The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are so many games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With a heap of teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
What will today’s games bring? Which teams will have the ability to get the all important win on the board, and who will crack under the pressure? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for some great games! So sit back, relax and if you like to have a bet, then you have certainly come to the right place.
Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the five games on today’s schedule.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Winnipeg Jets – 8.00PM EDT
The Chicago Blackhawks have one game on the road when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. The Blackhawks season is off to a very poor start, with their season record standing at 1-8-2, and in their previous game, they lost to the Hurricanes, 3-4. The Jets are off to a reasonable start, with their record at 5-2-2, and last time out they won in a shootout, 4-3, against the Stars.
Denis Kirilov
The Chicago Blackhawks will once again try to break their losing streak away from home. This time their opponents are the Winnipeg Jets who are 6th in the Western Conference with 5 wins out of their last 6 games. The Blackhawks took a demanding 3:1 lead against the Carolina Hurricanes in their previous match, but they decided to take on a more defensive strategy for the rest of the match which didn’t pay off in the end and they lost, 3:4. Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat are leading Chicago’s offense and I believe they are experienced enough to bounce from the 15th place in the standings.
The Winnipeg Jets have a huge ambition for this season as they are aiming not only for the Playoffs, but also for a decent performance amongst the remaining top 16 teams. They are off to a 4-2-3 start of the season having faced a lot of the mediocre NHL squads. The best team they had to play against was the San Jose Sharks and they lost twice against them. I think that it’s high-time Chicago proved they have what it takes to beat teams from the middle of the table. I would rely on Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat to bring the first away victory for the Blackhawks.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Chicago Blackhawks (+128)
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Blackhawks leave home for a one game trip to Winnipeg for this one. After getting their first win the other night they quickly found themselves back in the losing column as they fell to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-3. They are struggling big time this season as through 11 games their record is 1-8-2. This is certainly a lost season for the Blackhawks already, and one has to wonder if superstar Patrick Kane is dealt before the deadline instead of staying through what will likely be a rebuild oncoming.
On the road again ✈️ pic.twitter.com/9t2K7S67Ll
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 4, 2021
As for the Winnipeg Jets they have started the season off at 5-2-2, so they are hovering around the .500 mark. They have all the tools they need to make a Stanley Cup playoff appearance this season and potentially even a run towards the Stanley Cup Finals, but they will have to play themselves into the postseason first. In their last game they beat a struggling Dallas Stars team by a score of 4-3 in a shootout.
As for this game I think the Blackhawks will find a way to pick up their second win of the season. As they will be looking to pick up victories whenever possible so they can try and recover what already looks like a disappointment of a 2021-22 season.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Chicago Blackhawks (+128)
Michael Lantz
After gaining their first win of the season, the Chicago Blackhawks followed that game with a bittersweet defeat. Another loss is disconcerting, but they at least held a lead over the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night before letting it slip away in the third. Okay, when you put it like that it’s kind of a bummer, but there were at least some positives Chicago can take forward from a downright ugly season thus far.
The Blackhawks next opponents will be the Winnipeg Jets, a team that’s had four straight games be decided by one goal. The Jets have walked away from that four game stretch pretty pleased as their record was 3-0-1, boosting their season total to 5-2-2. That being said, the Jets haven’t had the fiercest of competition in those games and while the Blackhawks look like a joke record wise, they seem to be on the rise, especially with Patrick Kane back in the lineup and contributing big time. I’ll follow the pro-Blackhawks trend and pick them to win in another close one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Chicago Blackhawks (+128)
New York Rangers @ Edmonton Oilers – 9.30PM EDT
The New York Rangers continue their Canadian road trip when they take on the Edmonton Oilers. The Rangers are looking to bounce back after an overtime loss to the Canucks, 2-3, and their season record currently stands at 6-2-2. The Oilers are currently on a three game winning streak, with their record standing at 8-1-0, and in their previous game they won, 5-2, against the Predators.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Rangers are looking great in the beginning of the 2021/22 NHL season, placing 3rd in the Eastern Conference with 14 points out of 10 matches. The Edmonton Oilers are not falling behind as they are even better, leading the Western Conference with 16 points out of 9 games. They are 7-1-1 and their only loss came against the Philadelphia Flyers who managed to outscore them by 2 goals.
It’s noticeable that the Rangers are having difficulties when they have to face a top team. They lost their two previous encounters with teams from top 5 in the overall standings. The Calgary Flames and the Washington Capitals managed to secure 5:1 victories over them. I think that the Edmonton Oilers might even be a tougher opponent for the Rangers and I am reluctant to think that they can beat them by a huge margin as well. However, I will just pick the Oilers’ spread as it seems like the best and the most rational option in my opinion.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+160)
Tony Battalio
Both of these teams have had relatively hot starts to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. Both of these teams have inserted themselves into the Stanley Cup conversation early on in the 2021-22 season. As for the New York Rangers they have started 6-2-2 and they are coming off of an overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3 to 2. Will be the third game of a four-game road trip for the New York Rangers and following this game they will finish their trip in Calgary as they play their 3rd straight Canadian opponent.
