Blues vs. Golden Knights Odds
| Blues Odds | +110 |
| Golden Knights Odds | -130 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The St. Louis Blues and the Vegas Golden Knights are set to battle on Wednesday night.
St. Louis is looking to build off their momentum after a convincing 7-4 win in the desert against the Coyotes. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, the Blues have struggled to find their identity and repeat the magic they had during that run.
The Knights, since being introduced to the league, have been consistently viewed as one of the elite teams. Unfortunately, the injury bug has not been kind to them, and they will be heading into this matchup shorthanded.
Blues Looking for Offense
It’s been a good start to the season for the Blues, so far.
In addition to winning its first two games, St. Louis has received quality production from its entire roster, especially on Monday night.
Young forward Jordan Kyrou set Arizona on fire with a four-point night (two goals, two assists). Kyrou always had a lot of promise but was lower on the depth chart for coach Craig Berube. This year seems to be different, as he’s taking his game to a new level.
For the past two seasons, the Blues have had a hard time driving play and scoring chances. This year is no different, as they’re 18th in expected goals with a 49.13 xGF% and a bottom-10 team in high-danger scoring chances with only 16. Despite their low numbers, St. Louis does have an incredibly talented roster that has been effective thus far, so offense shouldn’t be a problem for them.
Goaltender Jordan Binnington has always been a controversial figure among fans — you either love him or you hate him. Since making his mark on the league by winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie, Binnington has yet to live up to his expectations. He’s been a fairly middle of the road net-minder for the past two seasons.
This year, Binnington has started off with a poor .875 save percentage and a -0.7 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx). Goalies are hard to predict, but this one always leaves you guessing.
Knights Without Key Attackers
The Knights are hobbling into this matchup. After not playing for nearly a week, they will be without top scorer Max Pacioretty and captain Mark Stone. Beyond that, they’re also without wingers Alex Tuch and Mattias Janmark.
Adversity hits every team in sports, and Vegas is just now starting to experience what it’s like.
Vegas is usually at the top of the league in expected goals (top 5 in the past three seasons), but this year, they have gotten off to a rocky start. They come into Wednesday’s bout as a bottom-five team with an xGF% of 44.01. However, they have made up for it with 17 high-danger chances (13th).
I don’t think it’s time to panic, as it’s only the third game of the year, and there will be plenty of time to correct poor mistakes.
This is Robin Lehner’s season to prove he’s ready to take the net in Sin City. The former Vezina finalist has had a successful career, and he has big shoes to fill with fan favorite Marc-Andre Fleury moving to Chicago. Lehner hasn’t been particularly great so far with an .887 save percentage and a -1.5 GSAx, especially after getting pulled from his recent start in Los Angeles against the Kings.
I expect Lehner to pick back up to his old self soon. With a career save percentage of .918 (good enough for seventh amongst active goalies), the hulking Swede won’t have a hard time reaching the success he’s used to.
Blues vs. Golden Knights Pick
I think this game could be a shootout. Both projected goalies haven’t been their best, and each team gives up a large amount of high danger scoring chances.
It’ll be interesting to see how Vegas copes without their top scorers. They still have scoring weapons, but Pacioretty and Stone are their top drivers.
St. Louis has been putting the puck in the net with ease as of late, and with Lehner’s struggles, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another big game from the boys in blue.
Pick:Over 6 (+100)
