The Vegas Golden Knights have enjoyed plenty of success in their brief existence making a run to the Stanley Cup final in their inaugural season. While they haven’t returned to the final they have reached the postseason in each of their first four years in the league. However, a recent slump of seven losses in nine games has put that playoff streak in jeopardy. Following back-to-back shutouts by Minnesota and Winnipeg, Vegas dropped out of the playoff picture in the congested Western Conference. They look to get back on track Saturday when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on ABC.
The NHL matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights takes place at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 26, 2022, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV and will air live on ABC. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Saturday NHL schedule.
NHL Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Though the Golden Knights have slumped recently they are presented with a good opportunity to get a win against one of the few teams not in the playoff hunt. The season started on a sour note for the Blackhawks forcing a coaching change early in the campaign and they never recovered. Their 22 wins are more than only Seattle and Arizona in the Western Conference. If you want to make money betting the NHL it’s a good strategy to avoid Chicago. Only three teams in the entire league are more of a money pit with the Hawks nearly $1700 down on the moneyline. The Hawks can score but they also give up plenty of goals. They surrender nearly 3.5 goals per game and that number could increase after dealing Marc-Andre Fleury. They cashed the OVER in a 6-4 loss to Winnipeg on Sunday putting the OVER at 7-2 in their last nine games.
Vegas is happy to be home after their road skid reached seven games with back-to-back shutout losses. Their only two wins during their current 2-7 run came at home when they knocked off Florida and Los Angeles by a combined score of 10-4. Those 10 goals are nearly as many as they scored in the last seven road encounters (11). And the Golden Knights have to be excited that they won’t face their former netminder on Saturday. The Hawks give up a lot of goals but they had one of their best defensive efforts in a 2-1 win over Vegas in January with Fleury stopping 31 of 32 shots.
Chicago Blackhawks
An 0-2-1 stretch dropped the Hawks further off the pace putting them at 6-12-2 in their last 20 games. The rebuild has been in full force since they opened the campaign with nine straight setbacks (0-7-2). Dealing Fleury at the deadline was a given, but management upset a lot of players by trading Brandon Hagel. If a 23-year-old forward with 21 goals isn’t part of the rebuild, who is?
Several players openly questioned the move and it makes you wonder just how much faith the working class has in management moving forward. That was a lot to give up for a team that averages 2.6 goals.
Vegas Golden Knights
Injuries are a part of the game, but I don’t think any team has been hit harder than the Golden Knights. The team has been without three of its top point producers and the offense went into a funk. Riley Smith is the team’s third leading scorer with 38 points while Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone are point per game performers. Take that kind of offense out of any lineup and there will be issues. None were more glaring than on the recent road trip where the Knights failed to score.
Vegas has been blanked four times in 19 games since the middle of February and tallied two goals or less 11 times in that span cashing the UNDER 10 times. An injury to starting goalie Robin Lehner has caused issues in net. Logan Thompson has seen a bulk of the action lately boasting a 3.00 GAA and .910 save percentage in eight games. Not great numbers but not bad either. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re mates can’t score.
NHL Odds Pick
This looks like a good matchup to bet the OVER with both sides allowing a decent number of chances and goals. Vegas actually played a good game in its loss to Winnipeg and those chances will start to find the back of the net. The Knights have been a much better team at home and that trend will continue on Saturday as the Hawks continue to find a direction.
NHL Odds Prediction: Vegas 5, Chicago 3
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