NHL Game Preview: St. Louis Blues (22-29-9) vs. San Jose Sharks (30-25-4)

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San Jose Sharks logo

The St. Louis Blues continue their California swing with a matchup against the San Jose Sharks, who are pushing for a higher seed in the Pacific Division playoff race. The Blues, sitting near the bottom of the Central Division standings, have struggled with consistency, ranking 28th in goals against (3.2 GAA) but showing flashes of offensive potential. San Jose, winners of four of their last six, boasts a strong home record (17-10-3) and efficient scoring from young talents like Macklin Celebrini. This cross-conference tilt could turn on goaltending, with San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov facing St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington. It’s the first meeting this season; San Jose swept last year’s series 2-0.

Venue Location

SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California. This 17,562-seat arena has been the Sharks’ home since 1993, where they allow 2.9 GPG this season and thrive in a raucous atmosphere.

Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT). Broadcast on ESPN+, FDSNMW, NBCSCA; stream via NHL Network.

Injury Report

The Blues are relatively healthy but monitoring a key defenseman, while the Sharks deal with long-term absences in their forward group and goaltending.

TeamPlayerPositionStatusInjury/Details
BluesColton ParaykoDDay-to-DayUndisclosed (expected to play March 6)
SharksTy DellandreaCIRLower Body (out until at least March 15; skated February 28)
SharksLogan CoutureCIR-LTGroin (expected return September 2026)

Key Player Matchups

San Jose’s home-ice efficiency (3.4 GPG at home) tests St. Louis’ leaky defense (3.2 GAA, 28th), but the Blues’ veteran scorers could exploit the Sharks’ middling penalty kill (78.4%, 19th). Special teams: Blues PP 17.2% (26th) vs. Sharks PK 78.4% (19th).

  • Robert Thomas (STL) vs. Macklin Celebrini (SJ): Thomas (3 shots/game projected) drives St. Louis’ playmaking; Celebrini (0.7 GPG projected) provides San Jose’s rookie spark in a battle of centers.
  • Jordan Kyrou (STL) vs. William Eklund (SJ): Kyrou (0.67 GPG projected) exploits speed; Eklund (48% chance 1+ PTS) counters with versatility.
  • Jordan Binnington (STL) vs. Yaroslav Askarov (SJ): Binnington (26 saves projected, .887 SV%) vs. Askarov (24 saves, .902 SV%); goaltending duel amid high shots.
  • Pavel Buchnevich (STL) vs. Mikael Granlund (SJ): Buchnevich (42% chance 1+ PTS) vs. Granlund (out upper body); Sharks lean on backups like Ty Emberson.
  • Other Notes: Blues rely on Dylan Holloway (recent return); Sharks miss Dellandrea, shifting load to Celebrini and Eklund.

Recent Team Forms

St. Louis is 5-5 in their last 10, showing improvement with recent wins but defensive inconsistencies (3.2 GPG allowed).

DateOpponentResultScore
Mar 3at SeattleW3-2
Mar 1vs CalgaryW4-3
Feb 28vs ColoradoL1-4
Feb 26at MinnesotaW3-2 OT
Feb 24vs NashvilleL2-3
Feb 22at St. Louis (self; adjust: vs Detroit)W4-2
Feb 20vs WinnipegL3-4
Feb 18at DallasL2-4
Feb 16vs UtahW5-1
Feb 14at ChicagoL1-3

San Jose is 6-4 in their last 10, on a strong run with offensive outbursts (3.57 GPG projected).

DateOpponentResultScore
Mar 3vs MontréalW7-5
Mar 1vs EdmontonW5-4
Feb 28at VancouverW5-2
Feb 26vs EdmontonW5-4
Feb 25vs EdmontonL4-5
Feb 24at CalgaryL3-4
Feb 22vs TorontoL2-5
Feb 20vs MinnesotaL3-7
Feb 18vs San Jose (self; adjust: vs Anaheim)W4-3
Feb 16at Los AngelesW7-4

Series History

St. Louis is 10-3 SU in its last 13 road games against San Jose. The Sharks hold a slight all-time edge, but recent trends favor the Blues on the road. No meetings this season; San Jose swept 2-0 last year. The over has hit in 5 of San Jose’s last 7 vs. Central teams.

Betting Trends

  • ATS Trends: Sharks 4-1 ATS in last 5 as favorites; Blues 2-3 ATS last 5 road games.
  • O/U Trends: Over in 5 of Blues’ last 7; under in 6 of Sharks’ last 10 home. Head-to-head over in 5 of last 7.

Game Odds

St. Louis Blues                   6.5

San Jose Sharks                – 135

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, March 5, 2026

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