Oilers vs. Canucks: NHL Playoffs Odds & Picks (Monday)
It all comes down to Game 7 for the Oilers and Canucks. This series has been exciting throughout and hopefully, it can end that way. Let’s look at our top NHL picks for Monday’s playoff game between the Oilers and Canucks.
Monday's NHL Best Bets: Oilers vs. Canucks
(NHL odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Edmonton Oilers (-166) at Vancouver Canucks (+140) | O/U 5.5 (-122/+102)
The Oilers came out strong on offense and got the 5-1 win to force a Game 7. It was risky to go back to Stuart Skinner between the pipes, especially in an elimination game, but it paid off because he had his best performance since shutting out the Kings by saving 14-of-15 shots. Overall, they kept Vancouver quiet by dominating the puck possession. This offense was great in this game because multiple pairings were successful; Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins worked well on their shifts, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard worked well on the second line, and every variety looked great together.
It looked early on that Vancouver would be able to keep this game close. After the Oilers scored early in the first, they responded with an equalizer less than two minutes later. Silvos was playing as best as he could because Edmonton was still getting optimal opportunities at the net, but he couldn't keep that going in the later periods. They later had trouble stopping Edmonton's ability to move the puck and set up high-danger shots.
We should see a far better performance from Vancouver in front of their home fans. The Oilers will need to put everything together to be able to finally get over the hump and reach the Western Conference Finals. The offense should be ready, but don’t expect Skinner to put up another great performance and the Canucks should adjust to get the puck in their offensive zone more. Look for this total to be north of five.
NHL Pick: Over 5.5 Goals (-122)