When the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights each made quick work of Southern California we knew it would be a while before they finally met in round two.

That wait is almost over. We now know that game one of the series between Vegas and San Jose will begin on Thursday in Las Vegas with puck drop at 7 pm local time. The rest of the series is up in the air, but at least we know when the long wait will end.

Since the end of the Anaheim series, the Sharks have had plenty of time to rest and prepare for the team nobody saw coming. That's not the case any longer, as the Knights have done more than enough to prove they are no joke. And if you thought this series was going to be any easy one - you're sadly mistaken.

The Golden Knights completed their inaugural season with a 51-24-7 record and a Pacific Division crown to bestow upon their knighted skulls. The Sharks chased them all season long before tumbling to third in the division with a 45-27-10 record.

Vegas won three of the four regular season meetings and the Sharks can draw upon that for reference in the series - otherwise we throw regular season records out the window.

Let's get to it.

Goaltending and Defense:

I'm not sure how much of the first round was the Sharks and Vegas being very good or the Kings and Ducks hitting the proverbial wall. Regardless, it's hard to ignore the sheer dominance of either clubs' defense and its goaltening.

- San Jose allowed just four goals in the series with Martin Jones reverting back to his 2016 form. Jones completed round one, 4-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .970 save percentage and one shutout. Hard to believe any other goalie had a better first round. That is unless you look across the ice to Vegas.

- Vegas and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury were just that much better than San Jose's eye-popping number. The Knights surrendered three goals in the four-game sweep and MAF was the best I've ever seen him. The 33-year-old had two shutouts in four starts with a 0.65 goals-against average and a .977 save percentage. Epic.

The Difference-Maker: Marc-Edourd Vlasic. When the Sharks have Vlasic on the ice they are at their best. In the four games vs. Anaheim he averaged more than 24:30 minutes of ice time, had two assists, 18 blocked shots and was a plus-3. Expect to see a lot of him vs. Vegas' top line, especially when William Karlsson is on the ice.

Offense:

- The Sharks hit trade deadline gold with Evander Kane. He has been nothing short of refreshing for San Jose. Kane has three goals and an assist in his first four playoff games ever.

But, let's not forget the offense goes as Logan Couture goes. Cooch led the Sharks with 34 goals this season and he has a knack for laying his best hockey in the playoffs. He was outstanding in 2016 and he already has five points (2g 3) through four games.

San Jose uses a very balanced attack. They have all season and its what they are known for, but nobody saw Marcus Sorensen coming in round one. The kid had five goals in the regular season, but potted three vs. Anaheim. let's hope he keeps that up. It bodes well for San Jose's chances of advancing.

- Vegas has a slew of guys step up and chip in offensively. Guys nobody else thought much of. I wonder if Anaheim or Columbus wished they still had "Wild Bill" Karlsson on their bench? Karlsson scored 43 goals in the regular season and three goals in the four regular season meetings with San Jose.

The Knights only scored seven goals in round one, but they did it with seven different goal-scorers. They too have shown a very balanced attack.

They difference maker on Vegas' bench is James Neal. Neal had a goal and an assist vs. the Kings, but he has an extensive playoff resume. He has five career postseason GWG's, including two in overtime.

The Special Teams:

This is the one category where the Sharks can take advantage.

Vegas had one power play goal in round one after having a solid regular season. While the Sharks had a power play field day vs. Anaheim. The Sharks scored seven power play goals in four games, led by Kane with two. If Vegas hands the Sharks opportunities like the Ducks did, they will make them pay.

San Jose has been even better on the PK. The Sharks finished second in the regular-season in penalty-killing percentage (84.8%) and had an 83.3% kill-rate in the first round.


I was dead wrong on my picks in the first round and this one is even harder to predict. I really can't pick against either team, but I will.

In this case I go with the experience up and own the lineup. Give me the Sharks in 7.

Thanks for reading,
Steve

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