NHL odds, preview, prediction: Predators vs. Canucks Game 1 for 4/21

Predators vs. Canucks Odds

Sunday, April 21, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL odds here.

Nashville Predators

A year ago, there was no question which team had the superior starting goaltender. Nashville's Juuse Saros has consistently performed at an elite level throughout most of his career, but this season, he's been more of a mixed bag, posting a 35-24-5 record, 2.86 GAA and .906 save percentage.

In terms of GAA and save percentage, those are the worst marks Saros has ever registered over the course of a campaign, excluding his one-game showing in 2015-16.

It wasn't all bad for the netminder. He had an amazing 13-game stretch from Feb. 17 to March 23 in which he went 11-0-2 with a 1.76 GAA and a .936 save percentage. That run played a big role in getting Nashville into the playoffs. However, since then Saros has gone 4-3-1 with a 3.79 GAA and an .888 save percentage in eight appearances. So, there's no guarantee he'll be effective in this series, especially against Vancouver, which ranked sixth offensively with 3.40 goals per game in the regular season.

The Predators don't necessarily need to lean on Saros, though. While their offense didn't quite measure up to Vancouver's in the regular season, Nashville boasted some significant scoring threats.

Ryan O'Reilly, who joined the squad on a four-year, $18 million deal, proved to be a fantastic addition, supplying 26 goals and 69 points through 82 outings. The 30-year-old has traditionally been great in the playoffs too, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019 and totaling 25 goals and 65 points across 75 career postseason outings, so he's someone the Canucks should worry about going into this series.

Gustav Nyquist also provided superb value in his first year with the Predators, contributing 23 goals and a career-high 75 points in 81 contests on just a $3.2 million cap hit. When combined with returning stars Filip Forsberg (48 goals, 94 points) and Roman Josi (23 goals, 85 points), Nashville managed to finish 10th in scoring with 3.24 goals per game.

Vancouver Canucks

The Predators' top line is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but Vancouver has a trio of forwards who can potentially outdo them in J.T. Miller (37 goals, 103 points), Elias Pettersson (34 goals, 89 points) and Brock Boeser (40 goals, 73 points).

They also have one of the few offensive defensemen who can match up to Josi in Quinn Hughes (17 goals, 92 points).

Vancouver's attack after that takes a noticeable dip, but the Canucks do have two other forwards who provided at least 20 markers in Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland, so they're not devoid of secondary scoring.

Then there's the curious case of Elias Lindholm. The two-way center was acquired from Calgary to add an extra dimension to Vancouver, and he certainly came with an impressive resume, highlighted by him supplying 325 points (139 goals) in 369 outings from 2018-19 through 2022-23. However, he finished the 2023-24 campaign with just 15 goals and 44 points in 75 outings, including 12 points in 26 appearances with the Canucks after the trade.

Of course, Lindholm was ultimately brought in for the playoff run, so if he starts playing up to his potential now, then the trade will have been worth it from Vancouver's perspective.

Lindholm's not the player this series is most likely to be determined by, though. Goaltender Thatcher Demko is far more critical. Vancouver had a strong offense in 2022-23 too, but the Canucks didn't even make the playoffs in large part because Demko spent a good chunk of the campaign injured. He struggled even when healthy. In contrast, the 28-year-old netminder posted a 35-14-2 record, 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage in 51 contests this season.

Demko's only playoff experience came back in 2020, when he stopped 128 of 130 shots (.985 save percentage) over four games. Vancouver shouldn't need him to replicate that level of play this time around, but if he can perform like he did in the regular season, then the Canucks will be in a strong position.

Predators vs. Canucks

Betting Pick & Prediction

The Canucks won all three games of their season series against Nashville, and they should similarly be able to get the better of the Predators in the playoffs.

Between the series starting in Vancouver, where the Canucks were 27-9-5 in the regular season, and Saros being cold going into this campaign, I think the Canadian team should strike first with a decisive win in Game 1.

I consequently am recommending Vancouver on the puck line, where the spread is 1.5 goals in favor of Nashville.

Pick: Vancouver Canucks -1.5 (+180 at FanDuel) | Play to +165