Vegas (1-1) at Edmonton (1-1)
When: Monday, May 8th 2023
Where: Rogers Place,
Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8:30 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Edmonton -170/6.5
The second round of the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers series now shifts to Alberta for Game 3 on Monday night. The first two games in Vegas were dominated offensively by both teams in their respective victories. The Knights scored a 6-4 in Game 1, while the Oilers dominated from the opening face-off on Saturday night in the 5-1 win. The series is now tied up with the next two games at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
The Oilers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one period on Saturday thanks to a pair of power-play goals and Connor McDavid’s short-handed breakaway and cruised the rest of the game. Edmonton is now averaging 4.25 goals per game this postseason thanks to the most lethal power play we’ve seen in a long time. They went 3-for-6 in Game to, making them now an incredible 14-for-25 (56 percent) in the playoffs.
Game 2 was the sixth game of the year between the two clubs and it was the first time a contest went Under the total despite a four-goal outburst by the Oilers in period one. Over the last five games, the Oilers have averaged five goals and scored at least four in all five games. At home, Edmonton is on an 11-2 run, while Vegas has won 11 of their last 14 road contests.
Laurent Brossoit was pulled from net after allowing five goals on 32 shots and was replaced by Adin Hill. Brossoit is expected to start Monday’s contest and hopes his team displays more discipline on the ice. Vegas gave Edmonton another five power plays on Saturday and that’s a recipe for disaster against this Oilers squad. Ivan Barbashev scored Vegas’ lone goal in Game 2. Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel tied for the team lead with five points versus Edmonton during the regular season.
Leon Draisaitl became the second player in NHL history to score 13 goals through his first eight playoff games. His 13 goals are almost double of any other skater this postseason. McDavid sits at five goals and 15 points in the playoffs, good for second in the league in points. Evan Bouchard leads all defensemen with 14 points, including 12 power play points. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins led Edmonton with eight assists and nine points in the four regular season meetings with Vegas.
$750 NHL Betting Bonus! (US CUSTOMERS ONLY)
This Edmonton team is cooking now and will be very hard to stop. Vegas needs to stop giving them power plays and that will be tough in front of a hostile environment. I think the Oilers take control of this series tonight.
Pick: Oilers -175
