With roughly a dozen games to go for the majority of the NHL, it is do-or-die time for a lot of teams. As the Vancouver Canucks prepare to host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night, there’s still plenty on the line, even if the Canucks are already more than guaranteed a playoff spot.
The Canucks are on top of the Pacific Division, leading the second-place Edmonton Oilers by 10 points. More than anything else, at this point, they’re competing for the Presidents’ Trophy. For the Kings, however, it’s going to be a dogfight to secure the last spot in the Pacific Division playoff picture.
Bet on Kings vs. Canucks
LAK +105
VAN -125
Let’s take a closer look at the odds for this matchup via bet365:
Kings vs. Canucks odds
| Kings Moneyline Odds | +105 |
| Canucks Moneyline Odds | -125 |
| Puckline odds | Canucks -1.5 (+190), Kings +1.5 (-230) |
| Total | 5.5 goals (over -115, under -105) |
| Time/Date | March 25, 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet Stream: Sportsnet+ (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Kings (37-22-11 SU, 34-36 ATS, 25-42-3 o/u)
Just when the Kings looked out of it in January, they came back to life in February and have been going strong ever since. They have won three in a row and four of five, though their schedule has been a bit on the easier side in recent weeks.
Beating Tampa in overtime definitely helps, but they have struggled to beat teams like Dallas (whom they’ve lost their last two against), Vancouver, Edmonton, Nashville, and other playoff contenders. Still, the Kings (85 points) are two points up on the Las Vegas Golden Knights (83 points) for the final spot in the Pacific and would still lead the St. Louis Blues (79 points) if they stumbled.
The Kings continue to have three solid lines to work with. Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Kevin Fiala are all in a tie for the team lead in points with 62. Youngster Quinton Byfield is enjoying a breakout year, notching 19 goals and 51 points so far.
The slate ahead for the Kings is manageable. They will play Vancouver, Edmonton, and Winnipeg four times, but they also face Calgary (twice), Chicago, Seattle, Anaheim (twice), and San Jose. If things go to plan, the schedule is in place for the Kings to finish strong and lock down that final Pacific Division playoff spot.
About the Canucks (45-18-8 SU, 40-31 ATS, 36-30-5 o/u)
For a hot minute towards the end of February, it looked like the Canucks were human after all. Four straight losses and six losses in seven started all kinds of alarm bells ringing in British Columbia. Fortunately, since the beginning of March, the Canucks have gone right back to winning.
They’ve gone 7-1-1 since the start of the month and are playing some of their best defensive hockey all season. The Canucks are currently tied with the New York Rangers atop the league in what should be a battle to the final day to determine the Presidents’ Trophy winner.
Initially, there was some concern as goaltender Thatcher Demko hit the injured list with a “lower body” injury (suspected to be a knee). In five starts since, Casey DeSmith has done just fine, going 3-1-1, allowing more than two goals only once (three against the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche).
The offence continues to be dominant but it is the defensive game that has really been taken up a notch. Against inferior teams, especially, they have been smothering the opposition. That is a layer to their game that they are going to need to have when the playoffs hit, and doing so with DeSmith in net is encouraging.
The schedule is pretty tough heading down the stretch. They have the Oilers, Jets, Kings (twice), Knights (twice), and Stars ahead of them. That said, while it might be nice to win the Presidents’ Trophy, it certainly isn’t something worth pushing for at this point. For the Canucks, it’s all about staying fit, dialing in their best hockey, and getting ready for a playoff push.
J.T. Miller to record two points or more
+240
Last matchup
As division rivals, this is a regular matchup for both sides, who just met a few weeks back in Los Angeles. It was a quiet affair despite all of the star power involved. Trevor Moore, leading the team with 26 goals currently, scored in the first for the Kings.
Elias Pettersson scored a nifty goal in the second period to tie things up and things would be quiet in the third period, sending the game to overtime. In OT, J.T. Miller continued his incredible season by securing the game-winner just over a minute into the frame.
This will be the third meeting this season between the teams. Los Angeles took the first clash on Feb. 29, 5-1, in Vancouver.
Kings vs. Canucks injury concerns
Though most teams are battling injuries at this point in the season, the Kings are mostly healthy. Alex Turcotte is out with an undisclosed injury for the time being. Goaltender Pheonix Copley and winger Carl Grundstrom have been on the long-term injured reserve since the end of February.
Though Dakota Joshua is out with an upper-body injury, the focus is on Demko. When he initially went out, it was estimated that it would be 2-3 weeks before he’d return. It has been roughly two weeks since then and the Canucks are doing just fine. It wouldn’t be a shock to see his timeline pushed out to ensure he’s back for the playoffs.
NHL betting trends
- Despite hitting the over in just 25 of 70 games this season, the Kings are suddenly quite hot in the category. They have gone over in three straight games, their second-longest stretch of the season. The longest came when they hit five straight overs from Oct. 19 to Oct. 28.
- On the flip side, the Canucks have hit just one over this month (a 4-3 overtime win vs. Colorado on Mar. 13). In March, the Canucks are 1-7-1 against the over/under and just 4-9-2 over their last 15 games.
- While hitting the over has been tough, the Canucks have been very good against the puckline. They’ve covered in their last three games and seven of nine overall. At 40-31, the Canucks have the fourth-highest win percentage against the puckline this year at 56.3%.
NHL player prop trends
- Miller shows no signs of slowing down in what is easily his best season to date. Currently 10th in the NHL in scoring with 90 points, Miller has points in seven of 10 including a pair of multi-point games. Though he isn’t quite on the torrid pace he had at the end of February (10 points in five games), he has only failed to score a point in consecutive games twice this season and never three in a row.
- Kempe has been very solid this season but he’s been on fire of late. He has points in his last three games (all multi-point efforts) and six of his last seven. He has an incredible five multi-point efforts in his last 10 games, including three points against Chicago on Mar. 19.
- Pettersson has been boom or bust in his last five games. He has only scored in two of those games but combined for five points in them. He has slowed down a bit since March began, registering points in just half of his last 10 games overall.
NHL bets to consider
- Miller is hard to stop. He always manages to find a way onto the scoresheet and this should be no different. Take him to get two points or more (+240) as he continues to try to push into the top 10 in scoring in the NHL.
- These two teams combined for just three goals the last time out and the Kings are miserable against the over this season. Play it safe and take the under (5.5, -105) as the Canucks continue to play their blend of stifling defence and persistent offensive pressure.
- The Canucks may be one of the best teams in the league at covering the puckline, but this is going to be a battle. Look for the Kings to cover the 1.5-goal puckline (-230), and don’t be surprised if they manage to push this game late into regulation or even overtime.
