Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers Know How to Score

• The Nashville Predators have lost six of their last seven games

• The Edmonton Oilers are on a four-game winning streak

• The Oilers were 3-0-0 against the Predators last season

Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers Odds

Odds Taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Head-to-Head: Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers.

Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers Predictions and Picks

The Nashville Predators will travel north of the border to face the Edmonton Oilers in an inter-divisional battle.

The Predators slipped into the Playoffs last season but were swept in the First Round by the Colorado Avalanche. They have had a tough start this season and only have seven points through nine games. On the other side, the Oilers made a deep Playoff run last season but were swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Avalanche.  However, they are poised to make another run this year and sit in second place in the Pacific Division.

The Predators have been tough to watch this year. They have solid goaltenders and defensemen but struggle to score goals and create offense. With that being said, there is a lot of season left, so Nashville has time to turn it around. However, if they plan to do so, they will need to see stronger performances from Mikael Granlund, Flip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Roman Josi. Mikael Granlund is not much of a scorer but has six assists. He is often on the ice with Flip Forsberg. Forsberg is averaging over three shots a game this season but only has two goals. Duchene is in a similar spot to Forsberg; he shoots a lot but converts less than 10% of his shots. Last but not least, we have Roman Josi. Josi, a defenseman, has a penchant for shooting but rarely scores. The veteran has taken 43 shots this year and only scored once.  All four of these players can be very efficient but all have negative plus/minuses and need to score more.

The Predators may be 3-5-1, but they have a solid goaltender in Juuse Saros. Saros is only giving up 2.75 goals per game and has a. 910 save percentage. The 32-year-old netminder has kept Nashville in many games and will likely be their x-factor this season..

The Oilers are putting on an offensive show this year. They have the second-best offense in the league (behind the Boston Bruins) and are averaging an impressive 35 shots per matchup. The Oilers have a lot of weapons, but Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman stand out from the rest. McDavid may be the best player in the league and leads the league with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists). Draisaitl is arguably a top-five center and leads the NHL with 12 assists. Nugent-Hopkins does not lead any major statistical categories but has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in nine games. Finally, we have Zach Hyman. Hyman has 11 points (six goals, five assists) and +/- of four.

The Oilers have an excellent team, but their goaltenders could be better. Jack Campbell is their main netminder. Campbell was outstanding for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season but has had a slow start for Edmonton. The Michigan native has played in six games and is giving up almost four goals per game. This is likely just a slump, as Campbell has the potential to be (and has been) a top-ten goalie.

The Oilers are playing at home and have an electric offense, so they will win!

Why Might the Nashville Predators Win?

The Nashville Predators are the heavy underdogs but can win if they do not commit penalties and slow down Connor McDavid.

The Predators are facing an Oilers squad with the second-best power-play unit in the league and convert ⅓ of their power-play opportunities. Nashville cannot give Edmonton scoring opportunities with a man advantage. If they limit their penalties, they will limit Edmonton’s scoring.

I mentioned above that Connor McDavid has nine goals. However, I did not mention that McDavid scored those nine goals on 30 shots. The Predators cannot let McDavid shoot. If they do, McDavid will finish with at least one goal.

Why Might the Edmonton Oilers Win?

The Oilers will win, but only if they get second-chance shots.

The Oilers know how to score but will likely face Juuse Saros in the net for the Predators. Saros is often a brick wall in goal, so the Oilers need to swarm the net and get second-chance shots.

Predators Key Players: (C) Mikael Granlund

Mikael Granlund is a solid passer but has had a tough go of it this season. Granlund has one goal on 16 shots and a +/- of -7.

Granlund needs to play smarter hockey and take better shots. He is not much of a goal-scorer, but he should be converting on at least 10% of his shots.

Oilers Key Player: (C) LW Evander Kane

Evander Kane scored 22 goals in 43 games last season. However, this season has been a different story, and he has only scored two goals in nine games. Kane, like Granlund, needs to take better shots. If he does, he may return to his goal-scoring ways.

How to Watch Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers