Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Edmonton Oilers finally secured their first victory in the new season on their fourth attempt, while the Nashville Predators are still seeking their maiden win as they head into their fourth game.
Nashville Predators
A surprising heavy defeat by the Seattle Kraken (3:7) was a major shock, especially considering the Kraken had only managed a maximum of four goals against the Minnesota Wild before this. Interestingly, it was Juuse Saros in the net for the Predators. The Finnish goaltender stopped 28 shots, translating to a save percentage of just 0.824. This was his weakest performance since Game 4 of the first-round last playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks (0.810). The third period was particularly catastrophic, which the Predators lost (0:4).
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers needed overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, who tested their defence rigorously with the power play (2/7). Matvei Michkov was a standout performer for the Flyers, scoring twice on the man advantage. Yet, it was Leon Draisaitl who sealed the win with an overtime goal. Currently, the Oilers' attack is not meeting last season’s standards, when they averaged 3.58 goals per game and ranked fourth in the league. This season, they're scoring at half that rate.
Nashville Predators vs Edmonton Oilers Prediction
Both teams have vulnerabilities in defence, and that's likely to be exposed in this encounter. The Oilers rank 30th in goals against, while the Predators aren't far behind at 25th. Conceding seven goals, as the Predators did against the Kraken, is unusual, but their games average 6.67 goals and the Oilers' games average 6. Therefore, we’re betting on the total over 5.5.
