Oilers Draw First Blood, Seek 2-0 Lead in Dallas
Best Bets For Oilers vs Stars Game 2 Puck Line
The Edmonton Oilers handed the Dallas Stars another loss on home ice to grab a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Stuart Skinner made 31 saves and Zach Hyman (12 goals, 3 assists, 15 points) starred while Connor McDavid (3 goals, 20 assists, 23 points) had a goal and assist including the game-winner. The Oilers vs Stars Game 2 puck line opened Edmonton +1.5 (-225) and Dallas -1.5 (+195).
Jake Oettinger made 35 saves for the Dallas Stars who are just 3-5 on home ice in the postseason. Game 2 NHL betting odds have made the Stars a -135 favorite with a total of six (under -120).
These two teams will take a break from the NHL schedule today with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday.
Oilers vs Stars 
Records: Edmonton Oilers (58-30-7), Dallas Stars (60-25-11)Â
Day/Time:
Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
Streaming: TNT, truTV, and MAX
Edmonton Leans On Goaltending and McDavid
The Dallas Stars trailed the Oilers 2-1 until Tyler Seguin scored his second game-one goal at the 16:37 mark of the third period to tie the score. It seemed inevitable that Dallas would get the game-winner after dominating the face-off circle (44-35) and possession time in the first overtime.
The best player in the world had other ideas in the second OT after blasting a redirect past Jake Oettinger to give the Oilers a 3-2 win. The major assist has to go to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who entered the Stars’ zone on on two and managed to beat both Dallas defenders to get the puck in deep leading to Evan Bouchard feeding McDavid in the high slot for his third goal of the postseason.
The Oilers penalty kill was sensational after a 5-5 effort including a massive 4-minute double minor kill in the first overtime. That seemed to be the turning point in the game even though the Stars hit the post a few times. The win was a good start to the series, but there is concern for Edmonton regarding face-off wins. Leon Draisaitl won just 27.6% of his draws while wearing a brace on his bottom hand which could have limited his effectiveness.
Kris Knoblauch knows his defense has to play 60 minutes in Game 2 because the Stars have too much firepower to allow them to carry play while Edmonton hangs on. History tells us that Dallas won’t go away quietly.
Dallas In Familiar Territory
The Stars trailed both of their previous series against the Vegas Golden Knights (2-0) and the Colorado Avalanche (1-0). That means they won’t blink an eye with the game one loss because Pete DeBoer’s team knows they had plenty of chances and may have been the better team in overtime.
Eliminating the Oilers’ power play chances is a box that must be checked and it was, allowing just one Oiler man-advantage and that was because of a too-many-men penalty that the officials had to call. To their credit, Dallas wasn’t called for cheap holding or hooking calls because they couldn’t keep up with the Oilers’ speed.
The scoreboard doesn’t reflect a positive outcome for Dallas, but some positives will allow the team to sleep well tonight. The Stars could have set the tone early with a few chances but Stuart Skinner came up big including a three-save sequence early in the game. There were times when Oilers defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Brett Kulak didn’t play well in the third period after the Stars decided to add some desperation into their game.
The Edmonton Oilers were too content trying to protect a one-goal lead. You can bet the Stars will not come out sloppy early in Game 2. We conclude our Oilers vs. Stars Game 2 puck line preview with our official selection.
Don’t Expect Line Movement
You can bet this game anytime when it comes to a side because there will be zig/zag wagering to counter the Oilers’ public team money. You can bet that this number will be right whether it is now come game time. We know that the public has jumped on the over 5.5 early on with exactly 62% of the money wagered and the tickets are on the over.
The total has moved to six but it’s more likely to be -120 (under) when betting closes. We’re ending our Oilers vs Stars Game 2 puck line by recommending a wager on the Stars -1.5 (+195). The equivalent of a spread isn’t our usual way to wager. But if we count the times Dallas hit the post or carried play late, it felt like a three-goal game.
All the best with your NHL picks and parlays this week.
For NHL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