The Edmonton Oilers are putting together a great season of their own as they sit here currently with a record of 8-1-0 through 9 games. Meanwhile Connor McDavid looks like a front runner for the league’s Most Valuable Player award as well as he has gotten off to a blazing start. The Oilers are definitely looking like they will be the first Canadian team to bring a Stanley Cup north of the border in decades.
As for this game, despite New York’s impressive start I think this game will be all Edmonton. They just seem to be too hot right now and look nearly unbeatable. However I would recommend going with the moneyline as I think a late garbage time goal will cover the spread for the Rangers.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-178)
Michael Lantz
I know it’s still incredibly early, but the Edmonton Oilers are looking the best they’ve been in the Conor McDavid era. As expected the offense has been phenomenal, but even the defense has looked much improved. They got a whopping five goals scored against them while playing Philadelphia last week, but bounced back only allowing two in each of their games against the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators, the latter of the two was on a four-game win streak. Edmonton will now have to face a New York Rangers team who, before their loss to Vancouver on Tuesday, had won six of their previous seven.
New York has been in awe of Norris Trophy winner James Fox who leads the team in scoring and has continued to rock the blue lines. Only thing is this team has so many big name offensive players, Rangers faithful would hope they’d sit ahead of a defender in the scoring stats. Luckily Artemi Panarin has been picking it up and now just sits one point behind Fox. I think the Rangers will give Edmonton their best, but I can’t go against the Oilers right now, especially at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-178)
Arizona Coyotes @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM EDT
The Arizona Coyotes woeful season continues when they take on the Anaheim Ducks. The Coyotes are still yet to win a game, with their season record standing at 0-9-1, and last time out they lost to the Flyers, 0-3. The Ducks have a mixed bag of results so far this season, with their record standing at 4-4-3, and in their previous game they won against the Devils, 4-0.
Denis Kirilov
The Arizona Coyotes are having one of the worst starts for a team in the history of the NHL. Not only are they struggling to get a win, but they are also finding it really hard to score goals. They have just scored a total of 13 goals in a 10-game span. At the same time, they have watched the puck cross the line of their goal 42 times. They didn’t manage to score more than 1 goal in their previous 4 encounters. Apparently, they did so in just 3 of their 10 games.
The Anaheim Ducks are also not impressing their fans and the NHL experts as they lost a total of 6 consecutive games for just 10 days. However, they managed to make up for this losing streak by taking two straight wins at home – against the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils. It’s unlikely for them to make the Playoffs, but they will do whatever they can to try to compete with other teams with a lot bigger potential. However, I think that this game is a “must win” for the Ducks if they want to pursue this goal even further. Having in mind the bad circumstances around the Coyotes, I will confidently trust the Ducks to cover the spread in this match.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks -1.5 (+154)
Tony Battalio
The Arizona Coyotes are the worst team in the National Hockey League. Through 10 games they still have yet to record a victory and have only been able to push a team to overtime once and they lost in that game too. In Arizona’s last game they were shut out by the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3 to 0. They face an Anaheim Ducks team that is struggling at 4-4-3 and luckily for the Ducks they come up against the perfect opponent to jumpstart their momentum.
Practice time
Getting ready for tomorrow’s showdown with the ‘Yotes. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/0xHYHdNvnR— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 4, 2021
They finally have seemed to turn things around a little bit. If they shut out the New Jersey Devils four to nothing in their last appearance now they will almost certainly be stringing together a two game win streak as they face the Arizona Coyotes at home in this one. This is the easiest pick of the evening on Friday night as I am going with Anaheim covering the spread of -1.5.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks -1.5 (+154)
Michael Lantz
The Arizona Coyotes are 0-9-1 and have only scored two goals in their last four games. Can we please just give them Shane Wright already? I know the draft is months away and with the lottery system you never know, but just put him out there and at least make this trainwreck a little more fun. On the other hand, I will give the Coyotes some credit. Their defense has seemed to tighten up a bit. They’ve played some very good teams in the past week and only gave up three goals to Philadelphia (that’s two less than Edmonton), two goals to Carolina, and two goals to Washington. So if anything, there’s at least a bleak silver lining.
For the Anaheim Ducks they sit at a solid 4-3-3. They went six games without a win, but luckily a few of those were OT losses, so they at least walked away with a point. After that bumpy run, they captured back-to-back victories against the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils. The Ducks have enjoyed some strong scoring from players across the board, as they’re led by youngster Troy Terry with 12 points. Just behind him is defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk with 11 points and with 10 is 36-year old captain Ryan Getzlaf. I like this Ducks team as a Western Conference dark horse and I like them even more to give the Coyotes another loss on the season.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks -1.5 (+154)
Nashville Predators @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM EDT
The Nashville Predators continue their mammoth road trip when they take on the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. The Predators have a season record of 5-5-0, and in their previous game they lost to the Oilers, 2-5. The Canucks managed to snap a three game losing streak last time out, when they won in overtime against the Rangers, 3-2, bringing their season record to 4-5-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Vancouver Canucks welcome in their Rogers Arena the Nashville Predators. The Predators suffered a loss in their last game against the Edmonton Oilers and this put an end to their 4-game winning streak. The Canucks, on the other hand, stopped the losses they have been piling up recently with a win over the New York Rangers after overtime. Both the Predators and the Canucks are looking to be the surprise of the season and are hoping to make the Playoffs in 2022. Although this seems quite unlikely, it’s too early to count them out, since they have already displayed some great performance.
