We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move past the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. Despite this, every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
Here at SportsTips, we are just as keen on the NHL as you are! We spend each and every day going through the best games and previewing them for you. Our experts offer up their free NHL picks, which means that you not only get enjoyment out of watching some intriguing games, but also make extra cash while doing so!
Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the four games on today’s schedule.
Nashville Predators @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM ET
The first game for your Friday night viewing in the NHL will see the Nashville Predators take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Predators will be looking to turn around the three game losing streak they are currently on, which has dropped their season record to 28-17-4. The Hurricanes are also on a losing streak, after dropping their last two games to the Wild and Panthers.
Marko Nadin
The Carolina Hurricanes are going through the most difficult period of the season as they have lost 4 of the last 5 games. Despite the losses, the Hurricanes are still 4th in the Eastern Conference and first place is within reach. Carolina has won 9 of the last 10 games coming after 1 day rest. They are among the two best defensive teams in the league in any category with 2.4 goals allowed, 28.5 shots on goal allowed and 89.8 PP%. Carolina has won the last three games against Nashville including a 3-2 win in their first match this season.
The Nashville Predators are currently 5th in the Western Conference with a 28-17-4 record. They are coming off three consecutive losses, the last two at home against Winnipeg and Washington. The Predators have won the last 6 games played on Friday but have lost 5 of the last 6 against teams from the Eastern Conference and as a road underdog. The Predators have played over the total goal margin in 6 of the last 7 road games. They score 3 goals per game and allow 2.8. It is pretty unlikely that they will score that many against the Hurricanes and will continue their bad road trend.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-170)
Tony Battalio
The Nashville Predators come into this game with a record of 28-17-4 as they are 7 games above the .500 mark through their first 49 games of the season. Nashville is currently in fourth place in the Central Division and they will be looking to get themselves back into the top three as the second half of the season continues on. Nashville is coming into this game on a three game losing streak and they have lost four of their last five. Breaking that losing skid will be no easy task as they are set to face what many people consider to be the best team in the National Hockey League on Friday evening.
Ekky smiles >>> @DeltaDentalTN | #Preds pic.twitter.com/bWuiBPexRZ
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 18, 2022
The Carolina Hurricanes come into this game with a record of 32-11-4 through their first 47 games of the season. Carolina is currently sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They are one of the top choices to dethrone the Tampa Bay Lightning’s reign at the top of the league but there is still a long way to go this season, so they can’t allow themselves to lose focus. As for the result of this game, I have the Carolina Hurricanes picking up the win over a slumping Nashville Predators team at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-170)
Jeffery Thomas
Something has to give in this matchup. Carolina and Nashville have played a combined eight games since the All-Star break and that has resulted in just one victory total for the two clubs. That one win was a convincing one, 6-0 by the Hurricanes over the Bruins last Thursday. In the four other games it’s been two regulation losses and two overtime losses. Wednesday was one of those OT losses, which was to the Panthers 2-3. That was the first of a quick two-game home stand that ends here on Friday against the Predators. The Predators have dropped all three games since the return and all coming in regulation. Last game out was a 1-4 loss at home to the Capitals, and the Preds once again couldn’t stay out of the penalty box.
They are the most penalized team in the NHL and they gave four power plays to Washington in the game, but luckily they only converted one. It was at least a positive that they started killing some penalties, but it was still a blowout loss. This game features a battle of two of the top goalies in the league as both Frederick Andersen and Juuse Saros are making solid cases for the Vezina trophy. As both teams have struggled, it’s still Carolina’s defense that they can count on as a major advantage over the Nashville offensive unit that hasn’t been able to put things together recently. The Canes should come out fired up after a tough overtime loss on Wednesday and I don’t think Nashville will be able to match their intensity in this one.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-170)
Florida Panthers @ Minnesota Wild – 8.00PM ET
The Florida Panthers are in game four of their five game road trip when they take on the Minnesota Wild. The Panthers have won five of their last six games, with their only loss in this time coming against the Rangers, 2-5. The Wild had their two game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Jets, 3-6.
Marko Nadin
The matchup between the Minnesota Wild and the Florida Panthers may be a preview of this years’ Stanley Cup. The Wild are second in the Western Conference with a 30-12-3 record and are 11 points shy from the leading Colorado. Minnesota has won 16 of their 20 home games this season and 37 of the last 50 games at home in general. They have won 8 of the last 10 games but are coming off a 3-6 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Minnesota is the third best scoring team in the league with 3.8 goals per game.
