This will be the third time in a decade that the Canadian rivals will meet in the second round of the NHL playoffs.
The hatred between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks and their rabid fan bases has reached a boiling point, and there should be another violent atmosphere at Rogers Arena on Friday night.
Canucks fans strongly believed that the sportsbooks were to blame for making their team a huge (+215) underdog in this series, much like the Rangers’ fan base claimed heading into the series against the Hurricanes.
And like the Rangers, the Canucks proved the oddsmakers wrong by taking a 1-0 series lead in Game 1.
It remains to be seen whether the Canucks will continue to prove the oddsmakers wrong like the Rangers, who went up 3-0 in Thursday’s series against Florida.
Oilers vs. Canucks odds
| team | money line | pack line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| oiler | -125 | -1.5 (+195) | o6 (-115) |
| canucks | +105 | +1.5 (-238) | u6 (-105) |
Oilers vs. Canucks predictions
(10 p.m. ET, TNT)
The Canucks cornered the Oilers on Wednesday in a game that looked like it was all over, rallying from a 4-1 deficit to win a shocking 5-4. While Vancouver deserves credit for their impressive comeback, many of the Canucks’ flaws will continue to apply.
Both starting goaltenders weren’t very sharp in the first game. Canucks third-stringer Arturs Silovs allowed four goals on just 18 shots.
Stuart Skinner played even worse than the Shilovs. He allowed five goals on just 24 shots, including Conor Garland’s game-winning goal, which came from a position on the ice where 98.3% of his shots stopped.
I expect Skinner to become a better starter going forward. He has played in 59 games this season and has a better-than-expected +2.0 goals saved average, making him far more accomplished than the Shilovs at the NHL level. Skinner was able to bounce back from a shaky start in Game 1 against the Kings, and this should give bettors confidence he can do the same tonight.
Throughout the playoffs, the Canucks produced just 20.04 shots on goal per game, a historically low rate. His 2.52 goals per 60 expected goals this postseason ranks third worst, and the quality of those chances wasn’t very good either.
The Oilers rank third this postseason with 3.35 expected goals per 60. Even in 5-on-5 play, the Oilers have created far more chances than the Canucks this playoffs, and 5-on-5 play is far from the Oilers’ biggest strength.
The Oilers have one of the most well-constructed power play units in NHL history. He was successful 47.6% of the time this postseason and 46.2% of the time in last year’s playoffs.
The Oilers only drew one penalty in the previous game, but took advantage with power play markers.
The Canucks will likely take more penalties Friday night. More special teams time in Game 2 would be a huge advantage for the Oilers.
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Oilers vs. Canucks picks
Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl missed part of Game 1 with what the team reported was a muscle spasm, but was able to return and finish the game. He missed Thursday’s practice, but the general suspicion is that the team is hiding a more serious injury.
In assessing what we can expect from him in Game 2, note that Draisaitl was very effective in the 2022 postseason while playing with what was reportedly a severe ankle sprain. It’s an interesting thing to do.
Even with Draisaitl potentially playing at a lower level than the top level, I still believe the Oilers will find a way to split the series and get home. Bet on Edmonton coming back to win this crucial Game 2.
