Vancouver Canucks - Nashville Predators predictions and free betting tips [01/11/2023]

On Wednesday morning, the Nashville Predators take to the road to face off against the Vancouver Canucks in a regular season NHL match.

Vancouver Canucks

At the start of the season, the Vancouver Canucks are proving their mettle, despite a recent overtime loss to the New York Rangers. Nevertheless, the team maintains the second place in the Pacific Division with a 5-2-1 record, trailing Vegas by 6 points. Goalie Thatcher Demko performed exceptionally, with a 1.91 GAA (Goals Against Average) and a .936 save percentage, earning him a notable standing among the league's goalies. Forward Brock Boeser is at the forefront of the team with 6 goals, whereas Elias Pettersson draws attention due to his playmaking ability, having registered 11 assists in 8 games. Vancouver's resilience post-defeat is one of their key strengths this season. The team has not lost two consecutive games. In their match against the Rangers, they managed to earn a point, but unfortunately, succumbed to defeat in overtime.

 Statistically, Vancouver currently holds the 5th position in the season owing to their average of 3.88 goals per game. Their league standing for power play success is 7th with a success rate of 25.9%, whilst they rank 24th for the number of penalties. In their last match, J.T. Miller scored his fourth goal of the season and Canucks demonstrated a significant edge in overtime shots on goal by 6-2. Despite these factors, the team was unable to secure a victory and suffered defeat after 3:48 of extra time.

Nashville Predators

Despite their 4-4 record, Nashville Predators are currently at a crossroads this season. However, their recent overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs hints at their potential to compete against the top-tier teams in the league. Roman Josi strikes a victorious note by scoring the winning goal in this match, but the stalwart of the team remains goalie Juuse Saros who maintains consistency with his 2.49 GAA and .915 save percentage. For the Predators to compete at a higher level, their offence needs to exhibit more stability. Tommy Novak leads the team's goal tally with four, while Filip Forsberg proves his worth as a playmaker, credited with six assists. The primary issue for Nashville this season is their inconsistency. The team oscillates between wins and losses, rendering them unpredictable. After being defeated by the Canucks, they encompassed victories over the Sharks and the Rangers, suffered a loss against the Oilers and concluded the erratic series with a win against the Maple Leafs. This volatility keeps the team from occupying the leading spots in their division.

 In the realm of statistics, Nashville ranks 19th in the league for goal-scoring, averaging 2.88 goals per game, and 7th for goals allowed per game, averaging 2.63. As for the power play, Predators hold the 9th spot in the league with a success rate of 23.5%. However, their penalty kill game needs improvements as they only rank 30th, overcoming 69.2% of shortage situations. During their recent game against Toronto, Nashville showed resilience by twice capitalising on their advantage and netting the overtime victory, thanks to a goal from Josi. Saros also showcased his prowess, stopping 33 out of 35 shots.

Head-to-head

In their last ten encounters, Vancouver holds the edge with seven victories and are on a two-game winning streak. Notably, in their first face-off this NHL season on October 24, Canucks managed to secure a 3-2 win on the road.

Prediction for the Vancouver Canucks - Nashville Predators match

Both teams endured overtime in their latest games. The Canucks spent the last few days at home, playing their third game in five days, whereas Nashville has only played one game since last Tuesday, allowing them ample time to rest. However, Nashville struggles with penalty kills, as they are ranked 3rd highest in the league for penalties. On the contrary, Vancouver exudes confidence in both attack and defence. Goalie Demko earned a clean slate in the last game, and the team's formidable offence and defence promise good prospects for a win in the upcoming clash.