find the net during an early-season string of mediocrity which culminated in the firing of coach Mike Johnston.
The Penguins have been a different club under bench boss Mike Sullivan, finishing the regular season on a 27-10 run, including wins in 14 of their final 16 games according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
Pittsburgh needed seven games to get past the wounded Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, but get the nod from oddsmakers as a solid -155 favorite to take Game 1, and is a slim -120 favorite on the NHL series prices.
Young goaltending has also played a crucial role in the Penguins’ playoff success, with 22-year-old Matt Murray taking over in place of injured veteran Marc-Andre Fleury to record 11 of the club’s 12 postseason wins, improving to 20-7 on the season.
The clubs split a pair of games this season, each posting road wins, but San Jose has dominated historically, winning 15 of 20 meetings with the Penguins dating back to 1999.