Vancouver at Edmonton

Vancouver finished last in the NHL a season ago with 58 points, and Manny Malhotra's first game behind the bench comes without Thatcher Demko, who opens the year on injured reserve as he works back from hip surgery. That hands the net to Kevin Lankinen (probable for tonight), who went 11-27 with an .875 save percentage last season. The skaters in front of him allowed 316 goals, 17 more than any other team, while scoring the third-fewest in the league. Edmonton has a real flaw of its own. The Oilers ranked 25th in goals allowed, and Tristan Jarry had a rough first stretch after arriving from Pittsburgh. Vancouver doesn't have the finishing to punish it. Edmonton won three of four meetings last season and outscored the Canucks 18-6, including two blowout wins by five goals or more. The one loss came in overtime, and that's the real risk when you lay a high price, but it takes a lot for a team this thin to drag Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to a coin-flip finish. Mike Babcock's debut should play out like this matchup did most of last year. Book Edmonton on the moneyline tonight.