The St. Louis Blues (1-1-0) and Vancouver Canucks (1-1-0) meet in an NHL Western Conference duel tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Canucks are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-115o / -105u). The Canucks are a -125 favorite to win outright, while the Blues are +105 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Blues vs. Canucks predictions and NHL picks.
Blues vs. Canucks Odds, Pick
| Blues Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -240 | 5.5 -115o / -105u | +105 |
| Canucks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +195 | 5.5 -115o / -105u | -125 |
- Blues vs. Canucks Spread: Canucks -1.5 (+195 ), Blues +1.5 (-240)
- Blues vs. Canucks Over/Under: 5.5 (-115o / -105u)
- Blues vs. Canucks Moneyline: Blues +105, Canucks -125
Blues vs. Canucks Preview
The Blues are at the point in their franchise where there’s no telling what’s next.
Last season, the team's impressive comeback, sparked by the hiring of Jim Montgomery as their coach, helped them reach the playoffs.
But as a collective, I’m not so sure I’m sold on them.
They’ve looked really solid offensively to start, posting a seventh-best 56.12 xGF%, even after getting clobbered 5-0 against Minnesota. But St. Louis really threw all it had against the Wild and in the end, it wasn’t enough – not even to find the back of the net.
Against the Flames, it was a bit different. Calgary was firing shots left and right, but Joel Hofer was the ultimate difference maker, pulling the Blues away with a 4-2 win.
I know that Jordan Binnington shocked the world last season after helping Canada get a gold medal in the Four Nations Face Off, but if I were Jim Montgomery, I’d start considering putting Hofer in a tad bit more. For me, Binnington is far too volatile.
Vancouver, on the other hand, is in a somewhat different position.
The Canucks have been the pinnacle of mediocrity ever since the Sedins left town, bouncing from coach to coach and filled with the most random collection of players there is.
They were in the news last season with drama with J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson until Miller got traded, and now the drama has seemingly evaded them. But it’s a weird dynamic on this roster.
Riddled with young players who are looking to make their mark on the league, but also a wide variety of veterans who probably shouldn’t be top options on a team.
I’ll give Brock Boeser some grace; I think he’s a beauty, as is Quinn Hughes. But Hughes, who is signed for two more seasons, may be planning his escape route soon.
In net, it’s great to see Thatcher Demko back playing at a high level and I hope he can keep it up. So far, he looks fairly healthy, stopping 54 out of 57 shots faced, and has a second-best 4.4 GSAx.
Blues vs. Canucks Prediction
In case I haven’t made it incredibly obvious, I don’t really like either of these teams, though I feel like St. Louis has the higher ceiling – even with Binnington likely starting.
The Blues’ younger talent in Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg instantly raises the team's ceiling, and we haven’t seen the best out of Jordan Kyrou yet, who’s been held pointless in both games.
Jake Neighbours has also developed into a top-tier scorer with 20 goals in the past two seasons and is already off to a wonderful start.
I’m also pretty bearish on both teams’ defense, but seeing how abhorrent the Canucks defense was against Edmonton, I wouldn’t put it past them to hang Demko out to dry once again.
Pick: Blues Moneyline
