Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers - Prediction and Odds

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Vegas Golden Knights (Away)

Head Coach: Peter DeBoer{All-Time 428-334-113 VGK, SJ, NJD, FLA}

Sitting second in the Pacific division, the Vegas Golden Knights played well last week, going 8-2-0 across their last ten games.

Check out who are the favorites to win the 2020 Stanley Cup.

Offense

It’s no wonder these two teams sit first and second in their division as, on paper, this game should be a close one.

Averaging 3.13 goals per game, the Golden Knights rank one spot below Edmonton, who average 3.17 goals per game.

Vegas has the ninth-highest goal total this season with 216.

Their power play hasn’t been as successful as Edmonton’s this year, but it hasn’t been bad by any means.

Ranking 11th in the NHL, the Knights have a power-play percentage of 21.39 percent and 40 goals with the man-advantage.

Vegas leads the league (at the time of writing) for total shots on goal with 2,341. The team has a shooting percentage of just 9.2 percent, however, ranking them 20th in the NHL.

The Knights will come into this matchup with an edge in the faceoff circle, as well. Vegas has a faceoff percentage of 50.1 compared to Edmonton’s 48.8.

Defense

Edmonton may have a slight edge on offense but Vegas makes up for that on defense. The team has allowed the 13th-fewest goals against this season as well as the tenth-fewest shots against. The team has a combined save percentage of .901.

Their special team will be the concern here, as the Golden Knights have the 22nd-ranked penalty-killing unit this season with just a 77.73 percent success rate. They have allowed 47 power-play goals against.

However, this penalty-killing unit has scored nine shorthanded goals this season, which is the fifth-most of any team this season.

Goaltending

Vegas is expected to start goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury against the Oilers Monday night. With a season record of 26-16-5, Fleury has a 2.79 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. He also has five shutouts – tied for the second-most this season.

Edmonton Oilers (Home)

Head Coach: Dave Tippett{All-Time 590-437-28-128 EDM, ARI, PHX, DAL}

First in the Pacific division, the Edmonton Oilers have gone 5-3-2 in their last ten games and are coming off of an impressive 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are 17-10-5 at home this season.

Offense

It’s no secret that Edmonton is known for their offense. The first- and second-highest point-getters this season both belong to the Oilers’ roster.

Leon Draisaitl has amassed 110 points this season – the only player thus far to surpass 100 points. Right behind him is team captain, Conor McDavid, with 96 points on the season.

In total, the team has combined to score the 12th-most goals this season, with a total of 212, 150 of them coming at even strength.

The rest of those goals came on Edmonton’s league-leading power play. They have led the league for much of the season and they currently have a 29.95 power place percentage. They have 59 goals with the man-advantage.

Edmonton currently has the fifth-fewest shots on goal this season but they make their few shots count. The team has the league’s second-best shooting percentage: 10.7 percent. The only team ahead of them is the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Defense

Like their power play, Edmonton’s penalty-killing unit has seen a lot of success this season. Averaging slightly over eight minutes of penalty time per game, the Oilers have an 84.38 penalty-killing percentage – the second-best in the league this season behind only (believe it or not) the San Jose Sharks.

The team has allowed more goals against this season than their opponents, but only three more. They have allowed significantly more shots against this season, yet the Oilers still manage to have a combined save percentage higher than Vegas. They currently have a .904 save percentage as a team.

Ironically, it’s the team’s power-play unit that needs to focus on their defense in this game as the Oilers have allowed ten shorthanded goals against – the third-most allowed this season.

Goaltending

Mike Smith is expected to be between the pipes for the Oilers Monday night to face the Golden Knights. Smith has put together a season record of 19-11-6, a GAA of 2.94, and a .903 save percentage. He has one shutout.

Last Head-to-Head

The last time these two teams went head-to-head was not long ago. On February 26, the Vegas Golden Knights held the Oilers goalless, beating them by a final score of 3-0.

What’s at Stake?

Although they rank first and second in the Pacific division, the playoffs are still anything but guaranteed.

This division still boasts teams such as Vancouver, Calgary, and Arizona and there’s still plenty of seasons left. In fact, Vegas and Edmonton are technically tied at 82 points each with Edmonton just amassing more regulation wins.

Every two points matter at this point in the game and it’s the difference of playing a top team or a weaker wildcard team in the first round.

Will Vegas’ best player (arguably) Mark Stone be on the ice come Monday night?

Stone has been suffering from a lower-body injury over the past week and is still listed as day-to-day.

How will the special teams play out?

Although boasting the league’s best power play, the Oilers have allowed a lot of short-handed goals this season. Vegas is a team more than capable of taking advantage of that fact.

What will the morale of Edmonton’s defense be after losing Mike Green to injury only weeks after acquiring him at the trade deadline?

Vegas Golden Knights Injury Report

F Mark Stone – day-to-day (lower-body)

F Alex Tuch – DL (lower-body)

Edmonton Oilers Injury Report

D Mike Green – OUT (knee)

D Ryan Mantha – IR/NR (eye)

F Joakim Nygard – DL (hand)

Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers FAQ

When is Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers playing?

The match between the Golden Knights and the Oilers is playing Monday, March 9, 2020, at 9 PM EST.

Where is the Golden Knights vs Oilers game?

The Vegas Golden Knights travel to Canada to face the Oilers at Rogers Place – Edmonton, AB., Canada.