NHL Odds, Picks: Oilers vs Golden Knights Game 5 Preview & Prediction (May 12)

Oilers vs. Golden Knights Odds

With tempers flaring and the series deadlocked, the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights are down to a best-of-three in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series. The scene shifts back to the desert for Game 5 on Friday night.

The two teams have alternated wins, so if that pattern holds, the Golden Knights will prevail Friday.

But other forces are also at play. Here's a look at the latest on both teams and my best best for Oilers vs. Golden Knights Game 5.

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Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers enjoyed a dominant 4-1 win on home ice in Game 4 and didn't need to rely on Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to provide all their offense.

Draisaitl finished with one assist and remains the leading scorer in the playoffs with 18 points, while McDavid had two helpers and sits one point back. However, Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft must have been thrilled to get goals from Nick Bjugstad, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, who is up to 15 points in 10 games.

But the Oilers will be without defenseman Darnell Nurse for Game 5. He has led Edmonton's blue line with 23:24 of average ice time in the playoffs, but will be sidelined after receiving an automatic one-game suspension for instigating a fight with Nicolas Hague late in Game 4.

Philip Broberg was scratched in Game 6, so he will likely draw in for Nurse and play on his natural right side. The 21-year-old rookie is a plus-3 in eight playoff games.

It'll also be interesting to keep an eye on goaltender Stuart Skinner. He has developed a pattern of alternating good and bad games and Game 4 was a good one. Edmonton controlled a whopping 67.95% of expected goals at 5-on-5 on Wednesday and has gone three straight games without giving up a power-play goal.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights are 3-2 on home ice in the playoffs. But there's one big difference from those games — Laurent Brossoit may no longer be tending the twine. The 30-year-old, who had been steady in his first-ever postseason, left Game 3 with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Adin Hill stepped in with a strong outing and backstopped Vegas to a 5-1 win in Game 3. He gave up four goals on 33 shots Wednesday, but still has a positive 0.1 goals saved above expected.

There's no word yet on Vegas' goaltending situation for Game 5. Hill is the incumbent at this point, but there's always a chance Brossoit might be well enough to step back in. Vegas also has two-time Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Quick waiting in the wings, though he hasn't played in the postseason and had an up-and-down regular season. Regardless, his experience and competitiveness could help him make one last stand if Bruce Cassidy decides to call his name.

The other question mark for Vegas, as of Thursday evening, is Alex Pietrangelo's status. The defenseman was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct after his two-handed chop at Draisaitl with 1:27 left in the third period of Game 4. He has been called for a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety, which means a suspension is a real possibility.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights Pick

Without knowing Pietrangelo's fate, it's tough to commit to a side for this game. He's the ice-time leader for the Golden Knights, plays in all situations against Edmonton's top players and is needed to help neutralize Draisaitil and McDavid.

If Pietrangelo does get suspended, that probably hurts Vegas more than losing Nurse will hurt the Oilers. But hockey outcomes are rarely the simple sum of the parts, and the Golden Knights are a resilient bunch. They handled their goaltending injuries well and haven't lost back-to-back games yet in the playoffs.

So while Edmonton looked unbeatable on Wednesday night, keep in mind that the Oilers have been up-and-down in this series.

It's also worth noting that with the lopsided nature of the games in this series, only Game 1 has gone over 6.5 goals.

Rather than worrying about which side comes to play on Friday night, the smart money may lie with the idea that only one offense will bring its 'A' game.

Pick: Under 6.5 | Play to +105

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