Sharks vs. Oilers Game 2 prediction

The Sharks and Oilers battled in an action-packed overtime thriller in Game 1, and San Jose will look to utilize experience to take Game 2.

The Edmonton Oilers shocked almost everyone with their performance this season, and their playoff-opening series with the San Jose Sharks is the perfect matchup of youth battling experience.

The two teams’ first battle on Wednesday night proved that this will be a spectacular series, as they found themselves tied 2-2 going into overtime before a Melker Karlsson game-winner.

The Oilers looked primed to pull off the upset of last year’s Western Conference champions, as they jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 1. However, experience is a huge factor in the postseason, and the Sharks have plenty of that going around their locker room.

The composure of those who have been in the postseason recently showed on Wednesday, when the Sharks provided an offensive onslaught late in the game. San Jose outshot Edmonton 18-3 in the third and 6-2 in overtime, and knew exactly when to turn it on against the inexperienced Oilers.

Edmonton hadn’t appeared in the playoffs in 11 years prior to Wednesday’s game, and postseason hockey is a whole new game that most of their team hadn’t experienced yet. The Sharks proved that their mileage is a key part of their success, and their comeback showed that they’re still a contender in this year’s playoffs.

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Pick: Sharks 2, Oilers 1

I went back and forth on whether the home crowd will be able to push the Oilers to a series-splitting win on Friday night but just couldn’t pull the trigger. The Sharks may not match up well with Edmonton’s youth, but their comeback on Wednesday night makes it tough to think that the Oilers can pull this out. The Sharks are composed, they’ve been here before (and much more recently) and should be safe in Game 2 to head back home up 2-0 in the series.