Oilers And Knights Will Light The Lamps
Oilers vs. Golden Knights, 9:30 ET
The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs brings us that much closer to the teams hoisting a trophy. The thing is, as fun as the first round was, and as successful as the picks have been in that round, I really didn't want to see it end. Tonight, the opening game takes place between the Edmonton Oilers and the Golden Knights.
The Oilers were able to finish their series in six games. They took down the Los Angeles Kings after dropping the first and third games of the series. It always is concerning to drop the first game if you are the home squad, but Edmonton showed in that series that they are quite capable of rebounding from a loss. Teams that go down 2-1 don't always escape with the series win, but the Oilers willed their way to victory winning three straight games. They've had a few days to recover and now have to set their focus onto the Golden Knights, a team they beat three out of four games in the regular season. Edmonton has the best player in the series, not that it always matters, and has the better offense.
On the other side, the Golden Knights were able to beat Winnipeg after dropping the series opener. I feel like for whatever reason, home teams are losing Game 1 at an alarming rate in both NHL and MLB. It didn't much matter as Los Vegas was able to secure the series and win the next four games and close it out early. They haven't played hockey in a few days, so there is a rest advantage, but there also could be a rust factor. For them to win this game, and the series, their defense really needs to step up. The Oilers can be scored on, but they are so talented offensively that I would not be shocked to see them in constant shoot outs with each other.
I think this opening game should be a high scoring affair and I'll take the over. I do have some concern about the rust on offense more than defense for the Golden Knights, but they might have to play faster with Edmonton just to keep up. I'll take over 6.5.
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