Scoreboard	1	2	3	Odds
Vancouver Canucks 23-29-3-1	0	1	3	+6
Edmonton Oilers 35-19-2	1	0	0	+163

Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers Prediction, NHL Odds

The Oilers opened as sizable favourites on the NHL odds.

Canucks vs. Oilers 5/15/21 Betting Analysis

After this, Vancouver has three games left to play, all against Calgary, in its disappointing season. It’s rather unusual that the Canucks (and Flames) are playing meaningless regular-season games during the playoffs, but COVID blew up the Vancouver schedule.

Edmonton, meanwhile, will be hosting a first-round playoff series opener Wednesday against Winnipeg. The Oilers may well rest most of their key guys in this one with no reason to risk their health.

The Oilers lead the season series with the Canucks 6-3 but are 2-2 at home. Likely Hart Trophy winner and regular-season scoring champion Connor McDavid (8G, 13A) has a whopping 21 points in the season series and is plus-8, while Leon Draisaitl (7G, 11A) has 18 points and is plus-8. Mike Smith is 4-0-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. Mikko Koskinen is 2-3-0 with a 3.86 GAA and .877 SV.

Nils Hoglander (2G, 4A) and Brock Boeser (5G, 1A) lead the Canucks with six points each in the series. Thatcher Demko is 2-5-0 with a 3.33 GAA and .907 SV, and Braden Holtby 1-1-0 with a 3.57 GAA and .887 SV.

Vancouver Canucks

This concludes a long road trip for the Canucks, who lost 4-1 in Calgary on Thursday. Matthew Highmore gave Vancouver a lead just 1:02 into the game, but that was obviously the only scoring for the Canucks. It was Highmore’s first goal of the season and first in 45 games dating to Feb. 25, 2020, when he was with the Blackhawks. Thatcher Demko allowed two goals within two minutes in the first period which cleared away that lead. Vancouver was 0-for-1 on the power play and is 0-for-19 with the man advantage in the past eight games.

The Canucks are near the bottom of the NHL at 17 per cent overall on the PP. Coach Travis Green said before Thursday’s game that Elias Pettersson (upper body) isn’t expected to be back this season. No surprise there.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton enters on a three-game winning streak, taking all three by identical 4-3 scores – the past two in overtime in Montreal. Dominik Kahun’s ninth goal of the season 0:27 into OT on Thursday was the winner. Connor McDavid had two assists to push his NHL-leading points total to 104 in just 55 games. He is lapping the field. The Oilers will have two scoring champions. Tyson Barrie had two assists and now leads all defencemen with 48 points. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and assist and has recorded multiple points in seven consecutive games.

Mike Smith was in net Thursday, but we’d guess it’s Mikko Koskinen here and expect several key guys to sit with the Oilers perhaps already mentally preparing for the Jets.