The NHL season continues to roll on… We have some great matchups tonight. The main event is the Rangers and Oilers. Lets break down that game and the Predators and Canucks.
New York Rangers @ Edmonton Oilers
| Opening ML | Current ML | Spread | Total | |
| New York Rangers | +130 | +130 | +1.5 (-180) | o6.0 (-115) |
| Edmonton Oilers | -150 | -150 | -1.5 (+160) | u6.0 (-105) |
The New York Rangers continue their West Coast road trip as they travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers. This is last game of Edmonton’s three game home stand as they look to build on their three game win streak.
The Rangers have started the season well entering the game with a 6-2-2 record, good enough for 2nd place in the Metropolitan. Even though the Rangers have a great record, their offense continues to struggle. They’re currently averaging just 2.4 goals per game which is 27th in the NHL. Adam Fox leads the team with 11 points with Artemi Panarin right behind him at 10.
The bright spot for the Rangers has been their goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin is third in the NHL with a +9.9 GSAx and a 1.85 GAA. His play has led the Rangers to allowing an average of just 2.2 goals against per game. Their Penalty Kill has also been a bright spot for this team as well.
The Edmonton Oilers are one of the hottest teams in the league with a 8-1-0 record. Unlike New York, their offense has been outstanding leading the league in goals per game with 4.22. They also lead the league in Power Play conversions with a 46.4%. As expected the Oilers are led by league leaders Leon Draisaitl with 20 points and Connor McDavid with 19 points.
On the back end of things, the Oilers have been solid as well. They lead the league in shots allowed and are only giving up an average of 2.56 goals per game. The Oilers have historically had issues in net but, they looked to be solved for now with Mikko Koskinen. Koskinen struggled last year with the Oilers but, has looked good this year. He has a 2.18 GAA and a .934 SV%.
PICK: EDMONTON OILERS (-150)
The Oilers offense has shown 0, and I mean 0 signs of slowing down. They face a great goalie in Shesterkin but, he hasn’t been confirmed yet and Georgiev may get the start as Gallant said he plans to split time between both netminders. It’s hard not to take the Oilers at home when they rank 1st in GPG and face a team giving up the second most shots per game.
Nashville Predators @ Vancouver Canucks
| Opening ML | Current ML | Spread | Total | |
| Nashville Predators | +100 | -105 | +1.5 (-240) | o5.5 (+105) |
| Vancouver Canucks | -120 | -115 | -1.5 (+200) | u5.5 (-115) |
The Nashville Predators have seemed to gotten back on track after a slow start to the season. They’re 4-1 in their last 5 games after going 1-4 opening the season. They take on Vancouver for their third game on the road in the middle of a six game road stint.
The Predators offense has been unpredictable all season but has been better as of late correlating to their increase in wins. They sit at 18th in the NHL averaging 2.7 goals per game. The one bright spot for them offensively has been their Power Play which ranks 7th.
Defensively they have been middle of the pack as well. They rank 16th in the NHL giving up an average of 2.9 goals per game. Juuse Saros is expected in net and will be a major factor in Nashville’s success this season. Last season he was great with a +13.2 GSAx but this season he has a +3.4 GSAx. This year he has still been really good but, it shows how great he was last year. It also shows how much that the Predators depend on his success to do well as they lack offensive production.
The Vancouver Canucks have not had a great start to the season with just a 4-5-1 record. They defeated the New York Rangers on Tuesday to snap a three game losing streak. Their game against Nashville tonight will begin a three game home stand where hopefully they can turn things around.
The Canucks have been worse than the ‘Preds on offense averaging just 2.4 goals per game. Vancouver continues to generate scoring chances but fail to capitalize on them. They have also struggled on the man advantage with just a 15.8 conversion rate. If they want to turn things around on offense they’ll need more production from Brock Boeser who led the team in points last year but, has just three this season.
Vancouver’s defense has been decent this season allowing an average of 2.6 goals per game. However, their Penalty Kill remains an issue as they rank 28th in the league. Thatcher Demko, a Boston College product, is expected to get the start in net. He enters this game with a 2.88 GAA and a .923 SV%. Demko has played well this season with a +3.6 GSAx.
PICK: NSH/VAN UNDER 5.5 (-115)
Both of these teams continue to struggle finding the back of the net. If Demko and Saros both start, I like the play. They both have + GSAx and have decent defense’s in front of them.
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting.
