NHL Hockey Betting: Carolina Hurricanes at Edmonton Oilers
You have to feel bad for the Carolina Hurricanes. They’ve played two games to open the season and have two overtime losses at Winnipeg and Vancouver to show for it. They were dealt a tough hand by the schedule maker having to open the season with six straight games on the road (at Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Philadelphia and Detroit) and play 9 of their first 12 games away from ‘Tobacco Road’. Not that they get much support at home–the much hyped Raleigh-Durham area should be ashamed of themselves for the miserable support they give the Hurricanes. Last year they made a run at the playoffs and made a lot of progress in rebuilding the team by ‘getting younger’ and still had the worst attendance in the NHL averaging 12,204–more than 1000 per game less than the #29 Arizona Coyotes. They’re as shameful as the miserable South Florida fans who don’t support the Panthers. Hopefully, they’ll be the ‘Hamilton Hurricanes’ before too long or otherwise move to a city that deserves a quality NHL franchise.
There’s plenty of entertaining storylines throughout the NHL but no team may be more intriguing than the Edmonton Oilers. They’re just fascinating to watch for multiple reasons. Watching Connor McDavid mature into one of the best hockey players on the planet at the ‘ripe old age’ of 19 is incredible. Edmonton fan or not, if you don’t enjoy watching #97 play there’s something wrong with you. Edmonton won their first two games but looked downright ordinary as they were routed by Buffalo 6-2 on home ice behind 4 points by Ryan O’Riley. It was a tough emotional spot to be sure after back to back games against arch rivals Calgary to open the season–and to open Rogers Place, their beautiful new arena. McDavid was held scoreless in that game after 3 goals and 3 assists in his first two games. That’s a franchise record for the Edmonton Oilers–no player had ever scored six points in the first two games and considering that #99 played for them almost a decade this is significant.
Hurricanes’ defense and goaltending has been mediocre at best this year. They’re tied for the third worst GAA in the league so far (4.50). That’s bad news against an Edmonton team that has 14 goals in their first two games–best in the league. Don’t think Carolina can stop Edmonton and they definitely can’t outscore them–and particularly if there’s any fatigue in their third road game with three more to go on the trip. Oilers have won the last two meetings over the Hurricanes at home and they’re a much better team now. Expect them to bounce back well from their lousy performance last time out.
BET EDMONTON OILERS -135 OVER CAROLINA HURRICANES
BET EDMONTON/CAROLINA OVER 5.5
