Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks
The Canucks continue their insane road schedule in the Windy City, taking the ice for their 11th straight game away from home Friday night.
Vancouver’s 14-game road swing was broken up by the two-week Olympic hiatus, however, the Canucks remained hot following that break with back-to-back wins over Columbus and Detroit this past week. That improved the team to 6-4 in those 10 away games and gave Vancouver its fourth win in five games.
This success is coming despite the fact that the Canucks have allowed the first goal in 10 of their past 12 games and have given up three or more goals in eight of the past 10 outings - helping total bettors cash in on the over in four straight games.
“We do, but we have a 14-game road trip, too,” backup goalie Andrew Raycroft told reporters when asked about the team’s defensive troubles. “It’s not like we are on a homestand and we’re pressing our luck. It is tough to win on the road, especially when you’re on it this much like we are right now. It’s a good sign we’re finding ways to win, but at the same time we have to find ways to address it.”
The Blackhawks know a thing or two about topping the total as well. Chicago has played over the number in five straight contests. These two teams met back in January, with the Blackhawks taking a 5-1 win that played over the 5.5-goal total.
Pick: Over
Minnesota Wild at Edmonton Oilers
The struggling Oilers were one of the most active teams during the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday.
Edmonton added new faces like Ryan Whitney and Aaron Johnson but those additions won’t be enough to halt the team’s three-game slide heading into Friday. The Oilers have won just three games in their past 10 outings, most recently giving up three third-period goals to fall 5-2 to Chicago Wednesday night.
Edmonton’s roster shakeup leaves the lines out of sync and chemistry will be hard to come by against the Wild. And according to comments from Whitney following Wednesday’s deal, motivation will be tough to find after leaving a contender like Anaheim for the lowly Oilers.
“They won’t be playing in the playoffs this year, which is frustrating, those are the games you want to be a part of,” Whitney told the Edmonton Sun. “But I’m excited at the same time. I want to be looked at as a leader there, someone who can help the Oilers become a really good team again.
“It’s a great hockey town. It’s tough when you get traded to a team that’s rebuilding, but at the same time they’re looking at me as a guy they want to be a part of it and that’s a compliment. I look forward to it.”
Minnesota started the second half of the season on the right path, knocking off the Calgary Flames Wednesday night for their second straight win. The Wild have won their last two meeting with the Oilers, defeating them 4-2 in February and 3-1 back in December.
Pick: Minnesota