San Jose Sharks vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, 12/5/2021 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: San Jose Sharks vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Date: Sunday, December 5, 2021

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: Bally Sports Ohio

Odds/Point Spread: Sharks (-103) Blue Jackets (-118)

Elvis Merzlikins and the Columbus Blue Jackets (12-9-0) host the San Jose Sharks (13-10-1) at Nationwide Arena on Sunday. The odds on this contest have the Sharks coming in at -103 and the Blue Jackets are at -118. The O/U opens at 5.5.

The Sharks had a rough game after their 1-0 loss against the Rangers in their last outing. The Corsi for the Sharks came in at 46 and the Corsi against was 48 which means they had a Corsi rate of 48.9%. Their offensive zone starts sat at 47.6% and their PDO was 100.0 in this one. San Jose accounted for 4 minutes in the box in this contest. The Sharks had a rough night on the offensive side of the ice in this defeat. Their Fenwick was 38 and the Fenwick against was 33, giving them a Fenwick percentage of 53.5%. They accounted for 21 face-off wins at even strength and were beaten on 16 attempts to control the puck. Additionally, they had 2 chances with extra men on the ice but weren't able to score. In the game, they weren't able to convert any of the 28 shots they tried.

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San Jose Sharks opponents have amassed 62 power play tries (23rd in professional hockey) and have earned 8 goals in those attempts. The Sharks have had 718 shots attempted against them and are the owners of a save percentage of .915. San Jose has attempted 687 shots and has a shot percentage of 9.0%. When at even strength, the Sharks let the opposition score 53 goals while earning 51 on offense. San Jose is sitting with 65 power play opportunities and they have scored 11 goals during those chances, garnering them a rate of 16.92%. For the current season, they have racked up 27 points and their points percentage comes in at .563. In regard to scoring goals, the San Jose Sharks have racked up 62 goals (22nd in pro hockey) for the season and have given up 61.

The man in goal for this game is James Reimer. Over the course of his time in hockey, Reimer has recorded 187 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .515. His save percentage is .914 in his 21,695 minutes guarding the cage. Reimer has had 11,596 shots taken against him and has gathered 10,597 total saves. The opposition has scored 999 goals versus Reimer in his NHL career and his goals against rate is 2.76. He has a mark of 181-135-44 and was named the starter in 363 games. Reimer has participated in 399 matchups throughout his pro hockey career.

Their last time out, Columbus went up against the Stars in an outing where the Blue Jackets ended up losing by a score of 3-2. They had 2 opportunities on the power play in this one but were not able to net one. The Blue Jackets recorded 2 goals out of the 22 shots on goal they pursued. They had a PDO at even strength of 101 and their percentage of oZS was 41.9%. Columbus earned a 38.2% Corsi rating. These Corsi stats tell us the story of the kind of game Columbus played and it tells us that they didn't have their best game. Their Fenwick percentage came in at 42.9% with a Fenwick of 33 and the Stars having accrued a 44 Fenwick.

For the year, the Columbus Blue Jackets have notched a total of 67 goals, 24 points, in addition to a points percentage of .571. They have allowed 68 goals to be scored by way of 58 goals at even strength and 10 goals while they were shorthanded. The Blue Jackets are sitting with 55 goals at even strength and 12 goals (18th in professional hockey) while on the power play. They have a total of 59 power play chances and they have a power play rate of 20.34%. Columbus has taken 632 shots (26th in hockey) and has earned a shot percentage of 10.60%, while allowing the opposition 725 shots. They have earned a penalty kill rate of 83.87% on their oppositions 62 power play chances, and their save percentage sits at 90.6%.

For the opposition you are going to see Elvis Merzlikins between the pipes. He has tallied 1,989 stops out of 2,161 shots tried, which gives him a save % of .920. Merzlikins has compiled a lifetime record of 30-25-13 and has participated in 74 games. He has made the start in 67 games and has been on the ice for 4,047 minutes. Merzlikins' quality start rate is 58.2% and he has 39 quality starting assignments in his NHL career. The opposition is averaging 2.55 goals per contest and he has conceded 172 goals altogether.

Who will win tonight's hockey game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take San Jose (-103)

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