Throughout the Vancouver Canucks/Edmonton Oilers series the hockey world was salivating at the idea of the winner of that series getting soundly beaten by the winner of the Colorado Avalanche/Dallas Stars series and how the Central Division finals was “the real conference finals.”

Game 1 of the conference finals did not go to plan for those people, as the Oilers outplayed the Stars all night and an early second overtime tally from Connor McDavid gave the Oilers a 1-0 series lead and stole home ice from the Stars. Game 2 will be massive, going down 2-0 with the next two games being in Edmonton is a death wish for Dallas. The Stars may get a boost as top line centre Roope Hintz is a game-time decision for tonight’s game.

Today’s expected goaltender matchups for our highlighted game:

The Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger (35-14-2) vs. The Edmonton Oilers’ Stuart Skinner (36-15-2).

Draisaitl at this number in the playoffs is something I would take every time. He has been inconsistent in the shot department recently thus why his line has moved from 3.5 to 2.5, but he has hit the over 2.5 in his last two games.

Take this play at a full unit.

Same odds here as the play above, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been cooking since being added to the McDavid line. He’s scored seven point in his last five games, including the game winner in game seven in his hometown of Vancouver. I really like this line for a guy that plays with McDavid at even strength and the Oilers lethal first unit power-play.

Take this play at a full unit.

Edmonton was better in game one, full stop. But this is a do-or-die game for the Stars. They hadn’t played in nearly a full week and were rusty, I expect them to break through on Skinner early and them to take it home.

Take this play also at a full unit.

Gustav Forsling to register over 1.5 shots at -175. My$12.5o bet would return $19.64 – HIT

Sam Reinhart to score anytime at +130. My $10 bet would return $23 – MISSED

Artemi Panarin to score a power-play point at +140. My $10 bet would return $24. – MISSED

Another bad day, that’s the problem a couple of bad ones and you’re suddenly down a lot. We staked 32.50 and returned $19.64, we are now down 52.56 on the playoffs.

This just over four units, if you manage your units while gambling this is very little and there’s nothing to panic about. Just stay the course, we’ve profited a lot more than four units in my tenure in Canucks Army.