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Canucks vs. Oilers Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 4

The all-Canadian hockey battle continues between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.

By Benjamin Upson

May 12, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs (31) makes a save on Connor McDavis (97) of Edmonton.
May 12, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs (31) makes a save on Connor McDavis (97) of Edmonton. / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
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The battle of Canadian hockey rights continues to rage north of the border. The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers square off in Game 4 of their thrilling second-round series, this game is the second of the series being played in Edmonton.

Both teams have been playing intense and physical playoff hockey all series long, it has certainly lived up to the hype. What better time than to get some action going on these playoff epics? Here’s what you should look for in Tuesday’s matchup.

Canucks vs. Oilers odds and total

Moneyline:

  • Canucks +160
  • Oilers -194

Total:

  • 6.5 (OVER -104/UNDER -118)

Canucks vs. Oilers Betting Trends

  • Oilers have gone OVER in 8 of their last 10 games
  • Canucks are 24-21 ATS on the road this season
  • Oilers are 37-3-1 when scoring 4+ goals this season
  • Canucks have been outshot 94-61 so far in this series

Canucks vs. Oilers: How To Watch

  • Date: Tuesday, May 14th
  • Game Time: 9:30 PM EST
  • Venue: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • How To Watch (TV, Streaming): ESPN, ESPN App
  • Canucks Record: 50-23-9
  • Oilers Record: 49-27-6

(VAN leads series 2-1)

Canucks vs. Oilers Key Players To Watch

Canucks

Brock Boeser: It was an incredible Game 3 of this series for Brock Boeser, who nearly recorded a natural hat trick to open things up in the first period. Nonetheless, a 3-point outing for the 27-year-old right winger who powered Vancouver to the 4-3 win. He’s become the leader of this Canucks team in the playoffs and has been a reliable scoring option. He’s tied with J.T. Miller for most points (11) as he looks for more opportunities in Game 4 with the rest of this young, feisty Canucks team.

Oilers

Zach Hyman: Zach Hyman is having a postseason to remember, with 9 goals scored for this high-octane Oilers offense, which leads the team. He hasn’t been on the box score since Game 1 and will need to get more aggressive and put pucks in the net. He almost was credited with a late goal in Game 3 but it was awarded to Evan Bouchard. Edmonton isn’t getting a bunch of help so far from their deeper lines, and they need Game 4 badly so Hyman will be taking on the X-factor role once again.

Canucks vs. Oilers Prediction and Pick

The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has delivered across multiple series, and Vancouver-Edmonton is one of those doing just that. Each game to this point has been a one-goal margin, we’ve seen a 3-goal comeback in Game 1 to an OT winner in Game 2 and then a tense Game 3 that Vancouver won with only 18 shots on goal. Playoff hockey is truly a different animal.

Vancouver has been exceeding expectations to this point of the playoffs. I was concerned about their youth but they have answered the bell and are playing a great brand of hockey. The Nashville series planted a lot of doubts about their scoring ability but so far they’ve been putting up the numbers against the big bad Oilers. The Canucks are dead last among all playoff teams averaging 20.2 shots per game. The Oilers are 4th with 31.1 per game and are losing in this series. 

Enough can’t be said about third-string goalie Artur Silovs stepping in and taking his game to the next level. With just nine regular-season opportunities under his belt, he’s 4-2 with a 2.65 GAA in the postseason. He stopped 42 shots in Game 3 against Edmonton, making some dazzling saves en route to a critical road victory. There is a lot of work left to be done but head coach Rick Tocchet should be extremely proud of where this gritty team is going.

Edmonton has the targets on their back once again as Stanley Cup doubts continue to swirl at this juncture of the series. With home ice once again in Game 4, it’s turned into a must-win already. Goaltender Stu Skinner has not been that guy in the net, allowing 4 goals across 15 shots in Game 3, and was ultimately pulled for 32-year-old backup Calvin Pickard. There are some doubts that Skinner will even see a start in Game 4 with how inconsistent he’s been. 

The real question is where has the Oilers' production been beyond the top lines? Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have combined for 56 points in these playoffs. Other lines including Mattias Ekholm, Evander Kane, Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele, and Dylan Holloway have all combined for just 15 points. It’s been top-heavy action and nothing else so far for the Oilers. Their other roleplayers have to be ready to answer in Game 4, or else they’ll be leaking oil all the way back to Vancouver for Game 5.

It is very tough to pick a side in this one, although I do like Edmonton to even up the series tonight. Instead, I believe the smart play is siding with over 6.5 goals because both of these offenses have found a rhythm and don’t take any shifts off. The puck is constantly moving around the zones and both teams can strike at any given moment. The goaltending is questionable still on both sides which really piques my interest in the over here. There's been 7+ goals in each game so far. I’ll side with a lot of goals again as the intensity gets higher.

Pick: Canucks-Oilers OVER 6.5 Goals

Note: Game odds are subject to change.

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