After four straight one-goal games, the Vancouver Canucks were able to transition their Pacific Division title into a first-round series win. Now, they take on the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, which has become a classic divisional and Canadian rivalry.
First Round recap with the Nashville Predators
As mentioned, there were some seriously tight contests in the first round for the Canucks, but they were able to take care of the Wild Card Nashville Predators in six games. However, there were certainly concerns following their Game 2 loss on home ice.
While it came by a three-goal margin, it wasn’t just the score that could have led to long-term issues. Vancouver recorded just 15 shots on goal, and throughout the first five games of the series, they averaged fewer than 16 shots on goal. Therefore, it’s no surprise they scored more than two goals in just two of the six games.
On the flip side, that should also provide hope for the Canucks and their fans, as it means that the goaltending also stepped up in a big way. Vancouver allowed more than two goals just twice and finished the series on the road in shutout fashion.
Looking ahead to the Edmonton Oilers
Expecting shutouts in the Canucks upcoming series would be quite a longshot, as they now face the high-flying offense led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Once again, each piece of the duo finished the regular season with over 100 points, and McDavid had 100 assists alone.
His 11 assists in the first round were the most in his career, and it was just a five-game series with the Los Angeles Kings. Although they cruised through that Pacific Division rival, things may not be quite as easy facing Vancouver - the Canucks owned the Oilers in the regular season.
In their four meetings throughout the year, Vancouver won all four, three of them by multiple goals. Those came by final scores of 8-1, 6-2 and 3-1, so as you can see, the offense was in far better form than it was in the first round of the playoffs. It’s going to be tough to keep pace with McDavid and company, so the outcome of this series is going to be all about how the Canucks transition.
They ended their series with the Predators with 29 shots on goal, so that’s the type of pressure they need to put on Edmonton’s young goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Vancouver Canucks update: Odds to win the Stanley Cup
Despite the Oilers finishing behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division standings, they are now the favourites to win the Stanley Cup at +350 odds. Not only that, but Vancouver has the longest odds of any of the teams remaining to hoist Lord Stanley at a whopping +1500 odds!
Directly following the Oilers atop the list of favorites are the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers at +500 odds, followed closely by the Carolina Hurricanes at +550 odds and the Colorado Avalanche at +600 odds.
Place a bet on any of these teams to win the Stanley Cup at our recommended betting sites below.
