This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks: Vancouver Canucks 
at
Edmonton Oilers 
Game 6 NHL Best Bets and Player Props, May 18
The Vancouver Canucks travel to meet the Edmonton Oilers for Game 6 of their Western Conference second-round series on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Rogers Place, and the game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN.
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The Canucks and Oilers are meeting for just the third time in the NHL playoffs. Hopefully, in the future, there are many more meetings right around the corner, because this has been an entertaining series throughout, with all kinds of twists and turns.
All five games of this series have been one-goal games, including the 3-2 win by the Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Thursday in Game 5.
The Oilers kicked off Game 5 with a goal from Evander Kane, with assists to Leon Draisaitl and Vincent Desharnais, before Carson Soucy leveled things at 17:27 with an unassisted goal. Mattias Janmark answered right back, just 23 seconds later, silencing the crowd, while helping Edmonton to a 2-1 lead heading to the room after 20.
In the second period, Phillip Di Giuseppe tied things 2-2 with an unassisted goal, and that's how things stood until late in the third period. J.T. Miller bagged his third postseason goal with just 33 seconds left, beating Calvin Pickard, and that gave the Canucks a 3-2 win, and a 3-2 series lead, pushing the Oilers to the brink of elimination in the process.
Edmonton had its chances, going 0-for-5 on the power play, while Vancouver had 10 giveaways. The Canucks were much more physical, dishing out 41 hits, to just 23 for the Oilers, while Vancouver was much more efficient at the faceoff circle at 57.1 percent, winning 36 of the 63 opportunities. Both teams were sacrificing the body, totaling 18 blocked shots apiece.
After some wide-open games with an average of 7.7 goals per game (GPG) in the first three outings of the series, we've had a pair of 3-2 games, with one win apiece, in the previous two matchups. That's to be expected as a series goes on, familiarity breeds contempt, defense, hitting and physicality picks up, and every play starts to matter more and more.
Pickard has played well since taking the reins in the crease from All-Star Stuart Skinner. He made 32 saves on 35 shots in Game 5, and he won Game 4 on home ice in his first-ever NHL postseason start with 19 saves and just two goals allowed.
However, I just don't trust Pickard. I'd trust the Canucks even more if All-Star Thatcher Demko (knee) were ready to return, but head coach Rick Tocchet seems to feel, his words, that it's a "stretch" that Demko will be available this weekend. And that's OK, as Arturs Silovs has filled in admirably. The Latvian tendy is 5-3-0 with a 2.62 GAA and .907 SV% with one shutout in this postseason, and seriously, if Vancouver keeps moving along, he'll have to get some Conn Smythe shine, won't he?
But that's the rub, the Canucks need to move along. I don't think it happens in Game 6. Edmonton is a difficult place to win, and while Vancouver is 3-1 in the postseason so far, I think the Oilers get it done in another low-scoring, one-goal game. However, playing the Oilers on the moneyline will cost you nearly two times your return. Instead, take a look at Vancouver on the puck line, which gives you some insurance in the event of an Edmonton win in a close game.
NHL Moneyline Bets for Canucks at Oilers
- Canucks PL (+1.5, -155 at DraftKings)
After plenty of offense in the first three games, with nine total goals in Game 1, seven total goals in Games 2 and 3, we have had five total goals in each of the previous two installments in this series. And it's dead-even, too, with five goals per side in the past two games.
The Over cashed in the first three games of the series with 7.7 goals per game, but the Under has hit in the past two games, with 5.0 GPG. The Over was 5-1-1 in the seven meetings prior to Game 4. But as the intensity of the playoff series has ratcheted up, the offense has been dialed down. That happens in hockey playoff series, generally, with most of the offense in the opening games, before defense, physicality and goaltending get much better as the team's familiarize themselves with each other.
While a goaltender matchup of Pickard vs. Silovs doesn't scream Under, nor does the fact we have the likes of Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid on one side, and Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, etc. on the other. Still, it's getting late in the series, and goals should be a little fewer and further between.
NHL Totals Bets for Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
- Under 6 (+100 at Caesars)
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NHL Player Props for Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
As far as the props are concerned, while we're calling for the Under, avoiding the Anytime Goal Scorer (AGS) props is warranted. We'll take a look at a saves prop for goalies, as well as some other stat areas.
For the visitors, Brock Boeser has managed seven goals and 12 points in 11 postseason games. More importantly, he has nine shots on goal (SOG) in the past three games, including seven SOG in the past two playoff games in Edmonton. Going Over on Boeser's shot total makes tremendous sense, even in a potentially defensive game.
- Brock Boeser Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-105 at Caesars)
For the home side, Vincent Desharnais ate a lot of pucks in Game 5, picking up four blocked shots in the loss in Vancouver. In Game 4, he blocked three shots, and he had two blocked shots in Game 3. He has two or more blocked shots in four consecutive games, too. It's a little on the pricey side, but Desharnais is going to get you across the finish line just fine. He pays the price, so you don't have to!
- Vincent Desharnais Over 1.5 Blocked Shots (-178 at Caesars)
