Sharks-Bruins Preview

The next “Biggest Game of the Year” appears on San Jose’s (and Boston’s) schedule Tuesday, February 10, 2009, 7pm EST.

Boston hosts the Sharks, giving them an advantage. San Jose has one extra day of rest, almost completely mitigating that advantage.

The winner can claim supremecy in the league, for the following three reasons:

The sheer fact that it is a statement game featuring the top two teams in the league by both record and goal differential, not to mention the return of former Bruins’ captain and Hart Trophy winner, Joe Thornton.
The victor guarantees themselves a winning record against the rest of the Big Three. Boston has beaten Detroit (again, in Boston) already, and a win gives them a sweep of the West’s two best teams. San Jose is 2-1 against Detroit with one game to go, so a win guarantees them no less than a 3-2 record against Detroit and Boston.
The winner of this game will have the best point-percentage (the NHL’s version of winning percentage) in the league.

By the numbers:

Boston has the league’s second-ranked offence and its best defence. San Jose is third in both categories. These teams are the only two averaging a goal more per game than their opponents.
The Sharks are fourth-ranked on the penalty kill, eight places higher than the Bruins. Boston is fourth in power play to San Jose’s fifth, a difference of 0.1 percent.
Boston has the league’s third-best point percentage at home (.808), and San Jose has its third-best point percentage on the road (.681). This would be an even better match-up in San Jose, as the Sharks are the league’s best home team and the Bruins are the league’s best road team.
Boston leads San Jose by six points in the standings, but has played four more games, giving them a point percentage that is actually .003 lower.

So what does this all boil down to? Overtime. That’s about the only thing I would bet on. If it goes to a shootout, I’d bet on Boston, as they have more shooters.

Coming off three consecutive losses for the first time this season, I believe San Jose will come up with the win. And they better, because playing the next day in Pittsburgh against a talented team fighting to get back into the playoff picture will be no picnic.