The San Jose Sharks gritted out two straight games on the road against the Los Angeles Kings, and now, they've got a real chance to put a major stamp on this series. They've been here before though, and they've blown series in which they looked more dominant than this, so you'll have to excuse bettors if they're a little pessimistic.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
LA went from a -143 favorite in Game 1 to a -149 choice of the oddsmakers in Game 2. For our money though, these teams were basically on level terms every step of the way. There hasn't been a point that either team ever had all that much in the way of momentum, and even when there were huge momentum swings, those swings haven't ultimately resulted in multiple goals.
The Kings will now be in the underdog role, though the margin isn't going to be all that large.
GOALIE REPORT
Martin Jones feels like a different goalie than Antti Niemi or Evgeni Nabokov before him. He's made some tremendous saves in this series, and at times when the Kings have had big offensive assaults, he's often been there to slam the door.
Jones was particularly brilliant in Game 2, letting just one by him in the midst of a massive goalmouth scramble at that.
The Sharks haven't had a slew of shots in this series, but no goalie in the world would've kept some of these lasers out of the back of the net. Jonathan Quick only went 21-of-23 in Game 2, and though his first goal allowed to Joe Pavelski wasn't anything special, the goal conceded to Logan Couture in the second came in a 5-on-3 situation.
LIVE BETTING
The first thing the Kings really have to do in this series is stay out of the penalty box. Tyler Toffoli and Milan Lucic took penalties at the same time at 8:14 of the second period, and 30 seconds later, one of the best power play units in the league predictably put the puck in the back of the net.
San Jose scored on 22.5 percent of its man advantages in the regular season, and here in the playoffs, those chances have become magnified for sure.
QUICK PICK
Even though the Sharks look good right now, this series is far from over. The Kings have been here and done this before, and their history suggests they're going to win this game to make this a series once again.
There's just too much talent here to be stymied by Jones time and time again, especially with the way Vincent Lecavalier has been playing in crucial situations to help out as a second-line player.
This is the playoff game where Quick really has to come up big, and we think as long as the Kings stay at full strength for the majority of this game, he'll do just that. Quick could snare his tenth postseason shutout in this one.
NHL Odds: Kings 2, Sharks 0
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks will start at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 18, 2016 at the SAP Center. Game 3 of this series will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
