Blues vs Canucks November 5 NHL Prediction: Vancouver Is 4-0-1 at Home This Season

• Vancouver Canucks are unbeaten in regulation at home; lone loss came against Washington in a shootout
• Powering that success has been the Canucks offense, which has put up 5.40 goals per game at Rogers Arena
• After a slow start, defending Stanley Cup-champion Blues have won four straight and six of last seven. They are +110 underdogs tonight in Vancouver

Two of the Western Conference’s better squads square off Tuesday in Vancouver as the Canucks play host to the defending Stanley Cup-champion St. Louis Blues.

After missing the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, the Canucks are off to a hot start, powered largely by their offense. Sophomore standout Elias Petterson currently sits sixth in the NHL in scoring with 20 points, and has helped Vancouver post the fourth-best goals-per-game average in the league at 3.64.

And it’s largely that offense, which has averaged an explosive 5.40 goals per game on home ice, that has the St. Louis vs Vancouver odds tilted in the Canucks’ favor.

St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks Odds

Odds taken Nov. 5

Home Sweet Home

Thanks largely to their ability to outscore the opposition 27-12 on home ice, the Canucks have turned Rogers Arena into a veritable fortress.

Vancouver has gone 4-0-1 at home so far this season, with the lone loss being a 6-5 shootout defeat to the Washington Capitals, a game in which the Canucks had a 5-1 lead in the second period.

Coming out on top in their clash with the Sharks Saturday, the @Canucks have now accumulated 20 points in the standings already. As this list shows, the VAN franchise has only once had more after 14 games of a season pic.twitter.com/oe8Vu2KCn2

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) November 3, 2019

And with five of their next seven games on home ice, the Canucks, currently second in the Pacific Division, will be looking to further cement their claim as a legitimate playoff team.

Firing on All Cylinders

Powering much of Vancouver’s early-season prowess has been their explosive offense, which is averaging 3.64 goals per game, good for fourth in the NHL. While Elias Petterson leads the way with 20 points, he is ably abetted by the likes of Brock Boeser (16 points), J.T. Miller (15) and captain Bo Horvat (13).

🙌🙌🙌 https://t.co/y2Z3o3B5Om

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 4, 2019

By while the offense captures much of the headlines, quietly underpinning Vancouver’s success has been the performance of those at the other end of the ice. The team’s mark of 2.36 goals against per game is the fourth-best such average in the NHL.

That has been largely due to the balanced tandem of Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko in net. Markstrom has put up a 5-4 record with a 2.51 goals-against average thus far, while Demko has been even better, going 4-1 with a 1.78 GAA.

Heating Up

For any Stanley Cup champion, overcoming the dreaded championship hangover can be a struggle, and it seems for St. Louis it was no different. The champs jumped out of the gate with a 3-5 start, including a 4-3 shootout defeat at home in the only meeting between the Blues and Canucks so far this season.

But like most true champions, St. Louis has found a way to turn things around, and has won four straight and six of their last seven, with the only loss being a 3-0 reverse to Boston in a Stanley Cup final rematch last month.

The trio of Perron, O'Reilly, and Pietrangelo strike again in OT 🔥

See the highlights from last night's win, the Blues' fourth in a row, presented by On the Run. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/zdECsuCIUx

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 3, 2019

Even better as far as their playoff standing is concerned, the top team in the Central Division has gone 5-0-1 in Western Conference matchups. Conversely, Vancouver is 4-2-1 in those contests.

Middle of the Pack

While Vancouver has posted stellar offensive and defensive numbers so far this season, St. Louis has been fairly average in both regards. The team is tied for 13th in scoring with 3.13 goals per game, and 14th defensively, giving up 3.00 goals per game. However, the Blues have turned things up defensively over their seven-game hot streak, giving up just 2.43 GPG during that time.

Jake Allen, Ryan O'Reilly, and Craig Berube discuss tonight's overtime win in Minnesota. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/M5SpBYKKzV

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 3, 2019

And Jordan Binnington, who will likely get the start in goal for the Blues on Tuesday night, is 1-1 with a 2.31 GAA in games against the Canucks.

Pick: While the Canucks have been hot at home, St. Louis is good value to win its fifth straight game (+110)