Posted at 10:15 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle  +104 BET365 +105 Sportsinteraction +105  888Sport +105

Vegas +105 over Vancouver

10:07 PM EST. OT included. The Golden Knights are sitting in the second Wild Card position in the West, but they trail Nashville by just two points with two games in hand. The Knights are warming up at the right time of the year, having won three of their last four and six of their last eight. Vegas last played in Arizona on Friday night where they lost a shocker to the Coyotes, 7-4. However, it’s worth noting that Vegas had a 4-1 lead with about 12 minutes to go before the ‘Yotes went wild and potted six goals in just over nine minutes of game action. That loss looks bad on paper, but it left the Knights with a sour taste in their mouths, as they know they left two points on the table in a game they had total control of until they didn’t.

On the other side of this equation are the Canucks, who are having an identity crisis at the wrong time of the year. It’s hard to blame Vancouver, as they are playing without number one goaltender Thatcher Demko, who is eligible to come off long-term injury reserve, but has yet to be activated, and he is not going to be rushed back by the team. Demko hasn’t played since he was injured in a March 9 game versus Winnipeg. In Demko's place has been backup Casey DeSmith, who has played in eight of the 10 games Demko has missed, but he has been unable to find a groove, winning just three of those games. DeSmith has struggled mightily in his last two turns, giving up six goals to both the Kings on Saturday night and the Golden Knights in Vegas last Tuesday.

The Canucks have a bit of wiggle room, as they are still tops in the Pacific Division, three points up on Edmonton. While a division title is nice, the prize for such a finish would net the Canucks a date with either Nashville, who has been one of the hottest teams in the second half, or the defending Stanley Cup champion Knights, while a second-place finish in the Pacific would draw the L.A. Kings. We’ll note the Canucks have not beaten a playoff-caliber team since Demko was hurt, going 0-6 in those contests.

Sherwood

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