Edmonton Oilers vs Colorado Avalanche - Odds and Predictions

Where: Pepsi Center – Denver, CO.

When: Wednesday, November 27, 10 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): Alti | WFAN

Edmonton Oilers (Away)

Head Coach: Dave Tippett{All-Time 193-126-57 EDM, ARI, PHX, DAL}

The Edmonton Oilers possess arguably the most talented duo of players in the NHL today. Sitting in first place in the Pacific division, Edmonton is riding a two-game winning streak and have a season record of 16-7-3.

Offense

Pros:

6-3-1 in their last ten games and have won their last two games in a row.

The power play. The Edmonton Oilers have once again found themselves ranked number one in the league when it comes to power-play success. They currently have an incredible 32.4 percent success rate with the man advantage.

The team has two players (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) have combined for a mind-blowing 95 points thus far this season. They rank first and second in the league respectively when it comes to the NHL scoring race.

Cons:

They aren’t producing enough shots on net. The team averages under 30 shots per game which has them ranked 25th in the league.

They have lost Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to injury.

Defense

Pros:

Like their power play, the Oilers penalty kill is also significantly better than Colorado’s. Currently ranking second in the league, Edmonton has killed off 86.7 percent of its penalties.

On that note, the Edmonton team also averages less penalty minutes per game than their opponents. Edmonton sits 12th in the league for fewest minutes per game, averaging 7.9 (Colorado averages almost ten).

Edmonton sits within the top-ten in the league when it comes to combined save percentage. They currently have a .910 save percentage between their goaltending tandem.

Cons:

The team has allowed four shorthanded goals against this season- the second-most in the league behind only the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Goaltending

For the Edmonton Oilers, expect to see goaltender Mike Smith in the crease. Smith is 7-6-1 on the season with a goals-against-average of 2.66 and a save percentage of .911. He has one shutout.

Head Coach: Jared Bednar{All-Time 116-124-29 COL}

Nathan MacKinnon and company have stepped up in a big way since losing both Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen to injury. When many considered their season lost, the Avs keep finding a way to win. And dominantly. But after dropping two games in a row, will they be able to bounce back against a team like Edmonton?

Offense

Pros:

The Colorado Avalanche have a better if only slightly, shooting percentage than Edmonton heading into this matchup. They rank fifth in the league with an even 11-percent.

Colorado averages more shots and goals per game. The team averages 32 shots on net per game and 3.52 goals.

Cons:

No Gabriel Landeskog or Mikko Rantanen on the front end for Colorado.

Defense

Pros:

The Colorado Avalanche have allowed fewer shots against than their opponents. This is a huge advantage considering Edmonton struggles to get shots on net in the first place.

The Avalanche have yet to lose in a shootout. This is a testament to solid and secure goaltending.

The Avs draw a lot of penalties. In fact, the Avalanche ranked first in the league when it comes to drawing penalties from their opposing team, averaging 12.3 power-play minutes per game.

Cons:

As much as they can draw penalties, they also take too many of their own, averaging almost 10 penalty minutes against per game.

Goaltending

It is expected that Philipp Grubauer will be in net for the Colorado Avalanche. Grubauer has gone 7-5-2 on the season. His goals-against average sit at 2.99 and he has a .910 save percentage. He has recently returned from injury.

The last time these two teams faced off was only two weeks ago on November 14. Edmonton Demolished the Avalanche with a final score of 6-2.

What’s at Stake?

Although both teams have had their falls this season, there is a chance that this could be this season’s Western Conference final. Both are young, growing teams, with unbelievable amounts of offensive talent. Every time these teams face each other gives them further insights into how to beat their opponent in the future; most likely in the playoffs.

Questions to Answer

Are we seeing a preview of this season’s Western Conference final? Do these two teams have what it takes to contest for this year’s Stanley Cup?

Will Nathan MacKinnon be enough firepower for the Colorado Avalanche going up against McDavid and Draisaitl of the Oilers?

Will the loss of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins play a role when it comes to the depth of Edmonton’s roster? Other than McDavid and Draisaitl, who will produce offense for the team?

F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – OUT (hand)

F Jujhar Khaira – day-to-day (undisclosed)

D Ryan Mantha – IR/NR (eye)

D Matt Benning – DL (concussion)

Colorado Avalanche Injury Report

F Colin Wilson -DL(lower-body)

D Erik Johnson – day-to-day (lower-body)

F Matt Calvert – DL (upper-body)

F Gabriel Landeskog – DL (lower-body)

F Mikko Rantanen – DL (lower-body)

Edmonton Oilers vs Colorado Avalanche – Game Odds

The odds for this match between the Oilers and the Avalanche are provided by SugarHouse NJ, DraftKings Sportsbook, and 888Sport NJ.

Good luck!

Money Line