Can Oilers Respond After Collapse Against Canucks?
Oilers vs Canucks Odds Still More of the Same For Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks authored a stunning comeback over the Edmonton Oilers to steal Game 1. Vancouver will look to grab further control of the Western Conference semifinal series when the teams meet for Game 2 this Friday.
Edmonton is -1.5 (+190) on the puck line and -130 on the moneyline, while Vancouver is +1.5 (-230) on the spread and +110 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total is 6 with a slight lean to the Over at -125. Bettors can get the Under at +105 odds.
The Oilers also remain -130 favorites to win the best-of-seven series, compared to +110 for the Canucks.
Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Oilers vs Canucks odds for Game 2.
Oilers vs Canucks 
Records: Edmonton Oilers (52-28-7), Vancouver Canucks (55-25-9)
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, B.C.
Day/Time: Streaming: TNT
Oilers vs Canucks Betting Trends
The Edmonton Oilers are 40-48 against the puck line, including 16-28 on the road. Edmonton’s proven to be a slightly better bet against the over/under, where it is 5-1 this postseason and 40-44-4 overall.
Conversely, the Vancouver Canucks are 46-43 ATS, including 23-22 at home. Vancouver also has been profitable against the over/under, going 44-40-5.
It’s important to remember these betting trends when analyzing the Oilers vs Canucks odds.
Collapse Reignites Goaltending Concerns
How will Edmonton respond to adversity? That’s a chief concern after the Oilers’ Game 1 collapse, in which they blew a three-goal lead over the final 23-plus minutes and lost 5-4.
Edmonton’s offense stayed efficient, scoring four goals on 18 shots. Two of those goals came from Zach Hyman, giving him an NHL-leading nine this postseason. The Oilers are now averaging 4.3 goals per game while converting on 47.6% of their power play chances.
In theory, that should be enough to carry Edmonton deeper into the postseason. But questions — better yet, concerns — persist about its goaltending. Stuart Skinner certainly didn’t win over any skeptics in the series opener, allowing five goals on 24 shots. Skinner is now 0-3 against Vancouver this season with an untenable 4.60 goals against average and .830 save percentage (SV%).
Edmonton’s futures odds took a hit following Game 1, as the Oilers dropped from +180 to +260 to win the Western Conference and +450 to +550 to win the Stanley Cup playoffs. The one-time championship favorites now have the fourth-shortest odds on the board, trailing the Rangers (+425), Avalanche (+425) and Panthers (+450).
A Cup final isn’t out of the question, but the Oilers will need to regain trust in Skinner. He was serviceable in the first round, stopping 132 of a possible 145 shots for a .910 SV% over five games. However, the Oilers’ defensive problems cropped up again against Vancouver. After jumping to a 4-1 lead at 13:11 of the second period, the Oilers were outscored 4-0 the rest of the way. Two of those goals were scored in 39 seconds.
Silovs Holds His Own
The Canucks turned back to Arturs Silovs in net for Game 1, and the NHL results were unsurprisingly mixed. The 2019 sixth-round pick settled in after a shaky start, holding Edmonton at bay as Vancouver made its comeback. Silovs finished with only 14 saves, but his third-period performance should have inspired some confidence moving forward.
It is certainly better because Vancouver is in a tough spot without Thatcher Demko (knee injury). The Vezina finalist hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Kings and isn’t expected to return until the Conference Finals, at the earliest. Veteran backup Casey DeSmith started Games 2 and 3 before head coach Rick Tocchet surprisingly turned to Silovs, who’d played only nine games over the previous two seasons.
Given Demko’s absence, oddsmakers are understandably skeptical of Vancouver. Even after their Game 1 victory, the Canucks remain the biggest longshots on the board: +450 to win the West and +1300 to win the Stanley Cup. The other seven remaining teams all have championship odds of 10/1 or better.
That can change, of course, but only if Vancouver grabs a 2-0 series lead. The good news is Vancouver has dominated Edmonton this season, winning all five meetings by a combined 26-11. Notably, three of those games were played during the Oilers’ brutal 3-9-1 start, which coincided with the firing of head coach Jay Woodcroft.
Among the potential concerns is Vancouver’s power play, which is just 2-for-16 (12.5%) this postseason. That’s the worst conversion rate of the eight remaining teams.
Handicapping the Game
Sure, Edmonton’s among the NHL leaders in terms of scoring, but its goaltending issues are hard to ignore. The questions about Skinner will linger after the Oilers fizzled in Game 1.
The Canucks have dominated Edmonton this season, and momentum is flowing in their favor after they outscored the Oilers 3-0 in the third period. Fortunately for the Oilers, things often change hurriedly during the playoffs, and they have the kind of scorers capable of shifting momentum. Look no further than three-time Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, who has an NHL-best 13 points in six playoff games.
It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see Edmonton answer back. Take that for what it’s worth when assessing the Oilers vs Canucks odds.
Oilers vs Canucks Betting Odds
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