We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move towards the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder is starting to take shape. 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 best five games on today’s schedule.
New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins – 1.00PM ET
After our bellies are full of Thanksgiving goodness, we are back watching NHL action, and the first game of the day will see the New York Rangers take on the Boston Bruins. The Rangers are on a roll, only dropping one game in their previous seven, and they are currently on a two game winning streak, with wins against the Sabres and Islanders. The Bruins are doing pretty well as of late, they have won four of their previous five, with wins against the Devils, Canadiens, Flyers and Sabres.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Rangers will face the Boston Bruins in a hardly predictable match on Friday afternoon in the NHL. Both teams are looking solid in the start of the season as the Rangers are 5th with 27 points, while the Bruins are 10th with 20 points, but with three-four games to play. The team from New York is quite surprisingly keeping its high level of play. The Rangers are looking sharp lately as they managed to win 6 out of their last 7 games. They are 7-4 in away games so far which will further boost their confidence for the upcoming fixture.
In their last home game last Sunday, the Bruins suffered an unpleasant loss against the Calgary Flames. The team from Massachusetts lost the game without scoring a goal, and at the same time conceding a total of 4 goals in their net. However, they managed to get back to winning with a convincing 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. The Bruins will look to stop this 0-3 run in favor of Rangers in their head-to-head matches as the fans at TD Garden also expect such an outcome. I think that keeping in mind the current situation within both teams’, it won’t be easy to pick a winner. Hence, I will focus on the number of goals in the match and I will choose “under 5.5 goals” mainly due to the more conservative approach from the Rangers.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-102)
Tony Battalio
This should be a good one as two of the original six National Hockey League teams will meet on the ice for a post Thanksgiving showdown, as the Boston Bruins take on the New York Rangers, in Boston. The Bruins come into this matchup with a record of 10-6-0 as they have got off to a decent start this season, they have also picked wins in four of their last five games. As for the Rangers, they come into this game with a record of 12-4-3 on the year so they have realistically looked like a playoff team this season. It could very well be an interesting season for the Rangers if this level of play continues.
Sitting pretty on 🦃 Day. #NoQuitInNY | @Infosys pic.twitter.com/7ermW3jMGb
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 25, 2021
As for the result of this game, I look for the Boston Bruins to come out on top in this one. As I previously said, anytime two of the original six teams get together you have a good game on your hands. However when the final horn sounds, only one team can be the winner and for me it has to be the Bruins.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-164)
Michael Lantz
Boston may sit at 10-6-0, but they’ve still been a tough team to put a finger on this season. Aside from a 0-4 loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday, the team has scored five goals in their four other recent games. Brad Marchand has been the biggest contributor with 21 points in 16 games, as the veteran forward continues to grow his legend in New England. Sitting right behind him is 25-year-old star David Pastrnak, who has 17 points on the year. The Bruins hope to have another goal scoring extravaganza on Friday against the New York Rangers.
The Rangers are coming off a big win against their rivals the New York Islanders, as they denied the Isles a first win in their brand new UBS Arena. Chris Kreider scored two goals to give him 15 on the year, and the team has also been pleasantly surprised with the play of forward Kevin Rooney as well. With 27 points on the season, the Rangers currently sit at third in an always competitive Metropolitan Division, but if these two can continue to perform along with Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox and former Hart runner-up Artemi Panarin, they should continue to be a force throughout the league. This one should be a lot of fun between two of the game’s classic teams; I’ll go with an upset pick and go with a Rangers team that seems to be figuring it out across the board.
Michael’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+136)
Winnipeg Jets @ Minnesota Wild – 3.30PM ET
The Winnipeg Jets are in the middle of a three game road trip when they take on the Minnesota Wild, who are kicking off a string of games at home. Despite holding an overall positive season record, the Jets are the mayor of struggle town at the moment, they have dropped four games in a row, to teams like the Oilers, Canucks, Penguins and Blue Jackets. The Wild have been very inconsistent in November, and they have won two of their previous four games, which brings their overall season record to 12-6-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Winnipeg Jets started off the season quite well, but now they are in a disarray with 4 consecutive losses where they have scored a total of 4 goals. The team is in a serious mini-crisis and they will need to find a way out of it as soon as possible. Paul Stastny is the only player missing games for the Jets now and this almost 100% healthy team will have to take advantage of the current situation. The Jets are still 7th in the Western Conference with 22 points out of 19 games. They have one of the best defensive stats in the NHL and they will need to rely on the fact that it will stay like that for most of the season. Kyle Connor has been out of rhythm in the last couple of games, as he hasn’t scored a goal in their last 4 matches.
