Welcome to another edition of NHL Predictions! We hope the weekend is treating you well. Likewise, we hope the holiday season has had a successful start. May the parking spots at the mall be available and may the sales be plentiful! For today’s prediction, we are heading north of the border for a Western Conference matchup between the St. Louis Blues and the Edmonton Oilers.
NHL Predictions
St. Louis Blues vs. Edmonton Oilers
Time: 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: FanDuel Sports Midwest, Sportsnet; ESPN+
Saturday is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Last year, the Blues won the season series, 2-1. This includes an overtime victory late in the season while the Blues were fighting for a playoff spot. The Blue Note also lead the all-time series over the Oilers, 75-59-11-4.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the Blues tendered offer sheets to two Oilers players in August. In a bold and rare move, the Blues added forward Dylan Holloway and defenceman Philip Broberg to the team. The Blues have enjoyed having both players on the team. Both have bright futures with the Blue Note moving forward.
While it is just December, the game will also have some implications to the current playoff picture. The Oilers currently hold the Western Conference’s final playoff spot by two points over the Blues. A regulation win by the Blues would pull them into a tie for the final playoff spot. Yes, it is just December, but chances to gain ground on the team you are behind do not appear every day.
Blues Finding Winning Groove with New Coach
Arguably, tendering the offer sheets has not been the Blues boldest move so far this season. The team shocked the hockey world by hiring head coach Jim Montgomery just a few days after he was relieved from his duties in Boston. The decision may have been a pivot from the organization’s original plan, but there is no denying it has been the right move for the Blues. Since Montgomery became head coach, the Blues have gone 4-0-1. Furthermore, they have beaten talented teams like the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Winnipeg Jets on the road by a combined score of 12-3 with a 63.6% of xGoals.
The team’s most recent win came with some history. By scoring the game-winning goal in overtime, defenceman Colton Parayko set a franchise record for overtime-winning goals by a defenceman. His fourth-career overtime-winning goal broke a tie with Justin Faulk, Alex Pietrangelo, and Erik Johnson.
Oilers Take Ice Following Depth Move
The trade buzz on Friday focused more on Jacob Trouba getting shipped out west. However, the Oilers made a move as well. They acquired forward Jacob Perreault from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenceman Noah Hoefenmayer. While the trade was mainly for depth, it does reflect the Oilers recent health, with forward Zach Hyman just recently returning from an injury.
As mentioned earlier, the reigning Western Conference Champions are in the middle of the playoff picture. However, they are looking to improve their place in the standings. The Oilers are used to being one of the top two teams in the Pacific Division. What has plagued the Oilers this season has been their offence. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been their normal selves, but the rest of the roster has failed to consistently contribute. The aforementioned duo are the only Oilers to score more than ten goals this season. There is offensive production on the roster. The team needs other players to step up in the offensive zone.
Prediction
The Blues are playing with confidence under their new head coach, especially on the road. We like the road team in this one.
Prediction: Blues win 4-2.
Prop Bets
FanDuel has the over/under set at 6.5 goals. We are taking the under by a little at six goals.
For prop bets, we like Holloway as an anytime scorer against his former team at +450. For the Oilers, we like Draisaitl at +130.
Main photo by: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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