San Jose Sharks vs. Edmonton Oilers: Game 1 prediction
By Josh Hill
The San Jose Sharks are going to try and survive swimming in the oil fields of Edmonton in Game of the Western Conference first-round.
After a season that fans in Edmonton couldn’t believe, the path to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup berth since 2006 is in front of them. It’s not an easy path, but the Oilers completely flipped the script on the team they were a year ago to the team that is now second-best in the Pacific bracket.
San Jose stands as the first speed bump for the Oilers, and the Sharks have their own Stanley Cup demons to exorcise. For years, Brent Burns and his team couldn’t get over the hump of the Conference Finals, consistently putting together great teams that flounder in the playoffs. Last year they finally made it to the Cup Final in what turned out to be merely delaying the depression that had gripped their seasons prior.
Game 1 of this series won’t determine anything but it’s going to be damn good hockey. Aside from the built-in storylines of Stanley Cup thirst, both San Jose and Edmonton present teams that the casual fan needs to see. No matter what happens tonight, if this series goes the distance we all win since that means seven full games (perhaps more) of Conor McDavid.
Watching how he comes out in Game 1 will be key. He’s a rising star in the NHL but this is the first time he’s tasted the postseason. We’ve seen young stars bring their teams to the postseason before but never have they been able to take them all the way. That’s the tall task ahead of McDavid, who is looking for the first playoff points of his career — the leap is huge.
Compounding that is the fact that Edmonton hasn’t been to the postseason since they lost the Stanley Cup back in 2005-06 to Carolina. There will be a lot of nervous vibes in Edmonton, as happy as this occasion is, and that could play a factor.
If San Jose wants to win this series, in which they’re the underdogs (how about that, Edmonton, you’re on top for once), they need to capture a win in Game 1. Forcing the Oilers into a position where Game 2 is suddenly must-win is ideal for the Sharks, who with a win tonight would guarantee a trip back to Edmonton in a fifth game.
The Oilers are young and fun, but the Sharks have experience from deep playoff runs to win this series with endurance. Outlasting the Oilers will not be easy, but they can start by dragging them to the dark depths of the Shark tank with a win in Game 1.
Prediction: Sharks 3, Oilers 2