Vegas Golden Knights vs. Vancouver Canucks Prediction, Preview, and Odds
In an exciting matchup of the top two seeds in the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks will host the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday at 10:00 p.m. EST in Rogers Arena. Despite their success so far, both teams have been struggling as of late, with Vegas going 3-4-3 in their last ten and Vancouver at 5-5 in their last ten games played. Vancouver is a slight favorite with a -125 money line and the total is set at 6.5 goals.
Golden Knights Going Back-to-Back?
Vegas managed to salvage a point against the Edmonton Oilers, but lost in a shootout in their most recent outing by a score of 5-4. Nicolas Roy and Michael Amadio each had two points in the effort while Mark Stone had the most shots on goal with three. Logan Thompson stopped 30 of 34 shots in the effort.
Jack Eichel and William Karlsson are tied for the most points on the squad with 21 each, but Karlsson has the most goals with 10. Amadio has a team-high +11 and Paul Cotter has 27 penalty minutes to his name. Eichel has the most time spent on the ice among forwards with 20:32 and has the most power play goals with four on the year. Mark Stone has the most power play assists among offensive skaters with six and Eichel has a team-high 94 shots on the year. As a collective, the Golden Knights are 14th in shots per game with 31.2, 18th in goals per game with 3.09, and 15th on the power play with a 20.7% success rate. They are also 16th with a 50.7% win rate in the face-off circle.
Shea Theodore is the leader in points among Vegas defenders with 18. He has the most goals (4), assists (14), power play goals (2), power play assists (8), and shots (52) among all defenders. Brayden McNabb has a +10, which is highest among blue-liners, and Nicolas Hague has the most penalty minutes earned among defenders with 22. Alex Pietrangelo just edges out Theodore for most time spent on the ice with an average time of 23:54. Adin Hill and Logan Thompson have split the 23 games played so far for the Golden Knights with Hill earning the majority of starts. Hill has a 1.96 GAA compared to Thompson's 2.47 and Hill has a 93.3% save percentage compared to Thompson's 91.7%. Thanks to their excellent play, Vegas is second in the league in goals against per game at 2.43. They are 16th in shots against per game with 30.2 and 8th on the penalty kill with an 85.7% kill rate.
Canucks Keeping Winning
Vancouver scored twice in the third period to take home a win against the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 3-1. Brock Boeser scored twice, and J.T. Miller had two assists as the dynamic duo continues to perform. Thatcher Demko also continued to excel, stopping 30 of 31 shots in the victory.
Vancouver's offensive totals were boosted by their wins over the Sharks, but they are still impressive, nonetheless. J.T. Miller is first on the team with 35 points and is second in goals with 13. Brock Boeser has the most goals on the squad with 17 while J.T. Miller has the best +/- ratio among forwards with a +11. Nils Hoglander leads the forwards in penalty minutes with 23, and J.T. Miller has an average of 20:05 ice time, the most among forwards. Boeser has eight power play goals while Miller has ten assists on the power play. Boeser is second overall on the team in shots with 65 on the season. As a unit, Vancouver has soared up to the #2 spot in the NHL in goals per game with 3.96. Their power play is fourth in the league at a 29.8% success rate, and their face-off percentage ranks 14th with a 51% win rate. Interestingly, the Canucks are 24th in shots with 29.5 per game on average.
Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith have been splitting time in net, with Demko carrying the majority of starts. Demko has outperformed DeSmith so far, with a 2.10 GAA compared to a 3.06 GAA. Demko also has a solid 92.8% save percentage while DeSmith is holding his own with a 90.7% save percentage. In total on defense, Vancouver gives up an average of 29.9 shots per game, ranking 13th in the league. Their goals against average ranks 4th in the NHL with a 2.48, but their penalty kill is 22nd with a 76.4% kill rate. Quinn Hughes is the star on defense for the Canucks with 33 points, good for second-most on the team. He leads defenders with eight goals and 25 assists while also having the most shots among all players on the Canucks with 71. His +/- is also at an insane +19 and he is one of three defenders to have a power play goal on the year. His 14 assists on the power play are leading the squad while Ian Cole is leading the Canucks with 28 penalty minutes. Hughes has also overtaken Filip Honrek for the most average ice time at 24:45 compared to 24:38. Guillame Brisebois, Carson Soucy, Pius Suter, and Tucker Poolman are the only players to be listed on the injury report for the Canucks. All except Soucy are out indefinitely or for the season. Soucy is projected to return in January.
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I really would like to take Vegas as the underdog in this scenario, but I believe that the home crowd in Vancouver can change the dynamic of the game. This is the first time in a long time that the Canucks have been this good, and you can bet those fans will be ready to be loud. The Canucks should have their mojo back after winning two of their last three games while the Golden Knights have lost back-to-back games, albeit one in overtime and one in a shootout. Theodore and Lehner are significant injuries for Vegas and Vancouver has been doing fine with their four players on the injured list. The Canucks are 8-1-1 at home this year while the Golden Knights are 3-4-3 in their last ten.
Take Vancouver with the money line.
Prediction: Vancouver Canucks Money Line (-125)
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In a game as intense as this one, both teams will do their best to minimize their mistakes. That means they will play more conservatively thus limiting each team's overall opportunities to score on fast breaks or any other type of quick play. Vegas has totaled under seven goals in eight of their last 11 matches. One of those was an overtime game that ended with six total goals in regulation. Vancouver is one of the elite offenses in the game right now, but they are not producing as many shots. Vegas has one of the better goaltending situations in the league right now and if anyone can slow down the offense of the Canucks, it's Vegas. The Golden Knights have had a pedestrian offense thus far and the two starting goalies for each team have a combined GAA of just over 4.00.
Prediction: Under 6.5
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