Chicago Blackhawks v San Jose Sharks Live

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Even though the Hawks' Conference Semifinals series versus Daniel Sedin and the Vancouver Canucks was highly contested, the franchise from Illinois managed to come out on top after six tough games. Thus, the Chicago Blackhawks will take on Dany Heatley and the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion on Wednesday at 2 a.m. GMT.

Without any doubts, the Sharks were under immense pressure to make a postseason run after a disappointing first round exit last year. However, the team around Joe Thornton managed to perform down the stretch and made it past the Colorado Avalanche before subsequently beating the Detroit Red Wings in just five games in the Conference Semifinals. Most importantly, San Jose managed to close out four contested games versus the Wings as they were able to pull of clutch plays which helped them to advance to the next round. Obviously, the Sharks' defense is still somewhat inconsistent, yet their dynamic offense around All-Stars Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton helped them to put enough pressure on their opponents down the stretch. Surprisingly, center Joe Pavelski leads the team in the postseason, recording 9 goals and 6 assists for a total of 15 points in 11 games.

The Hawks on the other hand are fairly content with the development of their franchise over the past years as they find themselves in their second straight Western Conference Finals appearance after beating Vancouver 4-2 in the second playoff round. In fact, the team around Patrick Kane can be expected to enter their encounter with the Sharks with a lot of confidence after an impressive 5-1 win in game six versus the Canucks. One key to success could be their ability to play excellent hockey at the defensive end of the ice since they will most likely have to find a way to stop San Jose's high-octane offense in order to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Thus, fans around the league can expect an entertaining hockey game when the game between the Blackhawks and Sharks gets underway.

You can watch all games of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.

Posted: 29th January 2010

Arguably the biggest surprise in this year’s NHL campaign, the Blackhawks showcased brilliant hockey thus far and rallied all the way to the second place in the Western Conference. Hoping to make a run at the number one overall seed, the Chicago Blackhawks will make their way to California to face Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion on Friday at 3:30 a.m. GMT.

Without any doubts, the Sharks are under considerable pressure to perform well not only in the regular season but also in the playoffs this year. More precisely, San Jose entered the post-season in 2008-09 with the best record but failed to make it past the first round. That said, their play so far has been terrific as they lead the Western Conference with a 35-10-8 record halfway through the season. Especially the Sharks’ offense around All-Stars Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton has been spectacular, scoring no less than 179 goals in 53 games.

The Hawks’ success on the other hand can be attributed to a large extent to their solid defense throughout the season. Being one of the best defensive teams in the league at just 2.3 goals per contest, Chicago showed that they could be a contender down the stretch. Moreover, the Blackhawks had no trouble finding the net either as Patrick Kane and company frequently caused defensive breakdowns for their opponents. Taking everything into account, the clash between the Sharks and Hawks could go either way as both teams have shown excellent hockey thus far. While San Jose might have a slight advantage offensively, Chicago’s ability to perform a both ends of the ice might be a decisive factor on Friday night.

You can watch all games of the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.