It will be strength-on-strength in this matchup as the Vancouver Canucks have been one of the best road teams in the league, with a record of 10-2-2 entering this matchup. They suffered a tough 3-2 overtime loss last night in Utah in what was a hotly contested, entertaining matchup.

Throughout the first seven seasons of their existence, the Vegas Golden Knights have consistently proven T-Mobile Arena is one of the toughest buildings in the league for opponents to play in. That has been the case in the early going of the 2024-25 campaign, as the Knights are 11-3-0 on home ice and rank first in the Pacific Division.

I’ll detail the relevant game notes, as well as outline my favourite betting angle below.

Due to the holiday break, a number of NHL teams are skating through some hectic patches in the schedule. That includes the Canucks, who are not only playing leg two of a travelling back-to-back in this matchup but playing their third game in four nights and their fifth game this week.

Unfortunately for the Canucks, the Golden Knights enter this matchup well-rested, having not played since Sunday in Minnesota.

One positive surrounding the Canucks in this back-to-back spot is that with Thatcher Demko now healthy, they have two high-quality goaltenders at their disposal. As number-one goaltenders rarely play back-to-back nights anymore, the edge that rostering two quality goaltenders provides can be an underrated asset in helping teams rack up points.

Kevin Lankinen is expected to get the start in this matchup after resting last night in Utah. He has had a great start to the season with a .912 save percentage and 2.52 GAA across 21 appearances.

For a number of reasons, odds are that Lankinen will face a hefty output of chances from the Knights in this matchup. Over the last 15 games, the Canucks have allowed 28.7 shots against per 60 and held just a 46.33% expected goal share.

It’s becoming redundant to point out Vancouver’s lack of depth on the blue line, but it continues to be arguably the main talking point regarding the team’s sub-par play of late. The bottom two pairs are allowing far more chances than they are generating, and with Filip Hronek sidelined, there doesn’t currently seem to be a way for head coach Rick Tocchet to configure his bottom two units in which those units will achieve better-than-average results.

By no means were the Canucks bad last night, but Utah did hold slight edges in high danger chances (13-11), and in overall scoring chances (35-31). Those numbers seemed in line with a visual viewing of the game, and it was clearly the type of contest that could have gone either way; perhaps the type of game Vancouver was due to lose.

It’s been a convincing start to the season for the Knights, who have displayed well-rounded play in all facets of the game. They feature one of the league’s best defensive corps, with a number of mobile puck-movers that bring play a physical edge. Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl offer the Knights excellent depth at the critical centre ice position.

They have also received quality goaltending from Adin Hill, who holds a +4.8 GSAx rating and 2.78 GAA in 20 appearances this season. This is the third straight season that Hill has posted a positive GSAx rating, and given that he was fantastic during their 2022-23 Cup Run, it continues to feel as though he doesn’t garner enough credit as a legitimate number-one goaltender.

In the month of December, the Knights hold a record of 5-1-0, with wins over high-quality sides such as the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild. They have a 51.32% expected goal share in that span and a +4 goal differential.

With Captain Mark Stone back in the lineup and no top defenders on the IR, the Knights injury situation is still better than it has been at times this season. With that said, they will be without one significant piece in Ivan Barbashev in this matchup, who has played an important role on the team’s highly effective top line.

This spot is about as tough as it gets for the Canucks’ and it will be highly impressive if they are able to pull off a win in this spot. The Knights have a significant rest advantage and have been one of the league’s very best teams on home ice this season. Vegas is rightfully on top of the Pacific Division based on its well-rounded game and should be able to make life tough on a potentially fatigued Canucks side in this matchup.

At +145, I see value in backing the Knights to cover the puck line. With Hill confirmed as the Knights starter, I would bet it down to +140.