NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Canucks vs. Devils (February 6)
Pictured: Vitek Vanecek. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)
- Vancouver travels east to New Jersey to face a Devils squad that was playing as well as anyone prior to the All-Star break.
- The Devils have won eight of their past 10 games and are looking to stay hot on Monday night.
- Jonny Lazarus digs into the matchup and offers up his best bet below.
Canucks vs. Devils Odds
| Canucks Odds | +180 |
| Devils Odds | -225 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | SNO |
The Vancouver Canucks are about to play their first game since trading away their captain, Bo Horvat. It's been a really difficult season for Vancouver, but the Canucks are hoping to find as many positives as they can in the second half.
The New Jersey Devils are looking to pick up right where left off before the All-Star Break. They were one of the hottest teams in the NHL before the break and have gone 8-1-1 in their past 10 games.
Vancouver has not had a ton of success in its previous trips to New Jersey and I have a feeling that trend is going to continue.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have found a little bit of life under new head coach Rick Tocchet and also have a new-looking lineup with the subtraction of Horvat and the addition of Anthony Beauvillier from the New York Islanders.
The Canucks are the second-worst defensive team in the league, allowing 3.92 goals against per game. They also happen to have the worst penalty kill in the NHL, only skating to a 65.5% success rate.
Goaltending has been the team's biggest issue this season. Vancouver has had three goalies suit up and none of them have a save percentage above .900. Collin Delia is the expected starter for this game and he's won his previous two starts. He has a winning 6-3-0 record, but his numbers aren't all that great as he enters this game with a .898 save percentage and a 2.94 goals against average.
It's no secret the Canucks are thinking about a fresh start with the trade deadline coming up, but at the end of the day, the players are still competing for jobs. That being said, they are outmatched in this battle against the Devils.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils had an excellent first half of the season and are hoping to remain consistent. Thanks to Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt, the Devils are averaging 3.47 goals per game while generating the fourth-most shots on goal per game (34.4).
Hughes comes into this battle riding an eight-game point streak. During that streak he has amassed seven goals and eight assists. Simply put, he's on fire.
Anyone who has been following the NHL this season knows how gifted the Devils are offensively, but they have also been just as good in their own zone. Vitek Vanecek has been excellent in the blue paint this season, skating to a 21-5-2 record along with a .917 save percentage and a 2.29 goals against average. He also has a +9.0 goals saved above expected.
The Devils are for real.
Canucks vs. Devils Pick
The Devils completely dominated the Canucks in their first meeting this season, winning 5-2 and outshooting them 37-23 in Vancouver. New Jersey has the edge offensively and defensively, as well as with goaltending. The only area the Canucks have the advantage in is the power play. '
The Canucks are 3-7-0 in their past 10 games, but they are also 0-7 in their past seven games in New Jersey.
I think the Devils will win this game without a problem being that they are the much better team.
Pick: New Jersey Devils 3-way (-140)
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