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 five games on today’s schedule.
Boston Bruins @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7pm ET
Two of the top teams in the Atlantic division and the Eastern Conference are set to meet in this one. As the Boston Bruins will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa Bay on Thursday night. These two teams are both sitting inside the Stanley Cup playoff picture at the moment.
Marko Nadin
The Tampa Bay Lightning are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 43-20-7 record. After winning 4 consecutive games, the Lightning have lost the last 3, most recently 4-3 against the Washington Capitals. The defending champions are ranked 10th in the league with 3.3 goals per game and 9th with 2.8 goals allowed per game. Tampa Bay has won 7 of the last 10 games against Boston, 6 of the last 8 Friday games, 51 of the last 73 games as home favorites but have lost 8 of the last 9 against teams with a winning record over 60%.
The Boston Bruins are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-21-5 record. They have won 7 of the last 9 games but are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Boston is ranked 13th in the league with 3.2 goals per game and 9th with 2.8 allowed goals per game. They are second in the league with 36 shots on goal per game and third with 28.7 allowed shots per game. The Bruins have won the last 2 games against the Lightning and 8 of the last 10 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5
Tony Battalio
The Boston Bruins come into this game with a record of 44-21-5 through their first 70 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Atlantic division at the moment. They are trailing the Florida Panthers by 11 points for first place in the division. Boston is looking to make one final run towards a Stanley Cup with their core of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. They are currently on a one game losing streak after dropping their last game to the Detroit Red Wings.
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning are coming into this game with a record of 43-20-7 through their first 70 games of the season. They are currently in fourth place in the Atlantic division but are in no danger of missing the playoffs unless a monumental collapse were to take place. The Lightning are looking to three-peat this season but they will have their hands full throughout the playoffs. As for the result of this game I have the Bruins getting the victory in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins
Jeffery Thomas
The Boston Bruins will get back to action after two days’ rest following their 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak and the Bs fell to 4-5 on the season on the second leg of a back-to-back. That is note-worthy as Boston has one back-to-back left this season so it may be a place to fade them when we get there. But as for right now, they are preparing for battle with a Tampa Bay team that is now on a three-game losing streak following their 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
The books must think the Lightning are due for a win because I’m not understanding why they are the favorites in this game. The goaltending has been letting the Bolts down and that’s a recipe for disaster against a Bruins team that has scored at least 3 in their last nine games. Boston is playing the much better hockey and I’m going to roll with them on the road on Friday night.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres @ Florida Panthers – 7pm ET
The Buffalo Sabres will meet the Florida Panthers in this one. As both teams have had incredibly different seasons and are trending in opposite directions. Buffalo is towards the bottom of the league while Florida is a title contender.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 49-15-6 record. They have won the last 5 games scoring 7 goals in three of them. The Panthers are coming off a 7-6 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are the best scoring team in the league averaging 4.2 goals per game and they also have league’s best 37.5 shots on goal per game. Florida has won the last 3 and 6 of the last 10 games against Buffalo. They have also won 23 of the last 28 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
The Buffalo Sabres are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-35-11 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sabres are ranked 25th in the league scoring 2.7 goals per game and 26th allowing 3.5 goals per game. They have lost 27 of the last 37 games against Eastern Conference opponents and 74 of the last 100 as road underdogs.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers
Tony Battalio
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League for what seems like decades at this point. The future isn’t getting any brighter and as it looks at the moment they will be restarting their rebuild over the summer. They come into this game with a record of 26-35-11 through their first 72 games of the season. They are already eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs as well. They are currently on a one game losing streak after losing their last game to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
The Florida Panthers are one of the top favorites to win the Eastern Conference and potentially win the Stanley Cup as well. While it would be sweet for any team to win the Eastern Conference and the Stanley Cup, it would feel much better for them. As it would come at the expense of ending their in-state rivals two year reign over the National Hockey League. The Panthers come into this game with a record of 49-15-6 through their first 70 games of the season. As for the result of this one I have the Panthers getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers
Jeffery Thomas
The Florida Panthers are rolling, winners of five straight, and now will host the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. The win on Tuesday for the Florida Panthers was an epic rally from down four goals midway through the second period. Florida improved their record to 49-15-6 and set the franchise record for points with 104. The Buffalo Sabres will be on the back-to-back after a tough 5-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The Sabres were up 3-2 heading into the final period but gave up three unanswered for their 35th regulation defeat of the season.
The Sabres have hung tough against some good teams recently but I don’t see that for them on Friday. The Panthers have had no issues with them this season, winning by a combined 18-8 in the three meetings and covering the spread each time. Heading into this fourth and final matchup of the year, Florida is surging and will catch Buffalo on the back-to-back so another blowout is on the horizon.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5
New York Islanders @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7pm ET
The New York Islanders are taking on the Carolina Panthers in this Metropolitan division matchup. New York has had a terrible season while the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Marko Nadin
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 46-17-8 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games which cost them to drop 4 points behind the leading Florida but that is still a reachable deficit. The Hurricanes are coming off a 5-3 win over Carolina. The Hurricanes are ranked top of the league, allowing 2.4 goals per game, 28.4 shots on goal per game and defending 88% of the power play situations. They have won the last 9 games against the Islanders.
The New York Islanders are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-28-9 record but are 13 points behind the 8th place Washington Capitals and basically out of the playoff picture. The Islanders were on a four-game winning streak before losing 3-2 to the Dallas Stars in their last one. They are ranked 4th in the league allowing 2.7 goals per game and defending 84.2% of the power play situations. The last time the Islanders defeated the Hurricanes was back in 2018.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Tony Battalio
The New York Islanders are having a rough season as they come into this game with a record of 32-28-9 through their first 69 games of the season. They are currently in fifth place in the Metropolitan division but virtually eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs as they are double-digit points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference at the moment. They are currently on a one game losing streak after losing their last game to the Dallas Stars on the road.