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 33-10-5 record which is the second best record in the entire league after the Colorado Avalanche. Florida has won 7 of the last 10 games and is coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes. They are the best offensive team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and also have the most shots per game, at 36.5. Florida has won 5 of the last 6 games against teams from the Western Conference. They have played over the total goals margin in 16 of the last 21 games following a win.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 7 (+110)
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers enter this road contest with one of the best records in the league this season. They are currently 33-10-5 through their first 48 games of the season. Florida is in first place in the Atlantic Division at the moment as they lead the Tampa Bay Lightning by a single point. Florida is currently on a one game winning streak that they will be looking to extend in this game. The Panthers will be looking to extend their lead over Tampa Bay as well to keep the stress off of having the defending champions off of their backs as the second half of the season progresses.
Gotta get back to our game.
Hear from the guys after tonight’s game » https://t.co/ib3GcPjhXk pic.twitter.com/EsFtodzfEc
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 17, 2022
The Minnesota Wild come into this game with a record of 30-12-3 through their first 45 games of the season. They were the top team in the National Hockey League at one point earlier on in the season. Now they come into the second half of the year sitting in second place in the highly competitive Central Division. They are currently on a one game losing streak after dropping a game to Winnipeg their last time out by a score of 3-6 up north in Canada. Now they will have their hands full trying to bounce back against an elite Florida Panthers team. As for the result of this game, I don’t see that happening which is why I have Florida picking up the victory in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-134)
Jeffery Thomas
This will be a battle of two of the top scorers in the NHL when the Panthers and Wild square off on Friday night in Minnesota. Kirill Kaprizov of the Wild has tallied 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in 44 games. One of the six players ahead of him in the scoring list is Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau who notched 66 points (17 goals, 49 assists) in 48 games. Both players have helped their respective clubs climb to or near the top of their conference standings. The Panthers have 71 points in 48 games and are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Canes on Wednesday. The Wild have 63 points in 45 games and are coming off a 3-6 loss on the road to the Winnipeg Jets.
The Wild do their best work at home this season with a record of 16-3-1 but the Florida Panthers are the better team and have been picking up some road wins lately, which plagued them earlier in the year. I think it’ll be an entertaining battle that can go either way but one thing that is for sure is we will be getting some goals. You can count on that almost any game that involves the Panthers who are one of the top two offenses in the league and with the Wild on the other side, who are averaging over four goals their past 4 games, we should easily be able to get this over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7 (+110)
Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks – 8.30PM ET
The Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks, of the Central Division, will clash on Friday night in the NHL. The Stars have won three of their last four games, and this takes their season record to 26-19-2. The Blackhawks are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Blue Jackets, 4-7.
Marko Nadin
The Chicago Blackhawks are having one of the worst seasons in the past decade as the 2015 champions are currently 14th in the Western Conference with a 18-25-7 record. Chicago has lost 7 of the last 10 games, most recently 4-7 against Columbus. Chicago has won only 2 of the last 10 games playing without a day off and have lost the last 4 games at home. They have lost 43 of the last 59 games against teams with a winning record. Chicago’s last seven games against the Dallas Stars have finished over 5.5 goals.
The Dallas Stars are coming off their biggest win of the season as they defeated the best team in the league Colorado Avalanche 4-1 on the road. The Stars are currently 10th in the Western Conference and they really need this win in Chicago in order to keep pace with the competition in the fight for the last place that leads in the playoffs. Dallas have won 3 of the last 4 games overall. They have won the last 5 road games and the last 5 games against a team with losing records. Dallas has won 3 of the last 4 against Chicago.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (-108)
Tony Battalio
The Dallas Stars come into this game with a record of 26-19-2 as they are five games above the .500 mark through their first 47 games of the season. As the second half of the season gets underway the Stars currently sit in fifth place in the Central Division prior to this huge inter-division clash that could go a long way in determining playoff appearances and seeding. The Stars are currently on a one game winning streak but have had trouble on the road this season as they have a losing record of 9-12-1 away from Dallas.
Final pic.twitter.com/yHxkzgXcUd
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 18, 2022
The Chicago Blackhawks come into this game off of the first night of a back to back. In game one of their back to back they were blown out by the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 4-7. Now the Blackhawks will look to bounce back in a huge division matchup at home. Chicago comes into this game with a record of 18-25-7 as they are 14 games below the .500 mark after their first 50 games of the season. They have battled back after a miserable start but it’s fair to say it’s too late for the Blackhawks this season. As for the result of this game, I have them losing for the second night in a row as I have Dallas picking up the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (-164)
Jeffery Thomas
The Stars will be continuing their three game road trip in Chicago, and should have a lot of confidence coming in. They handed Colorado their first regulation home loss since October 26 by beating them 4-1 on Tuesday. In fact, the Avs hadn’t lost any game in regulation since December 16. It was a quick revenge game because the Stars had just been shutout by them in Dallas two days earlier. The Blackhawks will be coming in off the back to back after a 4-7 loss at home at the hands of the Blue Jackets. They allowed the first 2 goals of the game in a 13-second span in the first period and put themselves in a position of chasing the entire game.
