The NHL Second Round Playoff Games have arrived as Pickswise will be handing out daily winning NHL picks starting on Friday. With over a decade of combined winning experience, Pickswise is your number one NHL second round playoff resource to win. To kick off the second round playoff games, the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks from the Western Conference will go toe to toe. Enjoy these free NHL second round playoff predictions? Give @Pickswise a follow and get a first hand-look on his daily research.
Avalanche vs. Sharks First Round Playoff Predictions
Game 1: Avalanche vs. Sharks
Line: Sharks -130
Pickswise Expert Picks: Sharks WIN!
The Sharks host game one of their Western Conference Semifinal with the red-hot Colorado Avalanche at the SAP Center in San Jose. San Jose was able to survive a grueling seven-game series with the Vegas Golden Knights that included back-to-back games that needed overtime to decide the winner in games six and seven. The Sharks have won three straight and will look to build on their success.
The Avalanche were able to win four straight to upend the top-seeded Calgary Flames in their first-round series in five games. San Jose is 6-3 in their last nine games, while Colorado is also 6-3 in their last nine games. The Avalanche have struggled at the SAP Center with five straight losses when playing in San Jose. Colorado hasn’t won a game against San Jose since February 2018, however, they haven’t been able to find success in San Jose. It will be tough for Colorado to get the job done at the SAP Center. The Sharks were able to win all three regular season match-ups and that is why San Jose is a great pick in game one.
Game 2: COL Avalanche @ SJ Sharks
Line: Sharks -260
Pickswise Expert Pick: Sharks ML/ WIN
The Sharks ran the Colorado Avalanche out of the SAP Center in game 1 in a 5-2 victory and may very much be leaving them behind in the dust in this series. The Avalanche have had zero success against the Sharks in their last five meetings, along with nine straight losses at the SAP Center in San Jose. San Jose is 6-0 in their last six home games against Colorado. The Sharks have also only lost once in their last five games.
The Shark has looked near unstoppable in most cases against Colorado with a 7-2-1 record against the Avalanche in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. In each of the last five meetings, the final scoring total was high with no less than six combined goals in each of those games. With both teams averaging over three goals this season, both teams have proven they can put the puck in the net. The Sharks have been tough at home, and like the previous games against Colorado at the SAP Center shouldn’t have any trouble collecting another win in this game. Back the Sharks in game two.
Game 3: SJ Sharks @ COL Avalanche
Line: Avalanche -120
Pickswise Expert Pick: Avalanche ML/ WIN
This series has been a bit unexpected after the San Jose Sharks made easy work of Colorado in game one, the Avalanche responded by taking a win on the road in game two. The series heads to the Pepsi Center for game three with the series knotted up at one game apiece. The Sharks sit 4-1 in their last five games and will look to get back in the win column after coming up short in game two, which ended their four-game winning streak.
The Avalanche have been tough on their own ice with an 8-0 record in their last eight games at Pepsi Center. The injuries are starting to mount for San Jose as Joe Pavelski and Erik Karlsson look to be out of commission for game three. The Sharks are 6-4 in their last 10, while the Avalanche is 7-3 in their last 10 games. San Jose has had Colorado’s number in their last 10 head-to-head meetings with Colorado only having three wins, in that span. Colorado has some mojo after getting a win in San Jose in game two, and that is why the Avalanche is a good pick in game three.
Game 4: SJ Sharks @ COL Avalanche
Line: Avalanche -125
Pickswise Expert Pick: Sharks ML/ WIN
The Colorado Avalanche had everything going right for them heading into game three after upsetting the Sharks on their own ice in game two, but the San Jose Sharks didn’t back down, as they gutted out a 4-2 win over the Avalanche in game three. That makes this game four meeting at Pepsi Center very intriguing, and poses the question can the Avalanche get a second win in the series. The Sharks are 7-3 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings with Colorado.
The Avalanches loss in game three marked their first loss of these playoffs at Pepsi Center on their own ice. It looks like the Sharks will be without key contributing right winger Joe Pavelski who continues to deal with a head injury. That is a major factor in how far the Sharks can go. Luckily they have had other players step-up like in game three. With San Jose averaging four goals per game in this series, it will be a challenge for Colorado to slow them down. Each game has been high scoring with no less than six total goals so far, and that should continue in this one. Roll with the Sharks to win game four.
Game 5: COL Avalanche @ SJ Sharks
Line: Sharks -132
Pickswise Expert Pick: Sharks ML/ WIN
The Avalanche and Sharks have been trading victories back and forth so far in this series, and they now enter game five tied at two games apiece in the series. Colorado came out swinging in game four on their way to a 3-0 shutout win on their own ice at Pepsi Center. Now the series returns to the SAP Center in San Jose. A place that Colorado has struggled at, but was able to get a win in game two earlier in this series. The Sharks are 6-4 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings with the Avalanche. Colorado is currently 6-2 in their last eight games. Those losses were both against this same Sharks team. This series hasn’t really been much about home-ice advantage as both teams have picked up a road victory so far in this series. This series is starting to get hard to stick with one team, as both teams have been proving me wrong, but in this one, the Sharks are the team to roll with. Back San Jose in game five.
Game 6: SJ Sharks @ COL Avalanche
Line: Avalanche -120
Pickswise Expert Pick: Avalanche ML/WIN
It could be a win or go home time for the Colorado Avalanche as they host the San Jose Sharks in game six at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The San Jose Sharks were able to outlast the Avalanche in game five on their own ice, in a tight 2-1 final score. San Jose has won six of their last eight games, while Colorado is 6-3 in their last nine games. The Avalanche have been very successful in their last 10 home games only losing once on their own ice. The Avalanches two victories in this series came at the Pepsi Center and now with Colorado down 3-2 in the series it falls on them to once again find a way to stay alive in the series. The Sharks injuries have really piled up as of late. Joe Pavelski remains to be a major factor sitting out with a head injury. He is a major playmaker for the team, but the Sharks will have to look elsewhere. This game should be very tight to the very end, but because of how well Colorado has played in key games on their own ice they are the team to role with in game six.
Game 7: COL Avalanche @ SJ Sharks
Line: Sharks -140
Pickswise Expert Pick: Sharks ML/ WIN
Game Seven in this Sharks and Avalanche series looks set to be a highly contested game. If their first six meetings were any fortune teller, then we could be in for a wild final game of this series. Game Six was a down to wire duel in Colorado, where the Avalanche were able to outlast the Sharks 4-3 in overtime. The Sharks have been in this situation once already in these playoffs when they outlasted the tough Vegas Golden Knights in their 1st round seven-game series. San Jose’s 18-2 record in their last 20 home games against Colorado is very impressive and should be taken into account in this game. However, don’t count out the ever-resilient Colorado Avalanche who have proven they are no pushover. The injuries that the Sharks have been dealing with have been crazy, as some of their top skaters have been impacted by those injuries. San Jose has controlled the games on their own ice in this series, with only one home loss in the series. That loss was in another close 4-3 defeat in game two, but since then the Sharks haven’t lost in San Jose. The San Jose Sharks are the team to back in game seven.
