Oilers vs. Canucks Game 2 Prediction: Stanley Cup Playoff Odds
The Oilers looked like they were in the driver’s seat in the series opener on Wednesday, but Vancouver stormed back to erase a three-goal deficit and take Game 1 by a 5-4 score. Edmonton has now dropped five straight games against the Canucks as the teams prepare for Game 2 on Friday night.
The Oilers are -130 favourites to win on the NHL odds, with the total set at 6.5.
Oilers vs. Canucks NHL Betting Odds
As mentioned, Vancouver swept the regular season series, but keep in mind that three of those four wins came before Kris Knoblauch took over behind the Oilers’ bench, so it will be interesting to see what adjustments he makes ahead of Game 2. It’s also worth noting that these teams have combined for seven or more goals in four of five total meetings this season.
Edmonton remains favoured to win, but they have shrunk from -275 to -140 on the series line. The Canucks have improved to +120 underdogs after opening the series at +220. The favoured exact series result is an Oilers win in six games at +320, while the biggest long shot is a Vancouver sweep at +1000.
The NHL futures board has Edmonton at +500 to win the Stanley Cup and +210 to win the Western Conference. The Canucks have the longest odds of the remaining playoffs teams as they sit at +1300 to win the Cup and +450 to win the West.
Edmonton Oilers
Zach Hyman struck on the power play less than three minutes into Game 1 and the Oilers took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission, but they struggled to generate offence over the final two periods. Edmonton managed just four shots each in the second and third periods. Hyman finished with two goals while Mattias Ekholm and Cody Ceci also scored. Sutart Skinner stopped 19 of 24 shots faced in net. Skinner has a 3.01 goals-against average and .893 save percentage through six games.
Connor McDavid (13 points) and Leon Draisaitl (12 points) are the two highest point producers in the NHL through the playoffs while Hyman has an NHL-high nine goals, but depth scoring has been an issue for the Oilers. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (eight points) is the only other player with more than three points. A lot of Edmonton’s success has been generated from special teams where they rank first on both the power play (47.6 per cent) and penalty kill (100 per cent). They were 1-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill in Game 1.
Vancouver Canucks
There was no quit in the Canucks in Game 1 as they outshot the Oilers 19-8 over the final two periods. Dakota Joshua, Elias Lindholm, J.T. Miller, Nikita Zadorov and Conor Garland all scored for Vancouver. The Canucks have used that win-by-committee approach throughout the playoffs, with four different players scoring three or more goals. Arturs Silovs stopped 14 of 18 shots faced in Game 1. The 23-year-old rookie, who has just nine career NHL starts regular season and playoffs combined, has a 2.28 GAA and .908 SV in six games this postseason. With Thatcher Demko out at least until Game 5, Silovs will start again in Game 2.
The game plan for Vancouver continues to be centred around discipline. They know they’re up against a red-hot power play that capitalized on its only chance in Game 1, so staying out of the penalty box is crucial for the Canucks. Vancouver boasts the fourth-best penalty kill in the playoffs with an 87 per cent success rate, but their power play is clicking at just 12.5 per cent (12th).
EDM
VAN