The weekend is here! And with it, a number of epic games are set to be played. As always, we’ve spent the day researching to bring you the very best NHL picks on the market, all you need to do is sit back, relax, and watch the money roll in.
Calgary Flames @ Montreal Canadiens – 6.00 PM EDT
The Flames and the Canadiens go again in Montreal today following Wednesday’s match which ended 4-1 the way of the Flames.
It was an impressive win from the Calgary based team, not only was it their third straight, but they were also playing in back to back games against a Canadiens side who had not played since Monday.
Prior to this out of the blue win streak the Flames were playing their season worst hockey, and had lost 8 of 9 games, but they have looked a different beast recently, picking up wins against 3 of the best teams in the division.
“Right now, we’re fighting for our (playoff) lives – we have win games night-in and night-out.”
Sean Monahan on the team’s mentality through the stretch drive. pic.twitter.com/essMc70zQm
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 15, 2021
Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund have been immense over the last few games, providing 4 points a piece, but full credit goes to Jacob Markstrom in net, the experienced goalie started all 3 games, allowing just 3 goals from 70 shots attempted.
The Canadiens were kicking themselves at a missed opportunity to back up a strong win over the Maple Leafs, with another against a fatigued Flames’ outfit, the loss marks their 4th from the last 5 games played.
If the Canadiens were to lose again today then the Flames would draw within just 2 points of their prized playoff position.
NHL Pick – Calgary Flames (+120)
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New York Islanders @ Boston Bruins – 7.00 PM EDT
The Islanders get another crack at the Bruins today following their 4-1 defeat yesterday, and with a 1 day turn around between games, the fitness levels of either squad will be tested.
It was just the Islanders’ 2nd defeat from their last 7 games, however, all of those games took place on their home turf, and they have lost their last 3 straight games on the road.
The loss still came as a surprise considering the Islanders have historically dominated the Bruins this season, winning all 5 games prior to their match yesterday.
It was a deserved loss for the New York side, attempting just shy of half the shots of the Bruins, only managing to beat Tuuka Rask once from 23 shots.
It was a solid performance from the Bruins who have been a little inconsistent in recent weeks, dropping points in games they should be winning comfortably, alas, they pick up their second straight victory here and maintain their 4 point lead over the 5th place, Rangers.
It was a night of milestones for the Bruins, with Tuuka Rask making his return to the lineup, and did so in style, picking up his 300th career win.
Taylor Hall also notched his first goal in a Boston jersey since signing for the club before the trade period ended.
NHL Pick – Boston Bruins (-118)
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San Jose Sharks @ Minnesota Wild – 8.00 PM EDT
The Sharks once again failed to show up against the Ducks in San Jose on Wednesday, going down 4-1 for their third straight defeat.
Their good run of form has now subsided as expected, they did manage to at least put one past the Ducks this time around, narrowly avoiding a second shutout.
While not as drastically as the previous game, the Sharks once again outshot the ducks on Wednesday, but only managed to beat Anthony Stolarz once from 28 attempts.
After Martin Jones’ shaky performance in the first match, Josef Koranar filled in for the second, and didn’t fare a whole lot better, with the blame really coming down to the defense.
Unlike the Sharks, the Minnesota Wild snapped their losing streak on Wednesday before it could get hit 3 games.
After a disappointing series in St. Louis, which saw the Wild lose 12-3 across 2 games with the Blues, they headed back to Minnesota for a single game with the Coyotes, winning 5-2.
Here he comes!
Mats Zuccarello had the @JagermeisterUSA Shot of the Game yesterday. pic.twitter.com/DLYzYqeiyd
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 15, 2021
The game was decided by power plays as the Wild exposed the Coyotes while they were playing shorthanded, converting 3 chances from just 6 penalty minutes while killing off all of the Coyotes penalties.
Matts Zuccarello was responsible for 2 of the power play goals, and Nick Bonino buried the other, on top of 2 assists for his first 3 point haul of the campaign.
NHL Pick – Minnesota Wild (-200)
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Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.00 PM EDT
The Kings were swept by the Knights on their home soil on Wednesday, losing 10-4 over the 2 games.
It was another blow in their slump of form, having lost 7 of the last 10 games, the Kings are the worst performing team in the division, and 2 games against the lethal, Colorado Avalanche, is hardly going to fill them with confidence.
The Knights didn’t let the Kings get away with scoring first on Wednesday, coming out firing with 2 goals, and finishing the first team with a 3-1 lead, with Trevor Moore scoring the goal.
They were never really in it as the Knights put 2 more past them, Moore once again came through with a goal, albeit an inconsequential one. He finished the game with 2 goals, both of which were assisted by Adrian Kempe.
The Avalanche continued their dominant run with a 4-3 victory over the Blues, it was their 4th straight, and their 9th from the last 10 games, the best run of form in the league.
The Blues once again made the Avs work hard for the victory, with the win marking the third straight time the Avs have beaten them by just a single goal.
A dominant second period saw the Avs take a 3 goal lead, with Mikko Rantanen notching a goal and assist in the term. However, the Blues made them sweat in the third, scoring 2 unanswered goals to tighten up the margin, ultimately failing to complete the comeback though.
After playing 5 of their last 6 games on the road, the Avs get to head home for this 2 game series, they are currently on a 5 game win streak in Colorado.
NHL Pick – Colorado Avalanche (-330)
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Vegas Golden Knights @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00 PM EDT
The Knights made it 2 from 2 with another clinical performance against the Kings on Wednesday.
It was their 4th straight win having previously also swept the Coyotes, they took that form with them to Los Angeles, putting 10 goals past the Kings over the 2 games.
After scoring in the first game, Max Pacioretty once again delivered on Wednesday, burying a goal, and having a hand in 2 more for an impressive 6th, 3 point haul for the season.
🤝 gg 🤝 pic.twitter.com/UA2aAIY0TT
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 15, 2021
Their road trip continues as they head to Anaheim for 2 games with the Ducks, having beaten them in 4 of 5 encounters this year, they will be expecting to see their win streak extend today.
However, in recent weeks, the Ducks have not been getting walked over like they were earlier in the season.
With a record over the last 10 games of 5-4-1, the Ducks are faring better than half of the teams in the league at the moment.
This was evident after their strong showing against the Avs last week, but it was epitomised with their 2 game clean sweep over the Sharks in San Jose.
It was the third time the two sides had met from 5 games, with the Ducks walking away with 3 wins, and an aggregate score of 13-2.
All 5 of the Ducks recent wins have come while playing on the road, which is not a statistic that bodes too well considering they play at home today, the Ducks have a home record of 5-14-4.
NHL Pick – Vegas Golden Knights (-255)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
