There’s only one game scheduled for Friday night in the NHL but it should be a good one between the Vancouver Canucks (5-9-3) and the Los Angeles Kings (11-7-1) with both teams full of goals.
There should be scoring right from the off and bookmaker Bovada has the odds at +150 for both teams to get a goal in the first period.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: November 18th, 8:00 A.M. (EST)
The Canucks enter the action having averaged 3.41 goals per game for the campaign and the Kings aren’t far behind with a 3.32 goals-for average. These two also tend to give up a lot of goals so the stage is really perfectly set for a high-scoring affair that has many twists and turns.
Vancouver games have been full of drama this season with the team being incapable of holding on to leads and giving up a whopping 4.06 goals per game. Poor results have put head coach Brude Boudreau under big pressure and he has very little time to save his job. He actually debuted as Canucks boss last December in a game versus the Kings, leading the team to a 4-0 victory. Boudreau will be desperate to get a similar result Friday.
The Canucks badly need improved performances from net-minder Thatcher Demko, who has gone just 1-8-2 this season, and they have to share the goals around a bit better. Captain Bo Horvat has been on an incredible stretch with 14 goals in 17 games, but his shooting percentage is at a sky-high 21.9 and that won’t last forever.
The Kings have had their fair share of struggles as well with the team allowing 3.37 goals per game, but they are heading to Vancouver in hot form. Todd McLellan’s side has just beaten Edmonton with a Trevor Moore hat trick and Monday’s 6-5 defeat to Calgary is L.A.’s only loss in their past six games.
Los Angeles is getting scoring from all over the place with even fourth-liner Arthur Kaliyev chipping in with six goals. This could end up being a really long night for the Canucks if they play loose and careless in defense.
History seems to suggest that the Canucks will sort themselves out tonight. They went 2-0-1 in the match-up last season and the Kings have actually won only once in the past seven head-to-head meetings. You have to go all the way to 2018 to find the last time the Kings were able to get the two points in Vancouver. The Canucks have since then won five straight games on home ice.
