It’s an all-Canadian battle starting on Wednesday in the Western Conference Semifinals as the Edmonton Oilers face the Vancouver Canucks. Game 1 will take place at Rogers Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 10 PM ET. Edmonton eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in round one in convincing fashion for the fourth year in a row, while Vancouver took care of the Nashville Predators. This is the first time these two teams are meeting in the playoffs since the 1990s. It should be a very entertaining series. Continue reading for the Oilers vs Canucks Game 1 picks.
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Despite the Canucks winning all four meetings with the Oilers in the regular season, Edmonton is the favorite in Game 1 with -125 moneyline odds. Vancouver returns at +111 at home. The total in goals is set at six. The Oilers have won the two previous playoff series with the Nucks, but that was 30+ years ago. A lot has changed since then, but it’s still something to monitor when betting on the series as a whole.
Edmonton has been considered a Cup contender for years but has failed to get to the Promised Land with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way. While they’re still a far ways off the Stanley Cup Finals, the Oilers have looked very good so far in the playoffs. Edmonton rolled past the Kings in just five games, averaging 4.40 goals per contest while allowing just 2.60 goals per game to Los Angeles.
McDavid was the star of the show in round one, registering 12 points. He had just one goal but did provide 11 assists. Draisaitl also had 10 points, scoring five and tallying five helpers. Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins all contributed nicely in the conference semifinals as well. The Oilers finished just five points behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division but as previously mentioned, have no shortage of playoff success against Vancouver.
Edmonton is an offensive juggernaut with so many different weapons. They will also benefit from the fact that Thatcher Demko is still injured, which means the Canucks will not be at their best in net. The Oilers are fantastic on the power play and a great passing team. They will surely be a handful for the Vancouver blue line, who are inconsistent at times.
Vancouver knows how tough this round two opponent is, but they’re a legit team, too. The Canucks won the Pacific Division with an impressive 50-23-9 record for a total of 109 points. They kept it going in the playoffs, eliminating the Preds in six games. Vancouver struggled to score the puck in the series (2.17 goals average) but was rather solid defensively, only conceding twice per game. The blue line must continue to perform because the Oilers are a whole different beast offensively. This is a group with two of the best players in the world in McDavid and Draisaitl.
When it comes to Vancouver’s attack, they also need to step it up a notch. The Oilers aren’t the same team who are a liability defensively or in goal like in past seasons. Edmonton finished 10th in the regular season with only 2.88 goals allowed per night. Stuart Skinner is a beast in between the posts and he has tons of reliable D-men in front of him.
Brock Boeser was Vancouver’s best player in the first round, scoring four goals and supplying two assists. JT Miller, Quinn Hughes, and Dakota Joshua were all contributing at a nice rate. The Canucks do need Elias Pettersson to get it going though. He had only three points and finished the series with a -2 rating. Vancouver hosts Games 1 and 2 and will be hoping to get at least win one at Rogers Arena before heading to Oil Country, a hostile environment in its own right.
Vancouver thrives on home ice, compiling a 27-9-5 regular season record. That’s enough for me to ride them for the series opener on Wednesday evening. Take the moneyline.
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