In just two short years things have changed dramatically for both the St. Louis Blues and Ken Hitchcock. At this time in 2016 the Blues were one of the top contenders to win the Western Conference as the steady Hitchcock was behind the bench and in firm command. But just a couple of months later the Blues blinked and fired Hitch during a bad slump. St. Louis has since seen their franchise decline into one of the worst in the NHL. As for Hitchcock he presided over a horrific season ending collapse as coach of the Dallas Stars last spring and retired for good. That was until the Edmonton Oilers called.
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Edmonton Oilers vs. St. Louis Blues
Date and Time: Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
NHL Betting Online Odds at Bookmaker.eu: Check Back Later
Oilers vs. Blues TV Coverage: NBCSN
Odds Analysis
Public money should flow towards the Oilers based on two factors. First Edmonton has 2015 number one draft pick Connor McDavid as one of the game’s top superstars. Secondly the Blues have lost a considerable amount of street cred with gamblers due to their floundering near the bottom of the standings.
Current Form
Edmonton has shown recent improvement with four wins in their last six games to now stand at 13-11-2 which is good for fifth place in the Pacific Division right behind the Vegas Golden Knights. Edmonton is 6-7-1 on the road and has gone under the total in just five of their 14 away games.
St. Louis has lost seven of their last ten games to now stand at 9-13-3 which puts them in the basement of the Central Division. The Blues have a home record of 6-7-1 and have gone under the total in just five of their last 14 home matchups.
Matchup Metrics
St. Louis ranks 19th in the NHL for goal scoring but a more impressive ninth for the power play. The Blues rank a poor 25th in the NHL for goals against but eighth against the power play.
Edmonton ranks 27th in the NHL for goal scoring and 12th for the power play. Defensively the Oilers rank 16th for goals against and a weak 26th in penalty killing.
Goaltending Report
Mikko Koskinen has emerged as a strong goaltender for the Oilers. In fact, he has a save percentage of .928 with a 2.15 goals against average, two shutouts, and a record of 8-2-1. Cam Talbot has a .889 save percentage with a 3.29 goals against average and a record of 5-9-1.
The Blues inconsistent Jake Allen has a save percentage of .896 with a 3.24 goals against average and a record of 7-7-3. Chad Johnson has an even worse save percentage of .889 and a 3.51 goals against average with a record of 7-7-3.
Players to Watch
Of course, when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers the conversation always begins with Connor McDavid. And the fourth-year pro has done nothing but shine since being the first player taken in the 2015 NHL draft. McDavid has already reached the 100-goal mark for his career and leads The Oil with 13 goals, 21 assists, and a plus two on the season so far.
McDavid has gotten plenty of support from fellow center Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl has 13 goals and 15 assists on the season so far. He scored 29 goals in the 2016-17 season and is well primed for a career year.
The Oilers great depth at center is also apparent with Ryan Nugent Hopkins, who has six goals and a highly impressive 18 assists on the season.
Free NHL Live Betting Odds Pick
The Oilers are in the much better form and will be motivated to win for Hitchcock in his return back to St. Louis.
NHL Live Betting Odds Picks: Edmonton Oilers
NHL Score Prediction:Oilers 4, Blues 1
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