Tonight would be the right time for Avs to win first-ever Game 7 on the road

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The all-time record for home teams in a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup playoff series: 103-73. The San Jose Sharks’ all-time record in Game 7s: 7-4. The all-time record for the Avalanche in Game 7s as a team: 4-6.

Those are all daunting numbers for Avs fans to see as another seventh game looms tonight with the Sharks (7 p.m. Mountain start, a bit earlier than the most recent games). The Avs, in fact, have never won a seventh game on the road since moving to Denver in 1995.

This will be the fourth Game 7 on the road since ’95, with previous losses in Detroit and Dallas (twice).

But, hey, maybe this will all turn out to be one of those “they were due” things and everyone will go on to St. Louis to start a Western Conference final series?

For that to happen, the Avs not only have to buck their own history, but their still pitiful record at the Shark Tank. Since 2009, including these playoffs, the Avs are 3-16-6 in this building.

It should come as no shock that the Sharks are -141 favorites at the big sports books for this one. The Avs’ job of winning won’t be made any easier, either, by the continued absence of forward Matt Calvert.

Although he made the trip to San Jose, Calvert (upper body) won’t play. Jared Bednar strongly indicated he’ll go again with seven defensemen and 11 forwards against a Sharks team that may or may not be getting a key player back in their lineup.

Captain Joe Pavelski, out since Game 7 of the first round because of a head injury, is expected to be a “game-time decision” to play. The Sharks, unlike the Avs, did not hold a morning skate, so there was no further update from coach Pete DeBoer on Pavelski.

My take on this game? The Avs better get out to a better start than they have in all three previous games in this series. If they can get an early goal and – unlike Game 1 – hold on to the lead for a while or even extend it, I like their chances of victory a lot better. If they come out sloppy and get out-worked like they have and the crowd gets into it, especially like in Game 5, they’re going to fly home from another Game 7 with no games to play until fall.