The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights begin their second-round series on Tuesday night.
The pregame narrative: Edmonton managed to out-score its goaltending issues against the Los Angeles Kings, but it’s fair to wonder how long that will last. The battle-tested Golden Knights can score in bunches and are favoured to win the series opener in Las Vegas.
Check out my Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks on Tomas Hertl and Corey Perry for Game 1 on May 6.
Oilers vs. Golden Knights picks
Best bet: Hertl to score (+180)
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl once again willed their team to victory in the opening round. They combined for 21 points in six games.
And Edmonton needed that type of firepower because its goaltenders were awful.
- Stuart Skinner got shelled through the first two games of the series, allowing 11 goals on 58 shots (6.11 GAA, .810 SV%).
- Calvin Pickard came in relief for the following four games (all wins) but wasn’t much better, posting a 2.93 GAA and .893 SV%.
It’s unclear who will get the net on Tuesday. Each goaltender logged the “starter’s role” in a practice leading up to the game. But based on their struggles, I don’t think it matters much.
Hertl is my pick to score for the Golden Knights. He buried 32 goals this season and scored in three of six games against the Minnesota Wild.
The William Karlsson-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone line should have the unenviable job of shadowing McDavid and Draisaitl. That means Hertl will get a better matchup.
Key stat: Hertl’s nine high-danger chances and 1.73 xG ranked third among Golden Knights skaters in the first round, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Game 1 prop prediction
Perry to record a point (+125): Perry isn’t the player he used to be, but that doesn’t matter when he’s skating alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.
That trio logged 42:49 of 5v5 ice time together against L.A. and out-chanced the opposition 62-to-29, good for a 68.13% Corsi rate.
For reference, McDavid and Draisaitl hold -500 and -360 odds to find the stat sheet in Game 1.
Perry doesn’t play nearly as much of those two, as Kris Knoblauch tends to mix up the lines mid-game. So it makes sense you can get him at favourable odds.
But I’m surprised Perri is sitting at plus money, considering he’s also getting minutes on Edmonton’s top powerplay.
That unit went 5-for-7 from Games 3-6 after being held scoreless in the first two games.
Oilers vs. Golden Knights prop picks made at 4:43 p.m. ET 05/05/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.