Free NHL Picks Today: Minnesota Wild vs Edmonton Oilers 12/1/22

The Minnesota Wild (-135) and their stifling penalty killing defense welcome the Edmonton Oilers (+115), one of the league’s top power play offenses, at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday. The total is 6.5 (O: -125, U: +105)Edmonton (13-10-0) is playing their last of two games on the road with the second of a back-to-back after earning a high-scoring 5-4 win over the Blackhawks yesterday, their third win in a row.

The Oilers committed five penalties in the game, conceding two power play goals. Leon Draisaitl was the top goalscorer for the Oilers with two goals. Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 25 shots against (.840%) in the win.

Minnesota (10-9-2) beat the Coyotes 4-3 on Sunday. Four players found the net for the Wild. Kirill Kaprizov scored and provided two assists to lead the team in scoring. Marc-Andre Fleury surrendered three goals on 23 shots (.869%).

HEAD TO HEAD

The Wild won all three games between the teams last season, including a 5-1 victory in their final meeting in April, their sixth straight win against Edmonton. Kevin Fiala (2G 0A), Ryan Hartman (2G 0A), and Kaprizov (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Minnesota. Draisaitl scored Edmonton’s only goal. Cam Talbot got the win, saving 27 of 28 shots (.964%).

FACING OFF

Edmonton is averaging 3.43 goals per game for the season, eighth in the NHL, and they are taking on a Wild team that is allowing 2.90 goals a game (11th). Meanwhile, Minnesota has found the net 2.90 times a game on average, 22nd in the league, and the Oilers are allowing opponents to score 3.57 goals per game (26th).

Power play opportunities are likely to be plentiful for the Oilers, as the Wild have been penalized 5.00 times a game, fourth-most in the NHL, for an average of 13.90 minutes (first-highest). The visitors are averaging 4.13 penalties (16th) and 8.83 penalty minutes a game (19th).

The Oilers’ fourth-ranked power play offense (28.57%) will face a tough test against the Wild, who are the league’s fifth-best penalty killing team (82.35%). Minnesota, meanwhile, has scored on 23.53% of their power play opportunities (13th), which the home team will be aiming to build on against Edmonton’s 25th-ranked 73.91% penalty killing rate.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 41 points this season, most in the NHL, Connor McDavid is the top skater for the Oilers. He is among the league leaders in both goals and assists, finding the net 18 times (2nd) and assisting 23 scores for this teammates (3rd).

In the net, Skinner (5-5-0) is Edmonton’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.80 GAA and a .919% save percentage. Kaprizov leads the Wild in scoring with 27 points (10th in the league). He has 13 goals (7th in the league) and 14 assists in 21 games. Filip Gustavsson (3-4-1) has the best goals against average for Minnesota at 2.62.

He has a save percentage of .914%. Fleury (7-5-1) has played the most games in net for the Wild this season. He has a 2.91 GAA and a .901% save percentage.

HOME AND AWAY

Edmonton is 7-4-0 on the road this season. Minnesota is 5-6-1 at home this season. Meanwhile, the Oilers are 2-0 without a day off and 2-0 playing with a rest disadvantage.