The division rivals appear eerily similar on special teams, but a deeper look reveals some bad news for the Sharks.
Despite the narratives, shorthanded and power play opportunities are no less prevalent in the postseason than in the regular season. Hockey-Graphs' Garret Hohl found last year that teams from 2007-14 were actually called for slightly more penalties per game and per 60 minutes in the postseason than in the regular season.
Even strength success is still the best indicator for future success, but a maximum sample size of seven games in a series allows for much more variance, and special teams success can swing a series.