The Vancouver Canucks will look to go out with their heads held high when they host the Vegas Golden Knights for the final game of the 2024-25 season.
The Knights suffered a 5-4 overtime loss last night versus the Calgary Flames while playing without several of their top skaters, as they have clinched the Pacific Division and will be the second seed in the Western Conference. It’s currently unclear who the Knights will rest in this matchup, but they will likely opt to play it safe and keep as many regulars out of the lineup as possible.
I’ll detail the relevant game notes, as well as outline my favourite betting angle below.

Golden Knights vs. Canucks odds

  • Golden Knights Moneyline Odds: -118
  • Canucks Moneyline Odds: -102
  • Puck Line Odds: Golden Knights -1.5 (+200), Canucks +1.5 (-250)
  • Game Total: Over 5.5 (-110), Under 5.5 (-110)

Vegas Golden Knights

The Knights will enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, as they have offered a well-rounded game in all facets of the game and have plenty of proven playoff performers in the lineup. They have played to a record of 16-5-4 since the 4 Nations Face-Off and have allowed only 2.40 goals against per game, while scoring 3.44 goals per game in that span.
Vegas holds one of the league’s best defensive corps, a unit composed of a number of sizeable, mobile defenders that can still make quality plays with the puck. It has allowed only 2.50 xGA/60 since the break, which is the best mark in the NHL.
As the Flames found out last night in what was a do-or-die game (at least at the time of puck drop), the Knights’ depth pieces are more than capable of providing a very tough matchup. It took some shaky work in goal from backup Ilya Samsonov and a furious late push from Calgary for it to finally earn the win, despite the fact that the Knights were without Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Noah Hanifin, and Alex Pietrangelo.
Eichel and Pietrangelo are likely to remain out of the lineup in this matchup, as the two were noted to be resting because of nagging injuries. Aside from those two, it’s unclear who exactly will be resting for the Knights in this matchup, but head coach Bruce Cassidy will likely opt to rest as many skaters as possible as opposed to having them play back-to-back in a meaningless Game 82.
Akira Schmid served as the backup last night versus the Flames, and while he has not yet been confirmed as the starter, it seems more likely that it will be him than number-one goaltender Adin Hill. Schmid holds a +1.6 GSAx rating and a .945 save percentage in four appearances this season.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have shown some pride in authoring a 3-0-1 run over the last four games, with the only poor showing coming versus the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. In what will likely be Brock Boeser’s last game as a Canuck, the team should be highly motivated to close up the campaign with another strong performance.
Over the last 15 games, the Canucks are 7-5-3 and hold an expected goal share of 51.08%. In a lot of seasons, they likely would have actually done enough to earn a Wild Card berth, but the Western Wild Card race became surprisingly competitive thanks to the St. Louis Blues’ incredible finish to the season.
While there’s plenty to be disappointed about regarding the Canucks 2024-25 campaign, young pieces such as Elias Pettersson (D), Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and Linus Karlsson’s play down the stretch should help to inspire some confidence for next season.
Kevin Lankinen is expected to get the start in goal, but has not been confirmed. Lankinen holds a -0.1 GSAx rating and a .901 save percentage in 50 appearances this season.

Best bets for Golden Knights vs. Canucks

The Canucks will have a great opportunity to close a difficult season out in style and earn one more win with Boeser in the lineup. It’s unclear exactly who will sit out for the Knights at the time of writing, but it will likely be a comparably significant group of skaters as we saw sit in last night’s matchup versus the Flames.
By no means should we expect the Knights to simply lie down and accept defeat in their final tune-up for the postseason, but playing night two of a traveling back-to-back with numerous key pieces out of the lineup is not a strong recipe for success, and we should see the Canucks fully invested in this matchup.
Given the unique set of circumstances, the Canucks look to be the clear value side in this matchup at a price of -110.
Best bet: Vancouver Canucks Moneyline -110 (Sports Interaction, Play to -120)