The Edmonton Oilers head West to face the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their best-of-7 Western Conference, 2nd-round series at Rogers Arena Wednesday. Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Oilers vs. Canucks odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Oilers have had a week off after dethroning the LA Kings in 5 games. C Connor McDavid had 1 goal and 11 assists in the series. LW Zach Hyman led the offense with 7 goals and an assist, while C Leon Draisaitl finished with 5 goals and 5 assists.
The Canucks might have been one of the more impressive teams in the 1st round. They lost their goalie and were down 3-1 in the 3rd period of Game 4, but they found a way to win that game and the series in 6 against the Nashville Predators. They won all 4 meetings against the Oilers this season, but 3 of them took place before Edmonton fired coach Jay Woodcroft and turned its season around. Another problem: Starting G Thatcher Demko (knee) is still out.
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