The top- seeded Vancouver Canucks will host the Nashville Predators tonight, Thursday April 28th, at Rogers Arena in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals. The Canucks and Predators have split their last ten meetings. NHL oddsmakers have the Canucks as -180 moneyline home favourites over the Predators (+160) with the over/under set at 5 goals. Be sure to check the Predators vs Canucks NHL Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Nashville (4-2, 2-1 V) knocked out the Anaheim Ducks in six games, while averaging 3.66 goals a game and allowing 3.33. Predators top producer Mike Fisher posted three goals and three assists to lead his club in points. After Fisher, Nashville's most productive scorer in the opening round was defenseman Shea Weber, who notched three goals and two assists while also leading the club with a plus-four rating. Weber has a lethal slap shot from the point and is one of three finalists for this year's Norris Trophy. Scoring should be harder to come by in this series, however, as the Canucks boast a much deeper defensive corps than Anaheim. That means Nashville will need a better effort from goaltender Pekka Rinne in this round if it wants to continue on to the conference finals. Rinne, who, like Luongo, is a finalist for the Vezina, had a poor .876 save percentage against the Ducks and finished the series with a 3.29 GAA. It was the Finnish netminder's second career playoff series after his club was bounced out in the first round by Chicago last spring. Nashville had a 20-18-3 mark on the road this year.
Vancouver (4-3, 3-1 H) needed seven games to beat the Chicago Blackhawks, while averaging 2.28 goals a game and allowing 3.14. Roberto Luongo and Alexandre Burrows made sure of that in Tuesday's Game 7, as the Luongo stopped 31 shots and Burrows tallied both of the Canucks' goals in the 2-1 overtime victory at Rogers Arena. "Obviously, we didn't script it this way," said Luongo. "But all year long, when our backs were against the wall, we responded. We played a massive game tonight and there was no better way to end it." Even with the redemption of his Game 7 victory, Luongo still has plenty to prove in the playoffs. The 32-year-old is 21-20 with a 2.53 GAA in his postseason career and has never made it past the second round. The Canucks received goals from nine different players in the opening round, and leading the way was Daniel Sedin, who paced Vancouver in goals (5) and points (7) against Chicago. Of course, Sedin led the entire NHL in scoring during the regular season with 104 points (41 goals, 63 assists). Sedin's twin brother, Henrik, also turned in a solid performance with five assists. Vancouver defenseman Dan Hamhuis will be facing the team he spent the first six years of his NHL career with in this series. The Canucks were 24-9-8 at Rogers Arena during the regular season.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Vancouver.
Favorite is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Predators are 6-13-1 in the last 20 meetings in Vancouver.
Canucks are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
Canucks are 4-1 in their last 5 games as a home favorite of -151 to -200.
Canucks are 4-1 in their last 5 playoff games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
Predators are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Predators are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Northwest.
Predators are 13-5 in their last 18 overall.
Predators vs Canucks
When: Thursday, April 28, 6:00 PM ET
Pick: Canucks -180
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NHL Point Spreads before Predators vs Canucks game.
The Bottom Line: If Luongo is great in net, they don’t give up the first goal, they’ll win. Be sure to check Predators vs Canucks Hockey Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
