Los Angeles Kings vs. Vancouver Canucks Prediction, NHL Odds
The Canucks are -140 favourites on the NHL odds.
Kings vs. Canucks NHL Betting Odds
While Vancouver’s season will come to an end following its game Friday in Edmonton, the Kings are a playoff team in a bit of a surprise considering they were quite bad each of the past three seasons and didn’t sniff the post-season.
These teams have split two meetings with Los Angeles losing 4-0 in Vancouver on Dec. 6 and winning 2-1 in a shootout at home on Dec. 30. The lone regulation goal scored for L.A. in the season series was by Brendan Lemieux. Cal Petersen lost his start and Jonathan Quick won his. JT Miller (1G, 2A) leads Vancouver with three points in the series, all the points coming on the power play. Thatcher Demko won his start in net and Jaroslav Halak lost his.
The favourite has won the past six in the series. The total has gone under in four of the past five in Vancouver.
Los Angeles Kings
Considering this is the regular-season finale for Los Angeles, the second of a back-to-back and it really has nothing to play for, I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach Todd McLellan rested some of his starters. The Kings have finished third in the Pacific Division and will face the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs so no reason to care here. McLellan did rest a handful of guys in Wednesday’s 5-3 win in Seattle, LA’s fifth straight victory – all with Jonathan Quick in net, but we can all but promise it will be Cal Petersen (20-14-3, 2.90 GAA, .895 SV) in this one. Los Angeles is 6-1 in its past seven in the second of a B2B.
Vancouver Canucks
As noted, this is Vancouver’s home finale. The Canucks ended a three-game slide with a 5-2 home win over Seattle on Tuesday, but they were eliminated from playoff contention due to results earlier in the night. With No. 1 netminder Thatcher Demko dealing with an undisclosed injury – he’s day-to-day – and No. 2 Jaroslav Halak out, Spencer Martin got the start in net and stopped 32 shots to improve to 2-0-2 this season with a spectacular 1.69 GAA and .953 SV. We’d imagine he gets the call again here. Blueliner Quinn Hughes continued his career season with a goal and two assists in the win and is up to 66 points, a franchise record for a blueliner. Doug Lidster held the previous mark with 63 in 1986-87. Fellow defencemen Travis Dermott (illness) and forward William Lockwood (upper-body injury) were late scratches. Vancouver is 5-1 in its past six at home.
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