Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference Final brought an incredible comeback by the Dallas Stars in front of their home crowd. Despite trailing 3-1 to start the third period, Dallas poured on three power play goals in a six-minute span to take the lead, then tacked on another two scores for good measure to cap off a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Tonight, these two rivals go head-to-head again as Connor McDavid and the Oilers fight to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole in this conference final. They’ve got the offense to keep up with the Stars, but Stuart Skinner’s play between the posts will dictate how the rest of this series plays out.
Here’s a Stars vs. Oilers Game 2 prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this evening’s contest.
Stars vs. Oilers Game 2 prediction, pick
The Stars once again enter as Moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with -115 odds to win outright and +200 odds to cover the -1.5 puck line. The Oilers don’t sit far behind, though, with -105 odds on the Moneyline at -245 to cover at +1.5. The game total sits at 6.5 total goals.
The Stars’ third-period scoring explosion was an incredible swing in the momentum of Game 1 and certainly rattled the confidence of Skinner and the rest of Edmonton’s roster. It’s tough to get metaphorically punched in the mouth by getting blown out to start a series, so how they respond looks crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the Western Conference Final.
Make no mistake, the Oilers played two pretty good periods of hockey last time out, but costly penalties and sloppy play were their downfall in the loss. This team boasts plenty of postseason pedigree and they’ll probably shake off the events of Game 1 to come out swinging tonight. Dallas did most of their damage on the power play, so if the Oilers can clean up the penalties, Game 2 should play out in much closer fashion.
With Skinner’s unpredictability, the likelihood Edmonton holds the Stars’ offense in check remains low. Still, banking on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to punch back in this one makes sense, so watch for them to even the series at 1-1 in a high-scoring affair.
Best bet: EDM Oilers Moneyline (-105)