The Minnesota Wild, on the other hand, seems a bit better than Winnipeg, but this should not mislead anybody. They are 3rd in the West with 25 points out of 19 games, just 3 points above the Jets. The team has been winning mostly against the lower placed teams in the League as they find it really hard to get a victory over one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup, like the Lightning, the Panthers, the Avalanche, and the Vegas Golden Knights. Their last big win came against the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 7th and I think this is a good enough sign to see how this upcoming meeting will probably unravel. I think the Winnipeg Jets are a slightly better team than Minnesota and they will take advantage of the fact that the Wild simply cannot win against top-tier teams. My pick goes for the Jets.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets (+114)
Tony Battalio
The Winnipeg Jets are in the middle of a three-game road trip and in their last game they did not look good as they were blanked by the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 0-3. Now they will be looking to rebound against a very good Minnesota Wild team. Winnipeg comes into the game with a record of 9-6-4 on the year as they have been hot and cold all season. They also enter this one on a four game losing streak that they will be looking to break.
As for the Minnesota Wild, they have had a really decent start to the year. They got off to a hot start in the month of October although that was somewhat cooled in November. Heading into this one, they are 12-6-1 and looking like a Stanley Cup playoff team. As for the results of this one, I expect a competitive game that Minnesota comes out on top of in the end.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-137)
Michael Lantz
A couple of weeks ago, the Winnipeg Jets excited me as a dark horse team in the Western Conference. They were getting some big wins, and awesome production from forward Kyle Conner. Fast forward, and now they’ve lost four straight, mainly due to lack of offense. Conner has only dished out two assists in those games as the team looks like they may need another player to step up and fill the void when Conner struggles. Still, the Jets have shown their ability to beat great teams this year; they look to do so against a Minnesota Wild team that’s had no problem scoring as of late.
The Wild have maybe only gone 2-2 in their last four games, but it hasn’t been because of the offense. In those four matchups, they averaged just under five goals per game. They hope to keep that going against a struggling Jets team. As for their defense, the Wild have been a bit unpredictable, when they face teams with a tough attack they tend to give up a lot of goals—even at home. Even though Winnipeg has been a bit lost on offense as of late, they do have the ability to pile on the goals, so the Wild can’t take them lightly. I think the Wild will succeed and continue the Jets suffering in front of a “Twin City” crowd.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-137)
Carolina Hurricanes @ Philadelphia Flyers – 3.30PM ET
The tale of two teams that will be desperate to turn their losing streaks around, the Carolina Hurricanes (who are currently on a two game losing streak) will hit the road and take on the Philadelphia Flyers (who are currently on a four game losing streak). The Hurricanes suffered an embarrassing loss to the Kraken last time out, 1-2, which brings their season record to 14-3-1. The Flyers have a season record of 8-6-4, thanks to losses to the Lightning (twice), Bruins and Panthers.
Denis Kirilov
One of the most interesting matches on Friday in the NHL is between the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers. Carolina showed some weaknesses in their last two games which were each lost, 1-2, against the San Jose Sharks and the Seattle Kraken. The team will be looking to keep close distance to the leader in the East, the Florida Panthers. Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho have been quiet in their last matches and it is expected that they will erupt anytime soon. The Hurricanes also have a stable defensive line including the likes of Jaccob Slavin, Anthony DeAngelo, Brett Pesce, and Ethan Bear. The team looks solid from top to bottom and it will be one of the top contenders for the title in the spring.
