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We are still working our way through the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the picture is starting to become clear, with several teams making their way into Round 2.

Follow the action in the Western Conference with Stars vs Golden Knights: (Series tied 2-2) and Oilers vs Kings (Edmonton leads 3-1).

My Analysis

There are a few other teams on the brink of moving on, but as we have said in the past, winning that 4th game tends to be the toughest task in any series. There are a pair of games on the Wednesday night schedule, both in the Western Conference, with one more team in with a shot at killing off their opponent and moving on. The other series cannot be decided tonight, but it can swing very much in the favor of the team that wins this crucial Game 4. Let’s now talk about those 2 games and how we think they will play out.

Vegas Golden Knights +127 at Dallas Stars -156

When we did our preview for Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the prediction was that this series would go the full 7 games. We also had Vegas moving on in what would be a slight upset. Things are going pretty much as expected, with this series tied at 2-2, with the teams heading back to Dallas for what is an absolutely critical Game 5. What has been unexpected in this series is that the home team has yet to win in their own building. The Golden Knights put all the pressure on the Stars by winning the first 2 games in Dallas, before the Stars went into Sin City to take Games 3 and 4. That means that Dallas now has home ice advantage again, assuming that even counts for anything anymore.

So, what can we expect from this one? I would assume that we are going to get a similar type of game in that there may not be a ton of scoring, which will mean another close one. The question now is whether the Stars can finally win one in their own building. I think they might, but I still have Vegas taking this series.

NHL Expert Pick Vegas Golden Knights 2, Dallas Stars 3

LA Kings +157 at Edmonton Oilers -195

While it is always nice to close out a series in 4 games and get some well-earned rest, the Oilers will still be more than happy to be heading home with a shot at closing out their Round 1 series against the LA Kings on home ice. This is by no means a slam dunk, though, because let’s not forget that the Kings won Game 2 in Edmonton before losing both of their home games in this series. After 3 games where offense was on full display, the Oilers took a stranglehold on the series with a 1-0 win in LA a couple of nights ago. That gave them a precious 3-1 lead and the chance to move on to Round 2 in front of their own fans.

This is desperation time for the Kings, who threw away home ice advantage after getting that all-important split in the opening 2 games. Losing both games at home is going to be a blow that is tough to recover from, which is why I like the Oilers to move on.

NHL Expert Pick LA Kings 1, Edmonton Oilers 4