The Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks meet Wednesday in Game 1 Western Conference NHL Playoffs Second Round action at Rogers Arena. Here’s a Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Prediction.
Playoff Recap
The Edmonton Oilers come into this series after knocking off the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games with a 4-3 win in their last matchup. The Canucks booked their spot in the second round in 6 games after a 1-0 win over the Predators on the road last time out.
Edmonton Oilers Player Stats
Connor McDavid leads the Oilers in scoring with 132 points including a team-high 100 assists while Leon Draisaitl has 106 points with 41 goals and 65 assists. Zach Hyman has 77 points with a team-high 54 goals while Evan Bouchard has 82 points with 18 goals and 64 assists as well. Evander Kane has 44 points with 24 goals and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 67 points with 49 assists this season. Stuart Skinner is 36-16-5 with a 2.62 GAA and a .905 save percentage while Calvin Pickard is 12-7-1 with a 2.45 GAA and a .909 save percentage this season.
Why the Edmonton Oilers will win
- The road team has won each of the Canucks’ last five games.
- The Canucks have lost six of their last seven games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Canucks have failed to cover the puck line in 10 of their last 11 games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The road team has covered the puck line in each of the Canucks’ last five games.
- The road team has won the third period in four of the Canucks’ last five games.
Vancouver Canucks Player Stats
J.T. Miller leads the Canucks in scoring with 103 points including 37 goals and 66 assists while Elias Pettersson has 89 points with 34 goals and 55 assists. Quinn Hughes has 92 points with a team-high 75 assists and Brock Boeser has 73 points with a team-high 40 goals and 33 assists. Thatcher Demko’s gone 35-14-2 with a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage in goal for Vancouver while Casey DeSmith is 12-9-6 with a 2.89 GAA and an .896 save percentage this season.
Why the Vancouver Canucks will win
- The underdogs have won each of the Canucks’ last five games.
- The Oilers have lost four of their last five games as favorites following a home win.
- The Canucks have covered the puck line in eight of their last nine games as home underdogs.
- The Oilers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last five games following a win.
- The Canucks have won the third period in each of their last four games against the Oilers.
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Prediction
I’m leaning towards Edmonton here. I think it’s truly telling that the line is where it is, now I know that playoff hockey is a different beast altogether. But the thing here is that the Oilers are pretty much healthy, and I’m imagining a shark smelling blood in the water when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl set sights on Desmith or Silovs in Vancouver’s crease. Could be a really entertaining series, but I think Edmonton’s top-tier talent is just too much here. Give me the Oilers.