Canucks vs. Blackhawks Odds
| Canucks Odds | -280 |
| Blackhawks Odds | +230 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -120 / +100 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, February 13 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
On Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks will look to sweep their season series against the Chicago Blackhawks as they play for the third and final time this season.
For Vancouver, Tuesday's tilt marks the final game of a five-game road trip. Meanwhile, for the Blackhawks, this marks the third game of their five-game homestand. Chicago is also looking for its first win since Jan. 19.
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Canucks vs. Blackhawks prediction.
Vancouver Canucks
Did anyone think the Canucks would be the NHL’s No. 1 team in mid-February?
At 35-12-6, Vancouver sits atop the league with 76 points, a .717 points percentage and a +56 goal differential. Since the new year, the Canucks have suffered just two regulation losses. Vancouver also added to its already strong roster over the All-Star break, acquiring center Elias Lindholm in a blockbuster deal with Calgary Flames.
In four games since the trade, the Canucks have gone just 2-1-1. Vancouver was badly outplayed in a 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday, and again on Sunday in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Washington Capitals. Perhaps the Canucks are still getting their legs back under them and adjusting to Lindholm's addition, but their season-long underlying numbers suggest their record is a bit deceiving and that regression was looming.
Vancouver’s 50.11 xGF% at 5-on-5 ranks just 16th in the NHL. The Canucks lead the league in 5-on-5 goals per game, but rank 21st in xGF/60. Their 23.61 5-on-5 goals above expected is the second-most in the NHL. Vancouver also owns the league’s highest PDO and shooting percentage. To say that luck has been on the Canucks' side would be an understatement.
Defensively, the Canucks’ 2.43 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 ranks 11th, yet they allow the fourth-fewest goals per game. Much of that can be attributed to the excellent goaltending Vancouver has received from Thatcher Demko, who owns a 2.45 GAA, a .919 SV% and 19.8 GSAx, which is second-best among netminders.
This matchup with the lowly Blackhawks provides Vancouver an opportunity to get back on track.
Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard remains out with a broken jaw, so the story remains the same for the Blackhawks. They just can’t score. Plain and simple.
In the 13 games since Bedard's injury, Chicago is averaging just 1.37 goals per game. The Blackhawks have scored more than one regulation goal just four times and have been shutout four times, once by the Canucks on Jan. 22. Chicago has picked up just one regulation victory without its No. 1 pick and that came over a month ago (Jan. 7).
Without Bedard, Taylor Hall, Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Beauvillier, the Blackhawks just don't have the offensive talent to consistently find the back of the net. Fortunately, Bedard appears to be due back next week, but even that likely won't be enough to reverse these trends. To their credit, the Blackhawks continue to play hard on a nightly basis. Each of their past three losses have come by one goal, including an overtime loss in their most recent outing against the New York Rangers.
It's also worth noting that the Blackhawk have been a bit better defensively of late. Since losing Bedard, Chicago's 2.58 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 ranks 22nd in the NHL. On the season, the Blackhawks' 2.88 xGA/60 ranks 31st.
Goaltender Petr Mrazek has also helped keep Chicago in games and is playing pretty well given the circumstances with 6.30 GSAx. The Blackhawks haven't played since Friday, so I expect Mrazek to get the nod over Arvid Soderblom in this one.
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Canucks vs. Blackhawks
Betting Pick & Prediction
With the Canucks coming off a sluggish performance on Sunday and the Blackhawks having not played since Friday, I'm expecting Vancouver to get off to the quicker start here. This is also the final game of the Canucks' road trip, so they should empty the tank.
Still, I don't think the Canucks will run away with this one. They haven't been particularly impressive of late, and the Blackhawks are pressing hard for a victory and long overdue. Since the Canucks are heavy favorites, I'm avoiding picking any sort of winner.
Instead, I'll take Vancouver to win the race to two goals. I was tempted to take the Canucks to score the first goal at better odds (-180 at DraftKings), but there's a bit too much variance there with the amount of puck luck we've been seeing. Considering how much trouble Chicago has had scoring two goals, I feel much better taking Vancouver to get there first. And we're still getting solid value at -200 at DraftKings.
Pick: Vancouver Canucks First to Two Goals (-200 at DraftKings | Play to -210)
