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The Rundown:
The Edmonton Oilers face the Detroit Red Wings, with both teams looking to build off promising seasons. The Oilers have seven wins in their last 10 games, and they have leaped to the top of the Pacific Division. The Red Wings have won two of their previous three games. Both teams look to improve in their divisions and start the second half of the season on the right foot, and the upcoming game looks good as a result.
The Matchup
The Edmonton Oilers were playing some of their best hockey at the end of January, going on an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) entering the break. The Oilers are having a great season led by a dominant offense that is scoring 3.74 goals per game, including 23 goals in the last five games. Four Oilers have at least 60 points: Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 92, followed by Leon Draisaitl with 76, and Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each have 60. The Red Wings begin a three-game homestand, and are seven points out of a playoff spot in the East. The Red Wings have made strides offensively this season, but their shaky defense and goaltending are what’s costing them from being a serious playoff team. Ville Husso has struggled in net this season, posting a 17-11-5 record, a .901 save percentage, and 3.00 GAA while saving -4.3 goals above average. The Red Wings are going to have to hold it down and try to suppress a dominant Oilers’ offense and power play which ranks first in the league, converting at 32%.
Players To Watch
For the Oilers, Connor McDavid is the player to watch. Currently, the consensus pick for the Hart Trophy this year, McDavid continues to remind the NHL and the world that he is the best player in all of hockey. There is no reason to ever pick anyone besides McDavid as the player to watch. He can dominate a game all by himself and scores points like there is no tomorrow.
For the Red Wings, Filip Hronek is the player to watch. Hronek returns to the Red Wings lineup after missing some time due to injury. Hronek is having an excellent season, evolving into one of the Red Wings’ most important defenders. He is having a career year with 33 points, 13 power play points, and is on pace to surpass his career-high of 38 points.
Prediction: Oilers 5, Red Wings 2
In their last five appearances, the Oilers have scored an average of 4.6 goals heading into the All-Star Break. Three of those teams were in the bottom half of the league. The Red Wings are a decent opponent that teams shouldn’t sleep on, but the odds are heavily in favor of the Oilers, who will smoke their lackluster defense.
Odds Presented By Betfred Sportsbook
Spread – Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+145) / Detroit Red Wings +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline – Edmonton Oilers -170 / Detroit Red Wings +145
Total – 6.5 – Over (-120) / Under (+100)
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