Event of the Day: San Jose Sharks versus Vegas Golden Knights
Our event of the day is game five in the NHL playoff series between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center. After tonight’s hosts took a 1-0 lead after a thrilling opening affair, the Golden Knights have blown the Sharks out of the water, winning the next three meetings to turn the series on its head. Should Vegas manage to find the win on the road tonight, they will progress to the second round as they go in search of back to back Stanley Cup Finals appearances. San Jose enjoyed an incredible regular season campaign, pipping Vegas to second place in the Pacific Division. Only the free-scoring Calgary Flames scored as many goals as the Sharks during the regular season with 289, but the California-based outfit have struggled to find the back of the net so far against the Golden Knights which now puts them in a ‘win or go home’ situation. Despite having a memorable regular season this term, defenceman Brent Burns has struggled to emulate that form in the playoffs thus far. He notched an impressive 67 assists during the campaign, but has registered just one since the postseason began and he will certainly need to offer more in tonight’s clash if the Sharks are to have any chance of progressing.
Golden Knights fans would’ve been fearing the worst when they saw their beloved team go 1-0 down in the series after game 1. Since then, however, their fortunes have improved somewhat and now need just one more win to progress to the next stage. They heaped more misery on the Sharks last time out, when they ran out 5-0 winners at home to ensure they remain in the driving seat heading into the road trip to San Jose. Their players have certainly responded to the added demand of playoff hockey, with Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny currently occupying the one, two and three spots in points scored since the playoffs began. This certainly bodes well for head coach Gerard Gallant who is looking to emulate the successes of their inaugural season and compete in another Stanley Cup Finals series. We are set for a thrilling game this evening.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Europa League where Napoli will look to overcome the two goal deficit sustained in the first leg as they welcome Arsenal to the Stadio San Paolo in their Quarter-final second leg. Arsenal were too strong at home for the Italian outfit, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side have already proven they can compete with the Premier League’s big boys having beaten Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League group stages earlier in the term. Elsewhere, there is plenty of action in the NBA playoffs to keep your eye on tonight as the LA Clippers welcome the Golden State Warriors to the Staples Center for game 3 of their series which is finely poised at one game apiece. The Unibet Premier League darts returns to Wales tomorrow and the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff where the pace-setters will go head to head as Rob Cross takes on Michael van Gerwen. In Australia’s National Rugby League, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks will do battle with the Penrith Panthers as both sides go in search of just their third win of the campaign. Finally, there is some T20 action to watch out for as the Indian Premier League resumes with the Mumbai Indians’ trip to Delhi to take on the Capitals.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by NHL