The surging Carolina Hurricanes bring their dominant 5-0 shutout momentum to San Jose, where they'll face a Sharks team that's looking to bounce back from a deflating 5-1 loss to Washington.
While Carolina's Frederik Andersen has been a wall between the pipes with a career .916 save percentage, the real story might be the stark offensive contrast - the Hurricanes' 217 goals this season dwarf San Jose's 177, highlighting the mountain the home team needs to climb.
The SAP Center crowd will be watching closely as the San Jose Sharks try to defy the odds against a Carolina Hurricanes squad that's been nothing short of ruthless on both ends of the ice.
San Jose Sharks vs. Carolina Hurricanes prediction: who will win?
For tonight's San Jose Sharks vs Carolina Hurricanes matchup, our predictive model gives the Canes a 52.5% chance of defeating the Sharks.
Pre-game probabilities
Carolina Hurricanes
Moneyline
Win %
52.5%
47.5%
San Jose Sharks
Carolina Hurricanes: 52.5% win probability
- Elite offensive output (217 goals scored this season)
- Strong defensive structure (178 goals against, 4th best in East)
- Red hot momentum (Perfect 'WWWWW' in recent form)
San Jose Sharks: 47.5% win probability
- League-worst defense (255 goals against)
- Poor overall record (18 wins in 68 games)
- Struggling offense (178 goals scored, bottom 3 in West)
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..
| San Jose Sharks | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline |
San Jose Sharks vs. Carolina Hurricanes preview
The struggling San Jose Sharks face a tough test as they welcome the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes to SAP Center on Thursday night.
Fresh off a dominant 5-0 shutout against the Flyers, the Canes have been lighting up the scoreboard with 217 goals this season - good for 8th best in the NHL.
The Sharks' defense will have their hands full trying to contain Carolina's potent offense, which has been clicking at both even strength and on the power play.
Frederik Andersen has been a brick wall between the pipes for Carolina, boasting an impressive .916 career save percentage and could prove to be the difference-maker in this matchup.
San Jose's recent 5-1 loss to the Capitals highlighted their ongoing offensive struggles, managing just 20 shots and failing to capitalize on three power play chances.
While the Sharks have shown flashes of competence with their 19.79% power play conversion rate, their overall defensive woes - allowing 251 goals this season - could spell trouble against Carolina's high-powered attack.
Keep an eye on the special teams battle, as both clubs have had their moments on the power play this season, though Carolina's penalty kill has been notably more consistent.
With the Hurricanes firing on all cylinders and the Sharks searching for answers, this cross-conference clash at the Tank shapes up as a classic case of predator versus prey.
San Jose Sharks vs. Carolina Hurricanes form
San Jose Sharks vs. Carolina Hurricanes head to head
San Jose Sharks
0%
Carolina Hurricanes
100%
Dec 11, 2024
Carolina Hurricanes
3 : 2
San Jose Sharks
Oct 27, 2023
Carolina Hurricanes
3 : 0
San Jose Sharks
Oct 18, 2023
San Jose Sharks
3 : 6
Carolina Hurricanes
Jan 28, 2023
Carolina Hurricanes
5 : 4
San Jose Sharks
Oct 15, 2022
San Jose Sharks
1 : 2
Carolina Hurricanes
Jan 30, 2022
Carolina Hurricanes
2 : 1
San Jose Sharks
