The second round playoff matchup in the Stanley Cup between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers will take place on May 7 at the T-Mobile Arena. Vegas vs. Edmonton: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Vegas Golden Knights
Bruce Cassidy's team defeated Minnesota in six games in the first round. Notably, Vegas returns to this stage a year after winning the championship in the 2022/23 season, where they also faced Edmonton and won in six games. After the first round, two players from the club managed to score five points each, the best result in the team, with Jack Eichel (1+4) and Tomas Hertl (3+2) standing out.
After the first stage, Vegas was among the teams with the lowest scoring, with only 18 goals. However, they were among the clubs with the best penalty kill in this playoff (76.9%).
- Vegas has not scored more than three goals in regular time in 10 of their last 13 home NHL games.
- The club has won 4 of their last 5 home league games (1 in OT).
- No more than six goals have been scored in regular time in 6 of the last 8 NHL games at Vegas' venue.
Edmonton Oilers
Chris Knoblauch's team secured a spot in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, defeating Los Angeles in six games. Notably, in three years, Edmonton has only failed to overcome the second-round barrier once. After the first stage, Connor McDavid stood out as the second-highest scorer in the playoffs (2+9), with Leon Draisaitl also among the top five scorers in this Stanley Cup (3+7), just one point behind.
Edmonton is the highest-scoring team in this playoff with 27 goals, but also one of the most conceding (24 goals). Additionally, they currently have the second-best power play in the Stanley Cup (38.5%), but the worst penalty kill (60%).
- Edmonton has scored at least three goals in regular time in 8 of their last 10 NHL games at Vegas' venue.
- The team has not conceded more than three goals in 60 minutes in 7 of their last 9 away league games.
- No more than five goals have been scored in regular time in 7 of Edmonton's last 9 away NHL games.
Vegas vs. Edmonton: Match Prediction
Vegas managed to overcome their opponent in the first round with some difficulty, but what's good for Bruce Cassidy's team is that they engaged in the battle right from the first round. Despite not being the most productive in the first round compared to other teams, the club averaged three goals against Minnesota. With Edmonton, who isn't the most reliable in this Stanley Cup, Vegas shouldn't struggle with scoring, especially since they have scored at least three goals in regular time in 6 of their last 9 NHL games.
Edmonton didn't impress at the start of the series with Los Angeles, but the team improved as the series progressed. Experience, skill, and character now put the club in a favorable position against their opponents, and their leaders are in excellent form. Therefore, Chris Knoblauch's team shouldn't have issues with scoring, especially since they failed to score at least three goals in regular time in only one playoff game.
I think both teams will be feeling each other out initially, but they will undoubtedly showcase their strengths. Both are adept at capitalizing on their opportunities, so I don't expect low scoring. In 5 of the last 8 NHL meetings at Vegas' venue, the teams have combined for at least six goals in regular time, so my prediction: Total over 5.5 goals
