Two teams desperately fighting for playoff positioning will square off Thursday night in a crucial Western Conference battle. The Vancouver Canucks will head to Minnesota on a back-to-back to do battle with the Minnesota Wild.
While the Wild enter comfortably in a playoff spot and seeking better seeding and home-ice, the Canucks are continuing to scratch and claw for every point. Just when you count this young and pesky group out, they pull off a surprising result and vault back into contention. Last night’s win over the Avalanche in Denver proved the talent of this on-the-rise squad, where the Canucks secured a 3-1 win over the league’s best team. They’ll be searching for more of the same tonight in Minnesota.
For the Wild, though they went out and secured Marc-Andre Fleury from Chicago earlier this week, it’ll again be Cam Talbot between the pipes for Minny. After a big shutout victory earlier in the week, Talbot will be looking to keep the net, with Fleury looking over his shoulder. The Wild are the healthiest they’ve been all season, combining elite-level defense with positive shot-metrics. This is a great home-ice team, and they’ll be looking to take full advantage of a likely tired Vancouver squad.
With so much on the line for both teams, it should make for an exciting clash on the ice. For added insight, and all of the most up-to-date betting news, trends, and analysis – continue reading on beneath the posted odds. It’s a crucial game for playoff positioning, and this is definitely one of the top match-ups on a loaded NHL slate Thursday night. Enjoy the Canucks vs. Wild, folks!
It has to be said, but nearly 30 minutes into the game and the #Canucks are going blow for blow with the best team in the Western Conference on the road.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) March 24, 2022
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild Live Odds & Betting History
*These odds are provided by BetOnline.ag
| TEAM DATA | CANUCKS | WILD |
| Overall Record | 31-26-8 | 37-20-4 |
| ATS Record | 37-28 | 29-32 |
| Home/Away Record | 17-13-3 | 20-7-1 |
| Goals Per Game | 2.8 | 3.7 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Shots On Goal Per Game | 30.7 | 33.6 |
| Shooting % | 8.8 | 9.7 |
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild Prediction:
Despite this being the second half of a tough back-to-back spot for the Canucks, expect a maximum effort from this desperate bunch. Points are certainly at a premium right now for Bruce Boudreau’s side, and one benefit to Thursday night’s matchup is the fact that they saved Thatcher Demko for it, after Jaro Halak played last night vs. Colorado.
Demko has been a stud in goal for Vancouver this year, consistently stealing games for Vancouver. He’s top-ten in many goaltending categories statistically, and though he hasn’t been nearly as steady away from home, expect a big outing from Demko in his home state. Vancouver has also had a knack of giving up a fair bit of high-danger chances of late, ranking in the bottom-half of the league in this category, though some trade deadline help has boosted this team’s spirit. The Canucks went out and traded for former Toronto d-man Travis Dermott, and the slick skating defender paid immediate dividends last night. Injecting his ability to this blue-line has already helped its mobility and generating a solid first-pass.
Minnesota will counter with a healthy lineup, looking to continue pushing for home ice in the Central Division. In Minnesota’s last 18 games, 14 of them have featured six or more goals – though with increased confidence in their goaltending, expect the Wild to tighten things up down the stretch. Minnesota boasts a dominant top line, paced by Kirill Kaprizov, the skilled Russian winger. In their last 10 games, the Wild have generated 3.7 goals per game, with Kaprizov in on many of those tallies. Tonight, expect head coach Dean Evason to play a key role in getting Kaprizov away from the Canucks’ top defenders, freeing the shifty winger up for added offensive success.
Kirill Kaprizov, who scored twice and boosted his totals to 32-43—75 (58 GP), is on pace to tally 45 goals and 105 points this season – both of which would be @mnwild franchise records.#NHLStats: https://t.co/r7VuHhcSnd pic.twitter.com/gWINvJCuzu
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 17, 2022
Canucks vs. Wild Trends To Know:
- Canucks are 5-1 in their last 6 road games.
- Canucks are 4-1 in their last 5 Thursday games.
- Wild are 10-3 in their last 13 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Over is 6-1 in Canucks last 7 road games.
- Over is 7-1 in Canucks last 8 vs. Western Conference.
- Over is 24-5-1 in Wild last 30 games as a home favorite.
Though an emphasis has been placed in both camps on defensive play and steadier goaltending, the trends and stylistic approaches of these clubs points to goals on Thursday night. Both teams will surely empty the tank for offense and points here in Minnesota, and while the juicy price on Vancouver represents value, the safer play is to back goals in Minneapolis. 6.5 goals is just too many for these clubs, and the Under is our call for Thursday night.
