Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights Game 2 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
Edmonton trailed Vegas 2-0 by the midway point of the first period of Game 1 on Tuesday, but that was as much offence as the Golden Knights could muster. The Oilers stormed back for a 4-2 victory and a 1-0 series lead.
Vegas opened as -145 favourites to win Game 2 on the NHL odds, with the total pegged at 6.5.
Oilers vs. Golden Knights NHL Betting Odds
The Oilers have had Vegas’ number over the last few months, winning three straight in head-to-head action. Dating back to the first round against L.A., Edmonton is now the first team in NHL history with five straight comeback wins in a single postseason. It’s a dangerous way to play, but the results have obviously favoured the Oilers.
After the series opened as a straight pick’em on the NHL futures board, Edmonton now sits as a -220 favourite to win, while the Golden Knights are +180 underdogs. The favoured exact series result is an Oilers win in six games at +333 and the biggest long shot is Vegas winning the next four games at +1300. It’s worth noting, teams that win Game 1 in a best-of-seven series in the NHL playoffs are 531-249 (68.1 per cent) all-time.
If you’re looking for player props, it seems like a no-brainer to take Connor McDavid to lead the series in points at +115. McDavid had two points in Game 1 and he’s currently second in playoff scoring with 13 points (2G, 11A).
Game 1 was a statement win for Edmonton and oddsmakers noticed as the Oilers now have the third-shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup at +400. The Golden Knights have the third-longest odds at +1000.
Edmonton Oilers
After a shaky first period, Edmonton clapped back hard, outshooting Vegas 12-1 in the second. The Oilers, however, didn’t tie the game until early in the third and they didn’t secure the lead until late in the final period. Corey Perry, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown all found the back of the net, while McDavid and Evan Bouchard each recorded a pair of helpers. Calvin Pickard stopped 15 of 17 shots faced.
As impressive as five straight comeback wins sounds, Edmonton is really playing with fire as it’s just not sustainable in the long-term to trail so often in the playoffs. And while Pickard has won all five of his starts, his .891 save percentage isn’t rock solid, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Stuart Skinner draws in at some point in this series, although Pickard will keep the net at least until he loses a game.
Vegas Golden Knights
It was a textbook start for Vegas in Game 1 after they went up early with two goals from captain Mark Stone. However, the team seemed to run out of steam as they were outshot 18-7 over the final two periods. Part of that could come down to missing defenceman Alex Pietrangelo, who was a late scratch because of an illness. Pietrangelo led the team in ice time during the regular season, so it would be a big boost is he is able to play Game 2.
There has to be some concern for the Golden Knights surrounding the play of goaltender Adin Hill, who turned aside 24 of 28 shots faced in Game 1. The issue is the timing of the goals he’s allowed as he gave up three to Edmonton in the third period, including two in the final 3:02. The 28-year-old definitely has a longer leash than his Oilers counterpart, but he’ll need to be better if Vegas has a shot at shutting down the superstar duo of McDavid and Draisaitl.
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