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Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Preview
On Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks travel to Rogers Place, where they’ll meet the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth time this season. The puck drop is at 10:00 PM ET. Both sides have qualified for the National Hockey League playoffs, but when two Canadian sides face off, there are always bragging rights up for grabs.
The Canucks aren’t playing great hockey, losing two out of their last three games. Vancouver got a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights but suffered defeats versus the Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton is performing much better, remaining unbeaten in their last three contests, with wins over Vegas, Calgary, and Colorado. But can the Canucks end the Oilers’ winning streak this weekend?
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Vancouver Canucks have dominated the Edmonton Oilers this season. Vancouver won all three of their previous meetings. The series opener was anything but close, with the Canucks cruising to an 8-1 victory over the Oilers. Despite Vancouver winning their latest game, Edmonton was much improved.
Their most recent contest’s opening period was full of excitement. Edmonton notched the game’s first goal, with Mattias Ekholm capitalizing on an early power play. Less than five minutes later, Quinn Hughes got his fifth goal this season, leveling the points for Vancouver. Hughes’ goal was against the run of play, with the Oilers controlling the early exchanges. A fast break from Pius Suter gave the Canucks a lead. Vancouver had only eight shots in the first period but finished with three goals after Brock Boeser notched during a power play.
However, Edmonton opened the scoring again in the second half, with Leon Draisaitl reducing the margin to one point. Vancouver fought back, and Nils Höglander finished a brilliant offensive play to restore the Canucks’ advantage. The Oilers had no response to Vancouver’s offensive threat in the third period, with the Canucks scoring twice. J.T. Miller posted his seventh of the season, getting the period’s first goal. Vancouver’s special team was on fire in this contest, and they capitalized on another power play to end the game. The Canucks walked away with a 6-2 win over their Canadian rivals.
One point separated the teams when they met for the second time. Once again, the Edmonton Oilers started fast, scoring seconds into the first period. Leon Draisaitl hustled in the crease and poked the puck home, notching his second of the season. The Vancouver Canucks fired back during a power play, with Andrei Kuzmenko’s blue line shot flying past Stuart Skinner. With just two minutes left in the opener, Nils Höglander tipped Brock Boeser’s slapper into the Oilers’ goal. Connor McDavid got Edmonton back into the game early in the second period. A minute later, Jack Studnicka restored the Canucks’ lead. However, Edmonton was the better team in the second, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins leveled the contest, heading into the third period. With 17 minutes on the clock, Höglander assisted Sam Lafferty, giving the Canucks a 4-3 victory on the road.
The Edmonton Oilers have one of the best special teams in the league, capitalizing on 26.7% of their power plays. The Vancouver Canucks aren’t as impressive, but still convert a respectable 22.9% of PPs. Both teams have similar offensive and defensive statistics. On average, Edmonton scores 3.60 goals and concedes 2.83. Vancouver has a better defensive record, allowing 2.72 points per game, but notches an average of 3.42 goals. However, the Oilers have 33.8 shots per game, the most in the league and considerably more than the Canucks’ 28.5.
Connor McDavid is the Oilers’ most valuable skater. McDavid has the most points on Edmonton’s roster, posting 130 (31G, 99A) in 74 games. Their primary source of goals is Zach Hyman, with the forward scoring 53 times this season. J.T. Miller is the leading point scorer for the Vancouver Canucks, notching 101 (36G, 65A) points. However, Miller could have even more if he stayed on the ice, with the forward racking up 56 penalty minutes. Brock Boeser is Vancouver’s biggest goal threat, scoring 40 in 79 contests.
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Edmonton Oilers 5-4 OT win over the Vancouver Canucks
Analyzing previous games between two hockey teams is a great way to determine a winner. However, we are going against the data this weekend, and predict the Edmonton Oilers will get a surprise victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have won every game against the Oilers this season, destroying Edmonton by a seven-goal margin at the beginning of the series. But this contest will require overtime, and our correct score prediction is an Edmonton 5-4 OT win over Vancouver.
The Oilers start fast against the Canucks, and we feel the first period will be an issue for Vancouver. Edmonton will lead 2-1 after the opener, but the Canucks will score the only goal of the second period to level the points. Two more goals from both sides in the third period will send us into overtime. Vancouver has lost nine games in OT this season, and we predict the Oilers will win. Edmonton is a scary team to face in overtime, losing only five times.