The Philadelphia Flyers are coming into this game after 4 consecutive losses against some of the best teams in the League. They lost in dramatic fashion after overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning and to the Florida Panthers, while Tampa and Boston swept them in their remaining games. The team is 12th in the current standings in the East which is definitely an unfamiliar place for the Flyers. They are expected to finish easily in the top 8, but things aren’t really happening the way they have been anticipating so far. However, I believe that Philly will start getting some luck against the best teams and they will upset the Hurricanes in front of tens of thousands in Wells Fargo Center.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+136)
Tony Battalio
This matchup has all the makings to be a very good game as the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the city of brotherly love. Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League right now as they come into this game with a record of 14-3-1. Despite their blazing hot start to the year they did not fare too well on their recent West Coast trip winning only three of the five games on the trip, including falling in their last two as they enter this game with a two game losing streak.
TK meets with the media following tonight’s OT loss to the Panthers. #PHIvsFLA https://t.co/F2taOGiQLH
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 25, 2021
The Philadelphia Flyers come into this game with a record of, 8-6-4 on the year, much like the Hurricanes it was a decent start to the year that has been corralled in recent weeks. They are also heading into this game with a losing streak of their own, as they have dropped their last 4 games. However, they do have the added benefit of home ice advantage in this one. As for the result of this game, I expect a competitive back-and-forth hockey game that Carolina comes out on top of in the end.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-164)
Michael Lantz
The Carolina Hurricanes might have a 14-3-1 record, but things aren’t necessarily coming up roses for this team. They started off their west coast road trip with three straight wins against the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks. They then were stifled by the San Jose Sharks in a close 1-2 game. While they were bound to lose one on this road trip, they should’ve spent Wednesday night taking care of the expansion Seattle Kraken. Unfortunately, for the Canes, they lost another 1-2 battle, leaving them with consecutive losses for the first time all year. There’s a good chance the Hurricanes were just burnt out by the end of their trip, as their defense continued to play well, but the offense just wasn’t hitting the back of the net. They now head cross-country to face the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Speaking of a team that can’t find the back of the net, the Flyers have only scored 16 goals in their last ten games—a 1.6 average. Ever since they piled on five in Edmonton against the Oilers in October, this team has been in an offensive slump. For a good chunk of the year, their defense/ goaltending have kept them in games, but with little offense, those two units are starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. The Flyers won’t have it any easier as they face a Hurricanes team that’s absolutely fierce on the defensive front. Despite it being a tough travel over the past couple of days, I think the Hurricanes will prevail against a frustrating Flyers squad.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-164)
Florida Panthers @ Washington Capitals – 5.00PM ET
The Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals will play each other twice in the space of three games, and this first of two games will be played in Washington. The Panthers counteracted their surprising four game losing streak in mid-November, with a current four game winning streak, taking their season record to 14-2-3. The Capitals have won three of their last four games, with wins over the Kings, Sharks and Canadiens.
Denis Kirilov
The Florida Panthers was single-handedly beating any team in the NHL before they had to play against the New York Rangers in the beginning of November. This loss led to three more which brought some issues for Brunette Andrew. However, he managed to deal with them, which resulted in 4 consecutive wins later on. Their defense started playing more compactly while the offense took advantage of almost each single opportunity provided by the opposing team. The Panthers lead the Eastern Conference with 31 points out of 19 matches and they are also second-to-best amongst the NHL when scoring goals with a total of 73.
The Washington Capitals began the season very well as Ovechkin and Kuznetsov couldn’t stop scoring and providing assists. The mixed US-Russian squad in the NHL is 3rd in the East with 29 points, sitting 2 points behind their upcoming opponent. They have similar statistics to the ones of the Panthers and the main thing that distinguishes these two teams is the balance within the squad. For me, the Panthers have greater depth and a better-developed balance. They use a lot of players in their rotations which gives them the benefit to rest some of them, so that there won’t be any unnecessary injuries in the process. Mason Marchment will miss the game for the Panthers, while T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller, Connor Sheary, and Anthony Mantha will all be out for the Capitals. For me, the Panthers should win this contest.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-111)
Tony Battalio
Much like Carolina and Philadelphia, this game between the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals has the potential to be the best game of the Friday night post Thanksgiving slate. Florida got off to an undefeated start the season that extended into double digits, but they have struggled recently before finally getting the wheels churning again. After falling to Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh earlier in the month, they now come into this game against Alexander Ovechkin and Washington on a four-game winning streak.
