Lightning talisman Steven Stamkos has done it! He’s now a member of the 500 goal scorer’s club, accomplishing the feat on Wednesday night against the Canucks in Vancouver. There’s little time to celebrate and bask, as the date with Edmonton is only 24 hours later.

Jay Woodcroft’s Oilers sit as -1.5 favourites on the NHL odds (+210 on the puck line). The over-under’s bar is set at 6.5

Lightning vs. Oilers NHL Betting Odds

Recent history between the Lightning and Oilers is a bit spotty given that intra-conference contests happen only twice per season. For what it’s worth, the Lightning have struck three times over the past five matches, although their Albertan opposites have claimed the most recent two. Moreover, one of those Edmonton victories was the first of the two dates scheduled for the current season, when the Oilers left Tampa as 3-2 winners.

For a team that’s battling for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage in the playoffs, Jon Cooper’s Floridian club is a disappointing 21-22 ATS. A slower start to the season than anticipated didn’t help. It’s only in the last few weeks that Tampa Bay has started playing like the perennial contender fans recognize. They’re 9-2 in their past 11 games, for instance. Victories generally translate to covers (seven of those nine wins). Conversely, none of the 13 defeats have covered.

Edmonton is beginning to find its groove with respect to spreads. The team has successfully covered their last four opportunities. What they need to improve on are their unenviable home performances. Not only is their outright win-loss record at Rogers Place only 11-11-2, but ATS they’ve only mustered a 2-6 tally in their previous eight challenges. Betters hope that the convincing win over the Kraken on Tuesday is a sign of things to come.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Fans were waiting and pundits were speculating. When was Steven Stamkos going to finally hit the 500-goal mark? Opportunities passed him by when visiting St. Louis and Seattle, but Vancouver, a team with no shortage of defensive issues, was a prime target.

The milestone moment didn’t wait long either. With only 4:40 played in the first period, the Lightning hounded the Vancouver zone. The hosts’ committed a strange defensive lapse whereby Stamkos placed himself calmly and all alone in front of Spencer Martin. He simply waited for Alex Killorn to pass him the puck, which the future Hall of Famer happily slotted into the net for a 1-0 lead and his 500^th tally. After brief celebrations, the Lightning promptly stormed the Canucks for a 4-0 first-period lead they never relinquished, winning 5-2. Stankos even netted a hat trick.

Edmonton Oilers

The contest against the Kraken on Tuesday was an important one for several reasons. As we have harped on multiple times already, the Oilers absolutely must start playing better in front of their fans. Second, their pedestrian home record means they’re in a dog fight for a playoff spot. Third, Seattle is a team they’re chasing.

As such, the emphatic 5-2 victory was a breath of fresh air. It also paid back a home defeat in December by that very same score line. The contest didn’t start brightly when the Kraken opened the scoring barely three minutes into the first frame. However, leader Connor McDavid responded at 14:08 with a trademark “I’ll do it myself” race out of his zone to snipe a beautiful shot past Martin Jones. From that point on the Oilers were off to the races and controlled the tilt. Zach Hyman also padded his scoring tally to 21 on the year.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Lightning vs. Oilers?

LIGHTNING

Away

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OILERS

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