{"id":193065,"date":"2026-02-25T13:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/193065\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T13:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:29:08","slug":"massive-pacific-division-tilt-in-socal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/193065\/","title":{"rendered":"Massive Pacific Division Tilt in SoCal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to the first edition of NHL Predictions post Olympics<\/a>. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. This edition features a massive Pacific Division showdown as the Edmonton Oilers visit the Anaheim Ducks in both clubs\u2019 first game back from the Olympic break<\/a>. Don\u2019t forget to check out more NHL Predictions as we continue tracking the 2025\u201326 stretch run.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions Featuring the Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks<\/p>\n

2025\u201326 Season Series: Edmonton leads 1\u20130<\/p>\n

Time: 10:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) | 7:30 p.m. PST<\/p>\n

How to Watch<\/a> \u2013 US TV: ESPN+, Victory+ | Canada TV: SNW, SN+<\/p>\n

Location: Honda Center live from Anaheim, California.<\/p>\n

Setting the Stage<\/p>\n

Edmonton enters at 28\u201322\u20138, while Anaheim sits at 30\u201323\u20133 as the Pacific Division race tightens. Importantly, this is both teams\u2019 first game back from the Olympic break. Mikael Granlund<\/a> returns to Anaheim after captaining Finland to bronze<\/a>, while Jackson LaCombe<\/a> comes back with a Gold Medal from Team USA. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid<\/a> is motivated after losing the gold medal game in overtime, a result that rarely produces a quiet response. However, McDavid did miss practice<\/a> with the club yesterday in Anaheim, so his status is a bit in the air.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Leo Carlsson<\/a> is tracking toward a return after missing time with a Morel-Lavall\u00e9e lesion in his left thigh. His presence completely changes the dynamic in the Anaheim locker room as arguably the Ducks most dangerous player. With playoff probabilities swinging sharply based on the result, this matchup carries more weight than a typical late February contest.<\/p>\n

Edmonton Oilers Storyline<\/p>\n

Edmonton\u2019s identity remains clear. The Oilers rank first on the power play at 31.4 percent and fourth in goals per game at 3.41. Furthermore, Leon Draisaitl<\/a> enters scorching with 10 points in his last five games. McDavid drives transition as usual, while Evan Bouchard<\/a> continues to push offence from the back end. However, defensive suppression remains inconsistent. The Oilers sit 25th in goals against per game at 3.29 and allow quality looks off the rush. That volatility keeps games open. If Edmonton earns power play opportunities, the matchup tilts quickly. If not, they are vulnerable to extended defensive zone shifts. Projected goaltending leans toward Tristan Jarry<\/a> or Connor Ingram<\/a>, neither of whom provides a decisive edge on paper.<\/p>\n

Edmonton goal!Scored by Connor McDavid with 04:13 remaining in the OT period.Assisted by Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl.Edmonton: 6Washington: 5#WSHvsEDM #LetsGoOilers #ALLCAPS<\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-01-25T06:02:29.463845Z<\/a><\/p>\n

Anaheim Ducks Storyline<\/p>\n

Anaheim enters hotter at 8\u20132\u20130 over its last 10 games. Recently, the Ducks have leaned into structure and net front finishing rather than pace. Granlund\u2019s return as a bronze medalist adds positive momentum on top of his hat trick the last time the Ducks played Edmonton. Defensively, the numbers are less flattering. Anaheim ranks 29th in goals against per game at 3.48 and struggles suppressing five on five quality. Nevertheless, Lukas Dostal<\/a> has provided stability with a .897 save percentage and the ability to absorb shot volume. If Carlsson returns, the top six gains needed puck control against Edmonton\u2019s speed. However, discipline becomes the decisive factor. Anaheim cannot trade power plays with the league\u2019s most efficient unit.<\/p>\n

Anaheim goal!Scored by Jacob Trouba with 00:33 remaining in the 2nd period.Assisted by Jansen Harkins and Ryan Poehling.Anaheim: 2Seattle: 0#SEAvsANA #FlyTogether #SeaKraken<\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-02-04T04:48:59.494694Z<\/a><\/p>\n

The Model<\/p>\n

The blended model simulates this matchup 10,000 times using weighted inputs from the in-house model on top of some other notable prediction models. The in-house model factors in five on five expected goal differential, special teams impact, projected goaltending, and rest adjusted context and give Edmonton a 55 percent chance to win. HockeyStats<\/a> projects Edmonton at 56 percent, while MoneyPuck<\/a> places the Oilers at 54.7 percent. After blending internal metrics and removing market vig<\/a> from the \u2212135 line, Edmonton lands between 56 and 57 percent.<\/p>\n

That implies fair odds in the \u2212130 to \u2212135 range. In other words, the market is efficient. There is no clear moneyline edge.<\/p>\n

NHL Prediction<\/p>\n

This game likely hinges on discipline and early momentum. Anaheim will attempt to compress the pace and rely on structure. Meanwhile, Edmonton will push transition and test the Ducks\u2019 defensive depth. Given the special teams gap and the Oilers\u2019 offensive ceiling, the lean remains toward Edmonton in a competitive contest. Anaheim\u2019s recent form keeps it close, but the power play difference is decisive over 60 minutes.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Oilers win 4\u20133 (Model Probability: ~57%\u00a0 percent)<\/p>\n

2025\u201326 Season Prediction Record: 13\u201312<\/p>\n

Prop Bets of the Night<\/p>\n

This script suggests offensive usage concentration. First, Leon Draisaitl over 3.5 shots (+125) fits the matchup profile, especially with Anaheim ranking near the bottom in five on five suppression. His recent form supports sustained volume regardless of score state. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid to record two points or more (-130) aligns with both narrative and probability. Returning after an Olympic overtime loss, he historically responds aggressively. In a projected 3.8 goal output environment for Edmonton, fading that production requires unnecessary courage. Together, these props reflect a competitive but high event divisional game.<\/p>\n

2025\u201326 Season Betting Record: 29\u201324 (+8.31 units)<\/p>\n

Projected lineups and starting goaltenders are based on available information at the time of writing. Please check official team sources prior to placing any wagers.<\/p>\n

Please play responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome back to the first edition of NHL Predictions post Olympics. Each day, our writers here at Last…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":193066,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,16762,165,164,18693,90398,2099,1716],"class_list":{"0":"post-193065","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-anaheim","8":"tag-anaheim","9":"tag-anaheim-ducks-predictions","10":"tag-anaheim-headlines","11":"tag-anaheim-news","12":"tag-connor-mcdavid","13":"tag-edmonton-oilers-predictions","14":"tag-jackson-lacombe","15":"tag-leo-carlsson"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}