The previously mentioned Washington Capitals come into this game with a record of 12-3-5 on the year, as a somewhat average November has begun to cool off their impressive start. Average November’s seemed to have become a trend this year in the National Hockey League as several teams are struggling this month. However, they seemingly found a fix as they come into this winners in three of their last four games. As for the result of this game, I expect a competitive game where Alexander Ovechkin likely scores but the Florida Panthers come out on top with a huge road victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-111)
Michael Lantz
After the Capitals had a rough 2-5 loss against the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, they bounced back nicely, beating the Montreal Canadiens comfortably 6-3. Now they’ll have a huge test against the Florida Panthers at home. The Panthers currently sit with the most points in the NHL with 31, but the Capitals sit just one win behind at 29 points, so this one should be the game of the night.
The Panthers are second in the NHL in goals per game, and on the defensive end, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is among the leaders in many goaltending categories. The Panthers complete play across the board has made the the fruit of the league, but how will they play against a Capitals team that’s always deadly on offense, but also sits right in front of Florida for fourth, in least goals given up per game. Despite both teams having phenomenal talent across the board, this one has all the making for a deep playoff matchup; much like those games I expect this to be a battle of grit. I’ll go with the under in this one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Under 6 (-106)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ San Jose Sharks – 10.30PM ET
Saving one of the best games of the day until last! The final game on Friday night will see the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the San Jose Sharks. The Maple Leafs have won seven of their last eight games, with the majority of them coming by reasonable margins. The Sharks are on a two game winning streak, with wins over the Hurricanes and Senators.
Denis Kirilov
The Toronto Maple Leafs will travel to San Jose to face the Sharks in what’s promising to be a thriller game in SAP Center. The Sharks found back their way to winning after the Covid-19 situation. They defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday and cruised past the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. The team regained its position in the top 10, being 9th with 21 points out of 19 matches. However, they should have probably been even higher in the standings, if it wasn’t for the 10-days absence of many of their key players.
The Toronto Maple Leafs is one of the top-form teams in the League so far. They have won 12 out of their last 14 games which is probably the best performance amongst the entire NHL. The Maple Leafs are coming into this game after two more than convincing wins away from home against the New York Islanders and the Los Angeles Kings. John Tavares, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitchell Marner are such an offensive nightmare for the opposing side that many teams find it really hard to defend against them. I believe their progress will continue even after the game in San Jose. I will give my whole preferences to the Maple Leafs, who I think will defeat the Sharks by at least 2 goals.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+152)
Tony Battalio
The nightcap of this Friday slate surely promises to deliver as the San Jose Sharks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs into the SAP Center. San Jose comes into this game with a record of 10-8-1 on the year as they have won their last two games to improve on a rough November. This game against the Maple Leafs will be the finale of a four game homestand where up until this game, San Jose has picked up two victories in three games.
Keep getting better 👊#LeafsForever | @LGCanada pic.twitter.com/Mgq9pVribj
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 25, 2021
As for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they come into this match up with a record of 14-6-1 on the year. That record is good enough for first place in the Atlantic division at the moment. They have picked up victories in eight of their last nine games, as their only loss came against the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 0-2 back on November 20th. As for the result of this game, I look for the Toronto Maple Leafs to pick up another victory and further grow their lead in the Atlantic division.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-176)
Michael Lantz
The Toronto Maple Leafs have emerged as one of the NHL’s top teams—currently winning seven of their last eight. While mostly known for their star power on offense, the team has goalie Jack Campbell to thank for his ability to foil opposing offenses. Campbell is an early Vezina favorite as he leads multiple goaltending categories. He’ll look to continue that great play as he faces another great goaltender in James Reimer and the San Jose Sharks.
After consecutive losses where they were outscored 1-8, the San Jose Sharks have now picked up consecutive wins, including a big OT win against the Carolina Hurricanes (who had the NHL’s best record when they played on Monday). Now, the Sharks will look to beat another division leader in the Maple Leafs. The Sharks have been led by Timo Meier who has 18 points on the year, but struggled over the past couple of games to produce. Luckily, that changed with the Sharks 6-3 win over the Senators in which Meier gathered 3 points. If the Sharks want to compete in the Pacific Division, they’ll not only need excellence in goaltending, but for guys like Meier and veteran Logan Couture to stay consistent on the scoring. I think these two will step up in a tough matchup and steal one at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: San Jose Sharks (+146)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
