The NHL is set up with another a great slate of action on Wednesday night. Six games are up on the board throughout March 30. One of these games will be between the San Jose Sharks and the Arizona Coyotes. These two teams have struggled on the season, but will look for a win in this matchup. This game will drop the puck at around 10:00 PM Eastern time.
San Jose has earned a record of 29-28-8 throughout this season, which has them sitting in sixth place of the Pacific division. The Sharks are coming off a win in their last game and have won three of their last four. San Jose has fallen out of the playoff race, but will look to finish the season strong. I expect the Sharks to come out quickly on the road.
The Coyotes have put up a record of 20-41-5 so far this season, which has them in last place of the Central division. Arizona has lost six games in a row entering this matchup. The Coyotes have been eliminated from the postseason, but will look to play spoiler down the stretch. Arizona will look for a big win on Wednesday night.
These two teams have struggled a bit as of late throughout this season. The Sharks have been solid in their last few games and will look to keep it going early in this one. Arizona has struggled as of late and will look to end their losing streak. If either team can come out quickly in this one, it could be enough for the win on Wednesday.
Game Overview
The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| San Jose Sharks | -1 ½ (+175) | -138 | Over 6 (+110) |
| Arizona Coyotes | +1 ½ (-205) | +125 | Under 6 (-121) |
| Team Data | San Jose Sharks | Arizona Coyotes |
| Overall Record | 29-28-8 | 20-41-5 |
| Away/ Home Record | 13-14-4 | 9-22-1 |
| Goals Per Game | 2.63 | 2.53 |
| Goals Per Game Away/ Home | 2.68 | 2.50 |
| Save Percentage | .903 | .899 |
| Save Percentage Away/ Home | .908 | .900 |
Betting Trends
San Jose Sharks
- 5-7 in March
- 3-2 when playing on three or more days rest
- 5-13 after a divisional game
- 4-10 after a win by two or more goals
- 7-14 after scoring four or more goals
- 14-11 against team with a losing record
Arizona Coyotes
- 6-7 in March
- 8-26 after allowing four or more goals
- 9-23 after a loss by two or more goals
- 6-16 after scoring one goal or less
- 4-16 after three or more straight losses
- 12-13 against team with a losing record
These two teams have met up twice this season. San Jose hosted the first game on December 28. Alexander Barabanov, Logan Couture and Timo Meier all had a goal and an assists as the Sharks won 8-7 in a shootout. The second game stayed in San Jose on March 20. Noah Gregor had a goal and an assist, while James Reimer stopped 23 of 25 shots as the Sharks earned a 4-2 win.
Finally back at home. It's GAME DAY! ?
⏰ 7 PM
? @BALLYSPORTSAZ Extra
? ESPN 620 AM & @UnivisionAZ pic.twitter.com/MgERi4wd9y— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 30, 2022
Special Teams
The Sharks have been strong on the penalty kill throughout this season. San Jose has capitalized on 34 of their 180 power play chances, which is an 18.9 percent power play. The Sharks have killed off 145 of their opponents 171 power play attempts, which is an 84.8 percent kill rate. San Jose is 24th on the power play and 3rd on the kill.
Arizona has struggled on both sides of special teams on the season. The Coyotes have scored on 23 of their 167 power play opportunities, which is a 13.8 percent success rate. Arizona has given up 54 power play goals on 204 penalties against, which is a 73.5 percent penalty kill. The Coyotes are 29th on the man advantage and 29th on the penalty kill.
San Jose has been the better team on special teams throughout this season. The Sharks have put up a strong penalty kill on the season, but their power play has struggled a bit. Arizona has struggled on both sides of special team this season and will look to turn it around. If either team can get a power play goal, it could be enough for the win.
Goaltending Comparison
Kaapo Kahkonen will likely get the start in the crease for San Jose in this one. Kahkonen has started in 24 games this season, going 12-9-3 in those matchups. He has posted a .910 save percentage and a GAA of 2.92 in his outings. Kahkonen finished with 36 saves on 40 shots in his first start with the Sharks against the Edmonton Oilers, which was not enough for the win.
I expect Karel Vejmelka to get the nod between the pipes for the Coyotes on Wednesday night. Vejmelka has earned a record of 10-26-2 throughout his 38 starts on the season. He has put up a save percentage of .904 and a 3.42 GAA in his starts. Vejmelka’s last start was against the Edmonton Oilers. He stopped 30 of 35 shots in the loss.
These two goalies have been solid throughout this season and will look for a big win in this one. Kahkonen had a solid outing his first start with the Sharks, but will look to get in the win column in this one. Vejmelka has lost five starts in a row entering this one. If either goalie can come out fast, it could be enough for the win.
Pick Overview
These two teams have been struggling throughout this season and will look for a big win in this one. The Sharks won the first two games of the season series, but I think that Arizona will bounce back in this one. The Coyotes have lost six games in a row, but will look to bounce back at home. If Arizona can come out fast in this one, it could be enough for the win.
BetOnline has San Jose listed as a -138 against the money line in this one. This implies that the Sharks will win this game around 58 percent of the time. I think that this line should be closer to even with both teams struggling late in the season. Arizona is at home in this one and will be looking for a quicker start. As underdogs in this one, I like the value on the Coyotes.