They actually tied it later in the first but then gave up another goal two minutes later. Ultimately it was just not their night and they’ll have to put it behind them with the quick turnaround. I think this will be a classic case of the better team winning this game and for me that’s the Dallas Stars. They are also playing for more, with the Wild Card still very much in play and after the horrible showing from Chicago against Columbus on Thursday, there’s no reason to believe they’ll turn it around against a much better team on Friday. It’s just a tough spot for the Blackhawks, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games on no rest and I just see the well rested Stars getting this win.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (-164)
Los Angeles Kings @ Vegas Golden Knights – 10.00PM ET
The final game on Friday night in the NHL will see the Los Angeles Kings travel to Vegas and take on the Golden Knights. The Kings had their two game winning streak snapped last time out, as they went down to the Oilers, 2-5. The Golden Knights have lost their last two games in a row, with losses to the Flames and Avalanche, where they were shutout in both games.
Marko Nadin
The Vegas Golden Knights are 6th in the Western Conference with a 28-18-3 record. They are coming off back-to-back losses without scoring a goal against Calgary and Colorado. The Golden Knights are among top 10 teams in the league with 3.2 goals and 33.5 shots on goal per game. Vegas has won 18 of the last 25 games playing after one day rest but they have lost 6 of the last 7 games against Western Conference opponents. Vegas has won 3 of the last 4 against Los Angeles, most recently 6-3 in December.
The Los Angeles Kings are 8th in the Western Conference with a 24-17-7 record. They are coming off a 2-5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings are the third-best team in the league with 35.6 shots on goal per game but they score only 2.8 goals which rank them 22nd in the league. The Kings have won 6 of the last 7 games following a loss with no more than two scored goals. The Kings have lost 4 of the last 5 games against Western Conference teams and 5 of the last 6 games against teams with a winning record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-164)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings come into this game with a record of 24-17-7 as they sit exactly at the .500 mark through their first 48 games of the season. The Kings have been up and down all season long and have failed to generate any type of momentum as the year has progressed. They are currently in fourth place in the Pacific Division, as the weakness of the division allows the Kings to remain in the playoff hunt after having such an average first half of the season. Los Angeles had a two game winning streak snapped in their last game as they lost to the Edmonton Oilers.
🎥 Howden: I thought we played a pretty good game. Obviously, it’s tough to be shut out like that, but I think there’s a lot of things we can build off of. pic.twitter.com/6KvH7HW8H4
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 17, 2022
The Vegas Golden Knights are coming into this game with a record of 28-18-3 through their first 49 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Pacific Division as the second half of the season gets underway. Vegas is currently on a two game losing streak after losing back to back games to Colorado and Calgary. Vegas led the Pacific Division for the majority of the season, but have now slipped down into second as they sit behind the Calgary Flames. As for the result of this game however, I have Vegas picking up the win and snapping their losing streak.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-164)
Jeffery Thomas
There will be no love lost in this battle of Pacific Division rivals. The Kings haven’t been in a playoff game since they were eliminated by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18, en route to a shocking Stanley Cup Final appearance. That series left a lingering narrative over Los Angeles that they can’t win in Vegas, a notion that was reinforced in the December meeting between these two teams. Kings’ goalie Jonathan Quick is slated to get the job in net for this one and has a career 4-8-1 regular season record against the Knights with a 4.10 GAA. Their 2-5 loss on Thursday to the Oilers was their first game since the All-Star break, so they also may still be shaking off some rust in this Friday game.
For Vegas, their last two games were a week apart and both were shutout losses to the Flames and Avalanche respectively. The narratives and history between these two and their play coming in, sets this up as a very interesting battle on Friday night. Both previous meetings this season were high-scoring, lopsided victories for the home side. Los Angeles took the October 14 meeting 6-2 and Vegas replied with a 6-3 win on December 28 on their home ice. With this one being back in Vegas it would be easy to just take the Knights to get it done again, and I think that’s what I will be doing. It’s not just this season, but as mentioned earlier, they’ve historically owned the Kings and with their performances in the last two games they are due to put up some goals in bunches like they’ve had the tendency to do much of the season. It also doesn’t help that they seem to know how to get the best of Jonathan Quick. Give me Vegas.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-164)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
