Golden Knights -1000 Favorites to Eliminate Sharks; Blues/Jets Series Odds Even

• Up 3-1, Vegas is on the brink of eliminating San Jose for the second straight year
• The St. Louis/Winnipeg series is tied at 2-2 and the home team has yet to win a game
• Oddsmakers list the Golden Knights as massive favorites, while Jets vs Blues is a toss-up

After the first two games in the series, the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks were tied at one game apiece and roughly even in the odds to win their best-of-seven.

The Blues, on the other hand, were -800 favorites to bounce the Jets after winning the first two games in Winnipeg.

Fast forward two more games, and the odds have swung heavily in favor of Vegas (which dominated Games 3 and 4 on home ice, outscoring the Sharks 11-3, combined) and away from the Blues, who were badly outplayed in Game 3 (a 6-3 loss) and then lost a 2-1 OT heartbreaker in Game 4.

Golden Knights vs Sharks Playoff Series Odds

*Odds taken on 04/17/19

Vegas Leaves Sharks Weak

If it weren’t for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning collapsing like a house of cards, the hockey world would be focused on the way San Jose is coming apart at the seams.

With their Norris Trophy-winning duo of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns, the Sharks were expected to be Stanley Cup contenders. But losing Marc-Edouard Vlasic, their best two-way defender, to injury in Game 2 has put the Sharks into a death spiral.

https://twitter.com/david_tanenhaus/status/1118278392082604032

It’s so bad that even sharks are trolling the Sharks.

Jones Can’t Keep It Out

During the regular season, Sharks goalie Martin Jones posted an .896 save percentage, lowest of the 16 starting goalies in the playoffs. He’s been even worse in the postseason.

https://twitter.com/KKurzNHL/status/1118388169676853248

Jones has fashioned an .838 save percentage and 5.33 goals-against average in this series, and been pulled from two games. Overall, he’s been hooked from four of 10 career playoff games against Vegas.

Marc-Andre Fleury earned his 78th career postseason win to move into sole possession of seventh place on the NHL’s all-time list. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/k6qEKaBS0V

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 17, 2019

Meanwhile, Golden Knights netminder Marc-Andre Fleury posted his third shutout in 10 career postseason games against San Jose in Game 4 (a 5-0 win).

Stone Cold Dead

The Vegas forward line of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny has outscored the Sharks 12-11.

The Pacioretty-Stastny-Stone line continues to dominate the San Jose Sharks. #VegasBorn

Series totals:

Max Pacioretty – 10 points (4G, 6A)
Mark Stone – 10 points (6G, 4A)
Paul Stastny – 8 Points (2G, 6A) pic.twitter.com/hM8QyIhoqA

— Complete Hockey News (@CompleteHkyNews) April 17, 2019

This series is so over, as the odds suggest.

Blues vs Jets Playoff Series Odds

*Odds taken on 04/17/19

Jets Give St. Louis the Blues

Before last spring, Winnipeg had never won a Stanley Cup series. Before last night, Winnipeg had never won a Stanley Cup overtime game.

Both of those have now changed, as has this series.

The Jets’ best players have been their best players. Game 4 overtime hero Kyle Conner has three goals.

Patrik Laine is the first player in @NHLJets / Thrashers franchise history to score in each of the team's first three games to begin a playoff year. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/TiRo5bB9Ps

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 15, 2019

Patrik Laine set a franchise record with goals in the first three games.

Mark Scheifele of the @NHLJets (12-5—17 in 12 GP) joined Steve Payne (12-6—18 in 12 GP) as just the second player in NHL history to average at least one goal per game through their first 12 career road playoff contests. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/XWiKTYyYPH

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 17, 2019

Mark Scheifele tied Game 4 and set up Conner for the OT winner.

Blues Have Traveled This Road Before

If there’s an NHL team that’s cornered the market on persistent playoff failure in this exact scenario, it’s St. Louis. This is the sixth time since 2013 that the Blues have been deadlocked 2-2 through four games of a series.

"Do I look ____?"

-The St. Louis Blues mantra during the 2018-19 season pic.twitter.com/WDmlcStHFk

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) April 11, 2019

They are 0-5 in this situation and have lost all five series in six games. Twice – in 2014 against the Chicago Blackhawks and 2013 against the Los Angeles Kings – the Blues lost in six after taking a 2-0 series lead.

https://twitter.com/STLBlueshistory/status/1118373699248361474

On the other hand, the Blues are 3-0 all-time in series when they take a 2-0 lead on the road. But the Jets have proven they can make things happen that have never happened before.

Put your money on Winnipeg for the win at -110.