San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings Game 3 Odds and Predictions – Free NHL Picks 5-4-11

Free NHL Playoffs Picks and Odds – Game 3 San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings Favorite, Moneyline, Total and Predictions 5/4/11: The San Jose Sharks take their 2 game series lead over the Wings into the Motor City for the all important game three tilt. The Sharks have been strengthening as the postseason has gone on and they are playing at their top gear at the current moment. They have absolutely shut down the Wings offense by keeping the puck off their sticks and in possession of their own. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have been sensational through the two games thus far and they are lifting this club by their play alone to an entirely new level. Penalties have been cut down to a minimum through the two games in San Jose, a tell tale sign that this Sharks club is collected and poised. Ex-Toronto Maple Leafs Ian White and Kyle Wellwood both lead the club with a +6 rating and 10 points shared between the two of them. Casted from the biggest hockey market in the world for their lack of production, these two have excelled in the smaller market of San Jose and are flourishing under elements where pressure and expectations are not as pounding. Right-winger Ryan Clowe leads the club with 9 points and he is leading the physicality game for the Sharks on a nightly basis. His determination and will for the Cup is seen in every shift he takes and he is giving unsung heroes something to long for.

The Detroit Red Wings have now had two games to analyze and assess the strong cycle game that the Sharks exhibit and they now must shut it down at home if they have any aspirations of extending this series. The Red Wings have been held to two notches in the pair of games thus far, far from the production that they are use to. Detroit can solve its’ own scoring woes themselves by getting back to the game that has gotten them to this point. Aggressive pursuit of rebounds and precision transition offense has come to be the standard of the Wings game, but in the two games in San Jose they reverted to a dump and chase mentality. Although the dump and chase game works for some teams in this league, it is not a forte of the Wings and they need to find themselves back in the D. Jimmy Howard has been solid in between the pipes for the Wings and there is no reason for Detroit to look elsewhere in the net. He has consistently showed up on each night in the postseason and his save % is one of the highest for Red Wing goaltenders in the playoffs in ten years.

Tonight we will recommend a play on the Red Wings in the Joe tonight. Detroit looked sluggish and off-tempo in the pair of games in California last week, which is pretty indicative of a team that sat through the majority of the first round. Their first round sweep over the Phoenix Coyotes may have proved more costly then beneficial as it has almost taken the momentum they had going right away. They played much better in the second tilt of the second round series, but they are still nowhere near the level they were at in the first round. The Wings are a resilent bunch and this series is far from over, Mike Babcock has a way of willing his teams in the darkest of times. The Sharks have benefited from a sluggish Wings club and a hot goaltender of their side. Not to take anything away from their game but the Sharks have not been “world beaters” by any means. San Jose is historically not a good road postseason club, I expect them to falter to a degree in the unfriendly confines of Joe Louis. We will consider the Wings getting back into the series with a convincing win tonight on home ice. Cheers!

Free Pick: Detroit Red Wings -155(Moneyline)
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