Everyone knows the San Jose Sharks own the Canucks, in almost every way lately, despite Kevin Bieksa’s charming analysis Wednesday that both teams had knocked each other out of the playoffs.
It’s true, of course. Bieksa knows his hockey history well, but it’s still a bit of a stretch. Because you have to go back to 2011, when the Canucks knocked out San Jose. That spring, the Sharks had six guys go in for surgery immediately after the series, such was their state of health.
But the recent trend – the nine straight wins by the Sharks over the Canucks — isn’t the only thing that’s pointing to a Sharks win tonight. There’s Mr. Opening Night himself, Joe Pavelski, who has two points in each of his last four season-opening games. There’s the fact that the Sharks are 5-2-1 in their last seven season-openers, and 6-1-1 in home openers in their last eight years.
And while the Canucks talked a big story about getting some young players into their lineup, the Sharks actually did so — even though their draft positions have been about the same as Vancouver’s, recently. And they are arguably a more difficult team to make. Playing his first league game for the Sharks tonight will be Czech forward Tomas Hertl, just 19 years of age. He was the Sharks’ first-round pick of 2012, 17th overall.
