Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Edmonton Oilers will wrap up their regular season with a game against the San Jose Sharks. With several key players returning to the fold, this fixture offers a timely opportunity for the visitors to rediscover their form. Will we see a dominant display, or can the San Jose Sharks pull off an upset for their home crowd?
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks enter this contest on the back of a ten-game losing run. The team appears to have lost all competitive motivation and continues to drop points in what looks like a calculated move towards securing a favourable position in the draft lottery. In their latest outing against the Vancouver Canucks (1:2), the game went to overtime, but the result seemed more coincidental than deserved — managing just 16 shots on goal over three periods underscores a severely underperforming offence. At present, Alexandar Georgiev is starting in goal, but with a save percentage of only 87.3%, it's difficult to see how he can cope with the attacking firepower of the Edmonton Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers
The recent loss to the Los Angeles Kings can largely be attributed to the absence of star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Both are expected to return for this game, using it as a chance to regain match sharpness after injury layoffs. Zach Hyman is also set to rejoin the forward lines, marking the return of the Oilers' most potent attacking combinations. On top of that, first-choice goaltender Stuart Skinner is back between the pipes. In his return match, he shut down the Winnipeg Jets with a 4:1 win, posting an outstanding 94.4% save percentage.
San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers Prediction
After being comprehensively beaten 0:5 by the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers will be determined to respond with a dominant performance ahead of the playoffs. Facing the San Jose Sharks presents the perfect stage to do just that. The Sharks are unlikely to offer any serious resistance.
