We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move into the final stretch of the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. This means that every single win or loss can have a significant impact on the position each team will finish in when the regular season draws to a close, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
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Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the two games on today’s schedule.
New York Islanders @ Montreal Canadiens – 7.00PM ET
The New York Islanders are in the middle of their road trip on Friday night when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens. The Islanders are playing on back-to-back nights, and in their last game they lost 3-6 to the Penguins. The Canadiens will be playing for pride, as any thoughts of a playoff appearance are long gone, with the worst record in the entire league, 20-43-11.
Marko Nadin
The Montreal Canadiens are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 20-43-11 record. They have lost the last three games and are coming off a 1-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Montreal allows 3.8 goals which puts them second-worst in the league. They have won 4 of the last 5 and 7 of the last 10 games against the New York Islanders. Montreal has lost 24 of the last 33 games coming in after one day rest, 22 of the last 30 home games and 35 of the last 52 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
The New York Islanders are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-29-9 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-4 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Islanders are fourth-best team in the league allowing only 2.7 goals per game and defending 84.8% of the power play situations. The Islanders have won the last 6 games against Eastern Conference opponents and 35 of the last 53 games against teams with a losing record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders (-160)
Tony Battalio
It’s been a rough season for both of these teams as the Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the New York Islanders in this one in Canada. Montreal is coming into this game with a record of 20-43-11 through their first 74 games of the season. They are 34 games below the .500 mark and have been way out of the Stanley Cup playoff race for a long time. Montreal is looking at a multi year rebuild in the face it seems heading into this off-season.
The New York Islanders are coming into this game with a record of 34-30-9 through their first 73 games of the season. The Islanders were at a bit of a disadvantage this season as they had to play 13 straight games on the road to open up the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. They will be looking to add a couple pieces over the summer and improve heading into next season. As for the result of this game, I have the New York Islanders getting the victory on the road over the Montreal Canadiens.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders (-160)
Jeffery Thomas
The Montreal Canadiens will play host to the New York Islanders on a small Friday NHL slate. It’s been over a week since the Canadiens have won a game, and they are now losers of three straight after their 1-5 loss to the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. Montreal has 51 points on the year, which is the second-fewest in the entire league only ahead of the Arizona Coyotes. The New York Islanders will be on the back-to-back following their 3-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The Isles have now alternated between wins and losses for the past six games, showing no type of consistency.
They will hope that trend continues on Friday though because it will mean it’s another win and 2 points on the year. The Islanders lost on Thursday but they still have not been mathematically eliminated from the postseason. It’s a long shot with them being so far behind the Capitals in points but it’s still a thing that they have to work towards and the only thing they can do is try and go out and get 2 points every night. Friday night provides a great opportunity for that against this bad Montreal team so I’m expecting the Isles to come in and take care of business.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders (-160)
Winnipeg Jets @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
The Winnipeg Jets kick off a four game road trip on Friday when they travel to Florida and take on the Panthers. The Jets come into this game on a two game winning streak, but it seems too little too late for the Winnipeg team, as they are pretty much out of contention for a Wild Card spot. The Panthers, on the other hand, are already confirmed for the playoffs with the second most points in the entire league, at 110.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 52-15-6 record. They have won the last 8 and 11 of the last 12 games. The Panthers are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks. Florida is on top of the league with 4.1 scored goals and 37.6 shots on goal per game. Florida has won the last 4 games against Western Conference opponents, the last 6 games played on Friday and 7 of the last 8 games after allowing no more than 2 goals in the previous game.
The Winnipeg Jets are 11th in the Western Conference with a 35-28-11 record and are 7 points behind the Los Angeles Kings who are sitting in the last place that leads to the playoffs. The Jets have won the last two games after losing the previous 4. Winnipeg is coming off a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Jets are scoring and allowing 3.1 goals per game which ranks them 16th offensively and 18th defensively. The Jets have won 3 of the last 5 games against Florida, 5 of the last 6 road games but have lost 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a winning record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-295)
Tony Battalio
The Winnipeg Jets are coming into this game with a record of 35-28-11 through their first 74 games of the season. They are currently in sixth place in the Central Division and still have an outside shot at making the Stanley Cup playoffs. They find themselves only eight points behind one of the Western Conference Wild Card spots with 8 games remaining in the regular season which gives them very slim hopes. They will have to get hot coming down the final stretch of the season.
The Florida Panthers have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League all season long. They are one of the favorites to bring home the Stanley Cup this season and end their in-state rivals two year run on top of the sport. They come into this game with a record of 52-15-6 through their first 73 games of the season. They will be looking to close out the Atlantic Division within the next week and a half. As for the result of this game, I have the Florida Panthers picking up the victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-295)
Jeffery Thomas
The Winnipeg Jets will be nice and rested for their Friday matchup with the Florida Panthers, given they’ve been off since their Monday win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Jets were scheduled to take on the Kraken at home on Wednesday but the game was postponed due to weather. That gave them an extra couple days to get ready for the hottest team in the NHL, the Panthers. Florida has won 8 consecutive games and is in a battle atop the league for most points with the Colorado Avalanche.
During this streak the Cats are outscoring opponents 41-25 and have scored at least four goals in seven of those games. The Panthers are one of the best two teams in the league and have only dropped six games at home all year. That sets up a tall task for a Winnipeg team that is very streaky and just doesn’t match up well with this Florida team. I don’t see a way they keep this one close if the Panthers play their game, which I’m banking on them doing after a couple days off. Fresh legs and home ice for the Panthers will get this one done in blowout fashion.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (-105)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
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