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!
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.
Vegas Golden Knights @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 7.00PM ET
This one has got to be the game of the day, when the Vegas Golden Knights face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Golden Knights are playing two nights in a row, and last time out they lost to the Sabres, of all teams, 1-3. The Penguins will be hoping they can stop their current two game losing streak in its tracks tonight, as they have back-to-back losses to the Hurricanes and Panthers.
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Penguins are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-15-9 record. After winning three consecutive games, they have lost the last two against the best teams in the conference, Carolina and Florida. The Penguins lead the all-time series against the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 and have won the last two games. Pittsburgh is ranked 4th in the league in defensive PP% with 85. The Penguins have won 7 of their last 8 games coming in after two days of rest but have lost 7 of the past 9 home games.
The Vegas Golden Knights are seventh in the Western Conference with a 32–23-4 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 1-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Vegas is ranked 8th in the league in shots and allowed shots per game with 34. The Golden Knights have won 11 of the last 16 road games and 20 of the last 27 games without a day off but have lost the last 4 games against a team with a winning record. The favorite has won 6 of the last 7 games between the Penguins and the Golden Knights.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-194)
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights come into this game off of the first night of a back to back on Thursday evening. However their game did not go well for them as they lost to the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 1-3 on the road. The loss dropped their record of the season to 32-23-4 through their first 59 games of the season. The Golden Knights spent most of the season on top of the Pacific Division but thanks to the hot streak of the Calgary Flames, the Golden Knights now find themselves in third place and in serious danger of missing the playoffs.
Matheson: “Being back out with the team was good, obviously. Skating on your own isn’t always the most fun. Being able to be back with them, being up with the pace of play, just the comradery… it’s great.”@PensInsideScoop reports on today’s practice: https://t.co/XZEbysX1aY pic.twitter.com/okiPpCD7mS
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 10, 2022
The Pittsburgh Penguins have put together a season that has been better than people would’ve expected it to go. They come into this game with a record of 34-15-9 through their first 58 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins have a serious chance of making a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they can stay healthy. The Penguins are currently on a two game losing streak they will be looking to break. As for the result of this game, I have the Penguins getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-194)
Jeffery Thomas
The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to get back in the win column when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. They last played on Tuesday when they lost to the Florida Panthers by a score of 3-4. In the game Sidney Crosby scored his 19th goal on the season and extended his point streak out to seven and was actually his third straight game with a multipoint effort. The Pens remain in a battle in the Metropolitan Division race, tied with the Rangers with 77 points and six points back of the Carolina Hurricanes for the division lead. The Vegas Golden Knights awful run of hockey continued on Thursday when they lost 1-3 to the Buffalo Sabres on the road. That moved their record to 4-7-1 in their last twelve games and they now just hold a two-point lead over the Oilers and are in serious danger of missing the playoffs.
All four of the wins in that span were to teams outside the playoff picture so there hasn’t been anything impressive to hang their hats on lately. The offense has hit a wall, averaging just 2.1 goals a game in their last eight. We have to think the Golden Knights will begin to turn things around at some point, because they just didn’t become horrible overnight, but I don’t see Friday as a good time to bank on them doing that. The Pens are also on a losing streak but are the far healthier team right now. Give me the home Pittsburgh Penguins to continue this slide for Vegas.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-194)
Minnesota Wild @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 7.00PM ET
The Minnesota Wild wrap up their short two game road trip on Friday night with a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wild have won their last two games in a row, including their game last night, where they beat the Red Wings, 6-5, in a shootout. The Blue Jackets have lost their last four games in a row, and they were even shutout by the Islanders, 0-6, in their game yesterday.
Marko Nadin
The Columbus Blue Jackets are ninth in the Eastern Conference but the playoffs are slipping further away as they have a 13-point deficit to the Washington Capitals at the eighth spot. The Blue Jackets have lost the last 4 games and are coming off a 0-6 loss to the New York Islanders. Columbus is at the bottom of the league when it comes to allowed shots on goal with 35.7 and is ranked 30th allowing 3.7 goals per game. Columbus have lost 4 of the last 5 games playing without a day off and the last 4 as a home underdog.
