Welcome back to another day of NHL Predictions. Each day, we will take a look at the games that are happening and give our predictions for each one. There is only one game on the slate for Saturday, May 15th, the Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers.
NHL Predictions: Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers
Head-to-Head: Canucks 3 – 6 Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers wrap up their season against the Vancouver Canucks, tonight. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs starting, the Oilers aren’t looking to show off. Playing their last game against the worst team in the North Division, Edmonton is looking ahead to the start of their series against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
Sitting at 28th in the league with a record of 21-28-3, the Canucks have had a rough season. A well-rounded roster on paper, Vancouver has not been able to find their game. With long-term injuries to several players, including Elias Pettersson, Micheal Ferland, and Jay Beagle, they’ve been even worse on offence. Veteran goaltender Braden Holtby has had one of his worst seasons to date since joining Vancouver and despite Thatcher Demko‘s solid showing, the Canucks let in an average of 3.25 goals per game.
Right-wing Brock Boeser is their leading scorer, but still only tallied 20 goals on the season. The Vancouver Canucks have a long way to go if they want to be competitive in the upcoming seasons. Working on their offence is a must.
As for the Edmonton Oilers, they have qualified for the playoffs for only the second time in the past 14 seasons. They ended their season with a record of 34-18-2 and second in the North, they face off against the Jets in the first round. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are leading the entire league in points, with 104 and 83 respectively. McDavid announced he will not sit out this last game of the season, claiming he wants to be sharp for the playoffs. With McDavid on the ice, the Canucks don’t really stand a chance.
Not only have the Oilers dominated the Canucks whenever they’ve met this season, but they’ve had a major impact on the entire North Division this season. Edmonton will defeat Vancouver tonight while staying on point for their first game against Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Prediction: Oilers win 4-1.
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