It’s an unusually light Wednesday slate in the NHL with just two games on the docket. The Washington Capitals take on the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens visit the Vancouver Canucks. Three of those teams have legitimate playoff hopes and the fourth (Montreal) is currently the hottest squad in the entire league. Not bad for a two-game day.
Let’s dive in both of today’s games and check out what the NHL betting lines for them are:
Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers
The Washington Capitals pulled off one of their best wins of the season on Tuesday night, scoring three third-period goals to bounce back from an early 2-0 goal deficit for a 5-4 road win over the Calgary Flames. Washington will try to extend its three-game winning streak against the struggling Edmonton Oilers, who have lost three in a row.
Edmonton has resorted to its old habits of weak goaltending and relying too heavily on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for offensive support. The Oilers really need reinforcements at the trade deadline but, for right now, they’re a few pieces short and have scored just six goals in their last three games. That isn’t going to cut it.
So, even though the Capitals have the rest disadvantage, they should put up a decent fight despite the Oilers being favored on the BetUS sportsbook. Still, Edmonton on the moneyline, even without much value, is the way to go. Vitek Vanecek has been unreal lately for the Capitals, but he’ll likely get the night off. And, with Ilya Samsonov underperforming, there’s a sizable edge for the Oilers.
Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks
After a successful Eastern Conference road trip, the Vancouver Canucks find themselves right on the cusp of the Western Conference playoff picture as they’ve won five of their last six games. So, they really could use a win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens, who are scorching hot with seven wins in their last eight games.
Vancouver has been able to string together wins in large part due to the play of Thatcher Demko, who has lost just once since Feb. 1. Demko has turned himself into a legitimate top-tier goalie that can carry a team back into relevance, as he did after Vancouver’s horrible start to the season.
Montreal’s resurgence has been partially due to the improved play of Sam Montembeault and the emergence of journeyman Andrew Hammond, but the Canadiens’ offense has really been thriving and should get more of the credit. Former first-round picks Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have led the way for Montreal on that end of the ice.
Either way, it’s going to be tough for the Habs to keep their good stretch going against Demko. If you’re betting online, take the Canucks on the puckline at plus money. The under is also a good move because Vancouver has been on an unusual over tear as of late. After eight straight Canucks games either went over or pushed, Vancouver is due for a low-scoring affair.