The Minnesota Wild are fourth in the Western Conference with a 34-19-3 record. They have won the last two games and are coming off a 6-5 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings. Minnesota is the third best team in the league scoring 3.7 goals per game. They have won 6 of the last 10 games against the Blue Jackets including the last three. Minnesota has won 12 of the last 13 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division and 13 of the last 18 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-205)
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Wild come into this game with a record of 34-19-3 through their first 56 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Central Division. At one point in the season they spent time on top of the Central Division but that feels like forever ago after the way the Colorado Avalanche took over the division. Minnesota has all the talent they need to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs but they will need to get hot at the right time if they want that to happen. Minnesota is currently on a one game winning streak after beating the New York Rangers in their last contest.
Zach Werenski Media Availability @pedialyte | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/2bq6nxjAOz
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2022
The Columbus Blue Jackets are coming into this game off of the first game of a back to back. In their game on Thursday evening they were embarrassed by the New York Islanders by a score of 0-6 on the road. The Blue Jackets record dropped to 28-27-3 through their first 58 games of the season with the loss. It was the fourth loss in the row for Columbus and their fifth in their last six games, as they are getting further and further away from playoff contention at this point. As for the result of this game, I have the Blue Jackets getting dealt another loss by the Minnesota Wild.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-205)
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Wild will play their second game in as many nights after a 6-5 shootout victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. It was a seesaw battle that saw the lead change three different times and the Wings got the equalizer with less than 3 minutes left in regulation to send it to overtime. It was the second straight win for the Wild who needed those crucial 2 points, as they are now five points clear of the Oilers who are sitting right outside the playoff picture. Columbus was also in action on Thursday, facing the Islanders and losing 0-6. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo got his first start since January 31 for Columbus and made 27 saves in the loss.
The offense couldn’t get anything going, even on the power-play which was 0-4. This will just serve as a burn the tape game for the Blue Jackets, who have now lost four straight, but will get an immediate chance to rectify the loss on Friday against the Wild. All trends in this game point to a pretty straightforward victory for the Minnesota Wild. They are 12-1 in their last 13 against teams in the Metropolitan Division and 4-1 in their last 5 meetings with Columbus, and even with them coming off a hard fought victory against Detroit on Thursday, I like Minnesota to take care of business on the road again on Friday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Minnesota Wild (-130)
Winnipeg Jets @ New York Islanders – 7.30PM ET
The Winnipeg Jets are in the middle of their three game road trip when they travel to New York to take on the Islanders. Both the Jets and Islanders are coming off playing a game last night. The Jets won their game last time out, 2-1, against the Devils, and the Islanders also won their game, 6-0, against the Blue Jackets.
Marko Nadin
The New York Islanders are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 22-24-8 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 6-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders are among the bottom seven teams in goals per game, shots on goal and PP% in the league. They have won the last 4 games against the Jets. The Islanders have won 10 of the last 14 games as home favorites but have lost 16 of the last 22 against Western Conference opponents.
The Winnipeg Jets are 12th in the Western Conference with a 26-22-10 record. They have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Winnipeg has lost 9 of the last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents, 9 of the last 12 road games and the last 5 Friday games. They have played over the total goals margin in 5 of the last 6 games, 4 of the last 5 games coming in without a day off and in the last 7 Friday games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-102)
Tony Battalio
The Winnipeg Jets are coming into this game with a record of 26-22-10 through their first 58 games of the season. With less than 30 games to go in the regular season, the Jets are hovering around the .500 mark and even have a chance to finish the year with a winning record. Winnipeg is currently sitting in sixth place in the Central Division. Winnipeg is currently on a two game winning streak at the moment. They are only five points out of a playoff spot and still have a shot if they can get hot down the stretch.
A fun night with the best fans in hockey.
