The Colorado Avalanche will host the San Jose Sharks at Ball Arena on Thursday night, looking to maintain their impressive three-game winning streak and extend their historical dominance over their Western Conference rivals.
The Avalanche, winners of seven of their last ten games, have showcased their offensive prowess by scoring 14 goals in their previous three outings while maintaining solid defensive performances under netminder Mackenzie Blackwood's leadership.
The Sharks, despite their recent back-to-back victories against Toronto and Buffalo, face an uphill battle against a team they haven't defeated since May 2021.
Colorado's high-powered offense, averaging 3.24 goals per game, will test San Jose's struggling defense, which currently ranks last in the NHL allowing 3.65 goals per game.
The matchup presents an intriguing contrast between the Avalanche's consistent performance and the Sharks' recent signs of improvement, with both teams featuring former goalies facing their previous teams.
This Western Conference showdown marks the final meeting of their three-game regular-season series, with hockey fans eagerly anticipating whether the Avalanche can complete their fourth straight season sweep of the Sharks.
Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Colorado Avalanche vs San Jose Sharks matchup, our predictive model gives the Avs a 62.5% chance of defeating the Sharks.
Pre-game probabilities
Colorado Avalanche
Moneyline
Win %
62.5%
37.5%
San Jose Sharks
Colorado Avalanche: 62.5% win probability
- Potent offense (202 goals scored, 6th in Western Conference)
- Strong position in standings (6th place with 74 points in 62 games)
- Recent momentum (3 wins in last 5 games - WWWLL)
San Jose Sharks: 37.5% win probability
- League-worst defense (234 goals against, most in Western Conference)
- Poor overall record (17 wins in 63 games, last in Western Conference)
- Goal differential (-68, worst in Western Conference)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| Colorado Avalanche | San Jose Sharks | |
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| Moneyline |
Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks preview
The Colorado Avalanche are set to host the San Jose Sharks at Ball Arena in a Western Conference matchup that highlights the stark contrast between two teams heading in opposite directions.
The Avalanche enter the contest riding an impressive three-game winning streak, having outscored their opponents 14-4 during this stretch, while maintaining their position as the top wild card team in the Western Conference.
Colorado's offensive prowess, averaging 3.24 goals per game (8th in the NHL), will be tested against the league's most porous defense, as the Sharks are surrendering a concerning 3.65 goals per game.
The Sharks, despite their overall struggles this season, have shown recent signs of life with back-to-back victories, including an impressive 6-2 rout of the Buffalo Sabres.
All eyes will be on the intriguing goaltender matchup, featuring former teammates Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev, who were traded for each other in December.
Blackwood has been stellar for the Avalanche, posting a remarkable 2.12 GAA and .921 save percentage this season, while Georgiev has struggled with the Sharks, managing just a 3.68 GAA and .882 save percentage.
The dynamic duo of Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli has been a bright spot for San Jose, combining for an impressive 34 goals and 56 assists this season.
History favors the Avalanche in this matchup, as they've won nine of their last eleven meetings against the Sharks and are looking to complete their fourth straight season sweep of San Jose.
With Colorado's high-powered offense clicking and Blackwood's stellar form between the pipes, the Avalanche appear poised to extend their winning streak against a Sharks team that, despite recent improvements, still faces significant defensive challenges.
Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks form
Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks head to head
Colorado Avalanche
100%
San Jose Sharks
0%
Dec 20, 2024
San Jose Sharks
2 : 4
Colorado Avalanche
Oct 21, 2024
San Jose Sharks
1 : 4
Colorado Avalanche
Jan 1, 2024
Colorado Avalanche
3 : 1
San Jose Sharks
Dec 18, 2023
Colorado Avalanche
6 : 2
San Jose Sharks
Oct 15, 2023
San Jose Sharks
1 : 2
Colorado Avalanche
Apr 7, 2023
San Jose Sharks
2 : 6
Colorado Avalanche
