Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 29 2026
Vancouver finally won a game Tuesday, and what a way to do it. The Canucks were losing 5-2 to Anaheim with less than eight minutes left. They scored three times, forced overtime, and won 6-5. That ended a ten-game losing streak. Great comeback. But here’s the thing. Vancouver still gave up five goals to a team that had lost five of its previous six. I’m not ready to call the Canucks fixed because they pulled off one crazy win.
Vancouver visits San Jose Thursday at SAP Center in San Jose, California. Puck drop is 10:00 PM ET. The Sharks just lost 2-0 to Buffalo, but they’ve been a much better team than Vancouver so far. I’m taking San Jose on the moneyline and looking at Over 6.5 goals. Get ready for all the action with our free NHL picks.
Vancouver Canucks Still Have a Lot to Fix
Vancouver is 3-10-1, and Tuesday’s win was its first since October 3. That’s a long time to go without a victory. The Canucks had lost ten straight, including ugly losses to Carolina, New Jersey and the Rangers. Then they somehow came back from three goals down against Anaheim. Good for them. They needed something positive. But one win doesn’t erase a month of bad hockey.
The Canucks have scored 43 goals in fourteen games, which is a little more than three a night. That’s actually not terrible. The problem is the other end. Vancouver has allowed 65 goals, an average of 4.64. That’s the worst defensive mark in the league. You can’t keep giving up four or five goals and expect to win. The penalty kill has been awful too, sitting around 64 percent. San Jose isn’t an offensive powerhouse, but the Sharks should get chances against a defense that’s been this bad.
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Vancouver has also been struggling to keep opponents from getting shots. The Canucks have allowed 459 shots through fourteen games, nearly 33 a night. That’s a lot of work for the goaltenders. Thatcher Demko remains out with a hip injury, which hasn’t helped the situation. Vancouver needs to tighten things up around its own net. The comeback Tuesday was exciting, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Ducks scored five times. That’s not a recipe for winning two in a row.
San Jose Sharks Have Been Better Than Vancouver
San Jose is 6-6-1, which isn’t going to scare anybody, but it’s a whole lot better than Vancouver’s record. The Sharks have won six games, including a 6-2 beating of Ottawa last week. They also lost 6-4 to Boston Saturday and 2-0 to Buffalo Tuesday. That’s been the story with San Jose. Some nights the Sharks look pretty good. Other nights they can’t get much going.
San Jose has scored 37 goals and allowed 45 through thirteen games. That’s 2.85 scored and 3.46 allowed per game. The Sharks haven’t been great defensively either, but they’re still allowing more than a goal fewer per game than Vancouver. That’s a pretty big difference. San Jose has also been better at home, going 4-3-1 through eight games. The Sharks have enough offense to take advantage of Vancouver’s mistakes, and the Canucks have been making plenty of them.
San Jose needs to get back to what worked against Ottawa. The Sharks scored six in that game by getting traffic around the net and making the Senators defend for long stretches. Against Buffalo, they couldn’t get anything past the goaltender. Vancouver should be a much easier defensive matchup. The Canucks have been giving up goals in bunches, and I don’t see San Jose needing a perfect offensive game to score three or four Thursday.
Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks Picks and Predictions
San Jose Sharks Moneyline
I’m taking San Jose. Vancouver’s comeback against Anaheim was fun to watch, but the Canucks are still 3-10-1 and allowing 4.64 goals a game. That’s awful. San Jose has been better at home, and the Sharks have enough offense to take advantage of a defense that keeps giving away chances. The concern is that San Jose just got shut out by Buffalo, and Vancouver might come in with some confidence after finally winning. But I don’t trust the Canucks to suddenly start defending well. Give me the Sharks at home.
Over 6.5 Goals
I’ll take Over 6.5. Vancouver has allowed 65 goals in fourteen games, and San Jose has given up 45 in thirteen. Those are two defenses that have been making life difficult for their goaltenders. The Canucks just played an 11-goal game, and the Sharks have been involved in some high-scoring games themselves. The danger is San Jose’s offense going cold again after Tuesday’s shutout. But Vancouver has been giving up so many chances that I think the Sharks can get going. I can see San Jose winning 5-3, and that gets us Over comfortably.
Final Picks: San Jose Sharks Moneyline and Over 6.5 Goals
Preview prepared October 28, 2026
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