When looking at likely goalscorers, Quinn Hughes stands out for the Vancouver Canucks. Hughes has 91 points this season, with nine coming in his previous five contests. The defenseman got three assists against the Arizona Coyotes and recently scored against the Vegas Golden Knights. Huges is an excellent choice when placing player picks via our sportsbook this weekend. When betting on Edmonton, Evan Bouchard is an interesting option. Bouchard scored against the Calgary Flames earlier this month and has 17 goals in this campaign. The defenseman is known for assists, but we predict Bouchard will score against the Canucks.
The game had 30 or more penalty minutes twice in their last three meetings. We predict Saturday’s contest will be similar. The game will be aggressive from start to finish, and the sides will post over 25 penalty minutes. Edmonton is one of the best NHL teams at converting power plays, so monitor the live betting markets during the PPs to capitalize on their special teams’ success.
🥅 Arty Starty 🥅 pic.twitter.com/McpMFpqmjz
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 11, 2024
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers Betting Picks
Given their achievements against the Edmonton Oilers, our sportsbook will understandably favor the Vancouver Canucks. However, we predict the Oilers will cause an upset, so wagering on Edmonton via the moneyline offers great value when betting on the NHL this weekend. However, we expect overtime at Rogers Place, so avoid the regular time moneyline.
Vancouver went to overtime against the Arizona Coyotes in their most recent game losing 4-3. When the Oilers played the St. Louis Blues at the start of the month, they also went to overtime. Edmonton lost 3-2, but with both teams recently needing OT, this is a positive trend for our prediction. Overtime is hard to predict when wagering on hockey events, but we suggest betting on an Edmonton OT victory in this contest. However, if you don’t like the idea of overtime, our sportsbook offers the winning margin market. That is perfect for capitalizing on a tight game, with no need for OT for our bet to land. Betting on Edmonton to win by one goal produces a healthy profit, but always keep your wagers low when backing an underdog.
Whether you’re a Canucks or Oilers fan, handicapping can work for you this weekend. We predict regular time to finish 4-4, so betting on either team +0.5 results in a winning bet. You will get bigger returns from the Oilers, but wagering on Vancouver via the handicap market can help lower the risk. You can select over a +0.5 points advantage, but the more points you award a team, the lower the profit.
In two of the last three games against the Canucks, Edmonton has opened the scoring. The only time Vancouver scored first was during their 8-1 victory over the Oilers at the beginning of the season. The Oilers lost every contest versus Vancouver, but we can still capitalize on their goalscoring trend. Betting on Edmonton to score the first goal is a great way to use your welcome bonus this weekend. Goals come fast in the NHL, so using bonus funds prevents our potential losses from ruining the rest of the game.
No McDavid.
RNH-Draisaitl-Hyman
Kane-Henrique-Foegele
Holloway-McLeod-Perry
Janmark-Carrick-BrownEkholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Kulak-DesharnaisSkinner pic.twitter.com/BQIHzJsRyR
— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) April 11, 2024
Vancouver Canucks Team News
The Vancouver Canucks will probably travel to Edmonton without Thatcher Demko. The goaltender was having an impressive season for the Canucks before his injury, averaging just 2.47 goals against and a .917 save percentage. Arturs Silovs replaced Demko against the Arizona Coyotes, and we expect him to play again. Arshdeep Bains will also miss the Oilers contest. The Canucks reassigned Bains to the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League. The forward featured only eight times in the National Hockey League but didn’t post a point.
Edmonton Oilers Team News
The big story coming out of Edmonton is Connor McDavid’s absence from the lineup. McDavid missed the Edmonton Oilers’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights and remains a worry ahead of their all-Canadian contest versus the Vancouver Canucks. The importance of McDavid in the Oilers’ offense cannot be overstated. McDavid has 31 goals, 99 assists, and a +34 plus/minus this season. Edmonton recalled Dylan Holloway from the Bakersfield Condors. Holloway is a forward, but his numbers are no replacement for McDavid. The AHL skater has five points (4G, 1A) in 33 games for the Oilers this year.