Join the family: https://t.co/yRVPq9yu8d pic.twitter.com/G5T5YYPob3
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 11, 2022
The New York Islanders are coming into this game after the first night of a back to back on Thursday evening. In game one of the back to back they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in blowout fashion. The win bought the Islanders record on the season to 22-24-8 through their first 54 games of the season. They are in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division at the moment and already virtually eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As for the result of this one, I have the Winnipeg Jets getting the victory over the Islanders.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets (+102)
Jeffery Thomas
The Winnipeg Jets started their 3-game road trip in New Jersey to face the Devils on Thursday and came away with a 2-1 victory. They never trailed in the game and there was a scoreless third period, so the game was never in doubt for them en route to notching their 26th victory of the season. The same can be said for their opponent in this game, the Islanders who hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets and beat them by a score of 6-0.
Anders Lee got his first career hat trick for the Isles and goalie Ilya Sorokin got his sixth shutout of the season, stopping 25 shots. It was just the 22nd win of the campaign for the Islanders who sit at 6th place in the Metropolitan Division. New York has won the last four matchups of these teams, dominating the head-to-head over the past few seasons. That trend along with them having the home ice advantage and extreme confidence with a blowout win should be enough to get the Islanders this Friday night victory over Winnipeg.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders (-122)
Washington Capitals @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM ET
We wrap things up on Friday night in the NHL with a game between the Washington Capitals and the Vancouver Canucks. The Capitals had their three game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Oilers, 3-4, in overtime. The Canucks have won six of their last seven games, with their only loss in this period coming against the Devils, 2-7.
Marko Nadin
The Vancouver Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 29-23-6 record. The Canucks have won 6 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canucks have won the last 4 games against teams with a winning record and 5 of the last 6 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. They have also won 13 of the last 19 games playing after one day rest. Vancouver has played over in the last 6 games after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
The Washington Capitals are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-18-10 record. The Capitals got their three-game winning streak snapped in the last game losing 3-4 in overtime to the Edmonton Oilers. They have won 7 of the last 10 games against Vancouver but have lost the last two. Washington has won 5 of the last 7 games playing after one day rest but only 2 of the last 8 against teams from the Pacific Division. Washington has played over the total goals margin in 4 of the last 5 games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-120)
Tony Battalio
Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are coming into this game with a record of 31-18-10 through their first 59 games of the season. With 23 games to go in the regular season, Ovechkin is still scoring at will as he continues his quest to break the all time National Hockey League scoring record. The Capitals are in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division but they currently hold on to one of the Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference at the moment. They are currently on a one game losing streak they will be looking to snap.
“No matter how good or bad he looks that game, he’s going to get opportunities to score, that’s just the nature of Alex Ovechkin.”
🗣️ Bruce Boudreau on Ovechkin’s scoring ability ahead of tomorrow night’s game against Washington pic.twitter.com/csmBvX4Nxi
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) March 10, 2022
The Vancouver Canucks still aren’t one of the top teams in the National Hockey League but they are certainly playing much better than they were last year as they’ve already surpassed their win total in less games. The Canucks come into this game with a record of 29-23-6 as they’ve gotten back to .500 on the year. They currently find themselves in fifth place in the Pacific Division as they could potentially creep into playoff contention territory. The Canucks are only three points out of the second Wild Card spot. As for the result of this game, I have the Vancouver Canucks getting the win over Washington at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-114)
Jeffery Thomas
There were only four teams in action in the NHL on Wednesday and one of them was the Washington Capitals who lost in overtime on the road in Edmonton. It was a miracle for the Caps to even force overtime, as it was a goal with less than 2 seconds left in regulation that even things up at 3. However, the Oilers were too much to handle in OT and reigning-MVP Connor McDavid scored on a 2-on-1 break to put the game away. That loss ended a three-game winning streak for Washington, who occupied the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. One of the other teams that was in action on Wednesday was the Vancouver Canucks, who took down a Montreal team that has been playing really good hockey lately.
The 5-3 win for the Nucks moved their March record to 3-0 and keeps their playoff hopes alive, with them only being three points back of the Dallas Stars for that second wild card in the West entering Thursday’s action. Both of these teams have been finding the net at a high clip recently. The Canucks have turned things around drastically from where they were to start the season and Washington has scored 13 goals in their last three games. The Caps will also be able to take advantage of a weak penalty kill unit for Vancouver and with Ovechkin on one side and JT Miller on the other, I like the stars to shine in this contest and I’m taking the over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-120)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