The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. They are one of the top favorites in the league to not only win the Eastern Conference but the Stanley Cup as well. They come into this game with a record of 46-17-8 through their first 71 games of the season. They have already locked up a playoff spot and are looking to lock up the Metropolitan division as well. As for the result of this game I have the Carolina Hurricanes getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Islanders had their season-best four-game winning streak snapped in their last game, losing 3-2 in Dallas to the Stars. The Isles trail the Washington Capitals for the final Wild-Card spot by 11 points with 13 games remaining so it’s not looking too likely but we’ve seen crazier things. If they want any shot though, they’ll need to take care of business Friday night on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes are playing their second game in two days after a comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. The win finally clinched a playoff spot for the Carolina Hurricanes , who are 2 points ahead of the New York Rangers for first place in the Metro.
The Carolina Hurricanes got away with one on Thursday and I’m sure they will be much more focused in Friday’s game. The Islanders will be playing their hearts out m, as they’re running out of time to catch the Capitals but I don’t think they have what it takes to take down a locked-in Carolina team. Give me the Canes at home.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Minnesota Wild @ St.Louis Blues – 8pm ET
This one could end being the best game of the evening as two of the best teams in the Western Conference and Central division are set to face off. As the Minnesota Wild will take on the St.Louis Blues.
Marko Nadin
The St. Louis Blues are fourth in the Western Conference with a 40-20-10 record. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Blues are fifth in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and third in 26.1% conversion of the power play situations. The Blues have won the last 3 and 8 of the last 10 games against Minnesota. The Blues have won 19 of the last 26 games against teams from the Western Conference and 20 of the last 29 games against Western Conference opponents.
The Minnesota Wild are third in the Western Conference with a 43-21-5 record. They have won 2 of the last 3 games and are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. The Wild are ranked 4th in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and 17th with 3.1 allowed goals per game. Minnesota has won the last 6 goals when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game and 5 of the last 7 games against teams with a winning record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St.Louis Blues (-111)
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Wild were the best team in the National Hockey League at one point in this season. Now they find themselves in second place in the Central division and are getting hot at the right time. They are a real dark horse team to compete for a Stanley Cup trophy in my opinion. They currently have a record of 43-21-5 on the season through their first 69 games. The Wild are currently on a one game losing streak after dropping their last game to the Nashville Predators.
The St.Louis Blues come into this game with a record of 40-20-10 through their first 70 games of the season. The Blues are currently in third place in the Central division and on the verge of locking up a Stanley Cup playoff spot as the regular season winds down. The Blues currently find themselves on a three game winning streak after picking up victories over the Calgary Flames, Arizona Coyotes, and Seattle Kraken. As for the result of this game I have the Blues getting the win in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St.Louis Blues (-111)
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues will square off on Friday night in a battle for second place in the Central Division. Minnesota will come in with the 1 point advantage, but had their 10-game points streak snapped in a 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. The Blues’ point streak is still alive and sitting at six games (5-0-1). St. Louis has also dominated this matchup in recent history, going 11-1-2 in their last 14 meetings with their division rival.
I think the Blues keep their dominance going against a Wild team that they should have no problems roughing up. The Blues are a tough team that has offensive firepower all over the place and that’s a tough combo to deal with. I also love how they perform at home in these big games, so give me St. Louis in this one.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: St.Louis Blues (-111)
Colorado Avalanche @ Winnipeg Jets – 8pm ET
The Colorado Avalanche will travel north of the border for this one to take on the Winnipeg Jets. This could end up being a really good game or end up being a blowout win for the Avalanche.
Marko Nadin
The Winnipeg Jets are 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-28-10 record. After winning three consecutive games, the Jets have lost the last three, most recently 3-1 against the Detroit Red Wings. Winnipeg is ranked 16th in the league scoring 3 goals per game and 18th allowing 3.1 goals per game. They have won 5 of the last 6 games against Western Conference opponents, 7 of the last 9 games played after one day rest but have lost 8 of the last 9 games played on Friday.
The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in the league with a 50-14-6 record. They have won the last 4 games and are coming off a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Avalanche are the third-best scoring team in the league with 3.8 goals per game and 4th with 35.3 shots on goal per game. Colorado has won 6 of the last 7 games against Winnipeg. They have also won the last 9 games played after two days of rest and 61 of the last 82 games coming in after a win.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-184)
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Avalanche are coming into this game as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League this season. They were the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup and they have been the current favorites to win it for the last couple of months. They started the season slow but once they got hot they stayed hot and have practically wrapped up the Central division as well. They come into this game with a record of 50-14-6 through their first 70 games of the season.
The Winnipeg Jets have put together a respectable season but it likely won’t be enough to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. They come into this game with a record of 33-28-10 through their first 71 games of the season. Coming into this one they are sixth in the Central division. They trail the Dallas Stars by eight points for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. As for the result of this game I have the Colorado Avalanche picking up victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-184)
Jeffery Thomas
Central Division tilt on Friday as the 1st place Colorado Avalanche travel to take on the 6th place Winnipeg Jets. These two teams have met twice before this season.m, with the Avs taking each of the first two by at least three goals. Not only that, but Colorado is coming in with a bunch of momentum, winning each of their last four games. The Jets will be desperate for two points, with them being 7 back of the final Wild-Card spot with just 11 games left on their schedule.
This is the first game of a back-to-back for the Avalanche so we could see some weird things with their lines and how minutes are distributed but this is a matchup they’ve found a way to dominate. I think it continues on Friday to the time of a 6-2 win and a cover of the spread on the road.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche 1.5 (+136)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