The Canucks have been struggling throughout the first part of their campaign as they have only managed to get 2 wins in regular time. The Nashville Predators are just one step ahead of Vancouver as they have 3 wins after the end of the 3rd period. I think that we will see an exciting matchup between the two teams with many lead changes. Having in mind that there is a substantial number of missing players for the Canucks, I will go with the Nashville Predators this time.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+115)
Tony Battalio
The Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks have both struggled so far this season. They both share virtually the same record as the predators are 5-5-0 and the Canucks are 4-5-1. Both of these teams could use a big win to jumpstart their seasons and gain some momentum as we progress towards the halfway point of the year and finish out 2021. In their last game Nashville was dispatched by the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 5 to 2 in a game that was not close at all. As for the Vancouver Canucks they snapped a three-game losing streak in their last one after beating the New York Rangers 3 to 2 in overtime.
As for this game I think this is a game the Vancouver Canucks will pull out with a late winter potentially. Despite Nashville having the slightly better record I believe Vancouver is playing better hockey at the moment and that will reflect itself in the box score and the final scoreline. So my safe bet for this one is the Vancouver Canucks moneyline.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-137)
Michael Lantz
After a five-game win streak, the Nashville Predators hit a wall—made up of the Edmonton Oilers offense. They look to bounce back against a Vancouver Canucks team that is 4-5-1, but feels like they could be much better.
The Canucks last four games have all been decided by one goal. The first three resulted in losses, but they were able to finally get a victory Tuesday night against a very good New York Rangers team. This hopefully gets them over that little psychological hump as they have to take on a Nashville team that looks hungry to get back on another streak. I’ll count on the Canucks to ride on their momentum and get back to .500 on the season.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-137)
New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings – 10.30PM EDT
The last game on Friday’s slate will be the New Jersey Devils taking on the Los Angeles Kings. The Devils are currently on a two game losing streak, after losing their last game, 0-4, to the Ducks, and their season record currently stands at 4-3-1. On the flip side, the Kings are now on a three game winning streak, after winning their last game, 3-2, in a shootout against the Blues, and their season record currently stands at 4-5-1.
Denis Kirilov
The last game for Friday night in the NHL is between the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings find themselves in a position with 3 straight wins at home, while the Devils are winless in 2 consecutive games. The Montreal Canadiens, the Buffalo Sabres, and the St. Louis Blues fell victims to the Kings. On the other hand, the Anaheim Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets crushed the hopes of the Devils in their last matches. Both teams’ goal for this season will be making the Playoffs and if they go any further, it will be even better.
I think that the New Jersey Devils have got a slight advantage over the LA Kings in the upcoming fixture. One of the key factors would be the number of missing players for the hosts. Viktor Arvidsson, Drew Doughty, Gabriel Vilardi, and Sean Walker are among the sidelined ones for the Kings, while the Devils will only be without Mackenzie Blackwood and Miles Wood who are still recovering from injuries. My preferences here go towards New Jersey as I am expecting a tough battle going all the way down the wire.
Denis’ NHL Pick: New Jersey Devils (+100)
Tony Battalio
The final game of the weekday slate for this week‘s National Hockey League action pits the Los Angeles Kings against the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey has been sliding as of late and they are currently 4-3-1 on the season. On the other hand the Kings are currently on a three-game winning streak after a shoot out victory over the St. Louis Blues however they are still 4-5-1 but they look to be getting their season turned around at the moment.
Like we said, we’re really into comebacks lately.@GEICO | #GEICOBundlingMadeEasy pic.twitter.com/gkBPAaveIr
— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 4, 2021
This could be a back-and-forth game that could potentially go either way. It may also come down to overtime or a shootout to decide a winner. In my opinion I think the Los Angeles kings will continue their winning streak with the victory in this game at home. As even without some key members of their team I think their current momentum is enough to get them over the top in this game and continue streaking into the month of November after a rough start to the 2021-22 season.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-120)
Michael Lantz
After getting bullied for the beginning of the season, the Kings are enjoying a nice little three-game win streak. This included an OT win over the 6-1 St. Louis Blues. They’ve been enjoying a great season from 34-year old captain Anne Kopitar. A beloved figure in the Kings community, he leads the team with 13 points.
Meanwhile the New Jersey Devils are looking to put an ugly 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks behind them. Despite being 4-3-1, the Devils have the third worst goal total in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile their goals against sits in the middle of the pack, but definitely took a hit after that loss to Anaheim and a previous four goal surrender to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Kings are hot right now, and even though I could see this Devils team breaking out of their slump against an inconsistent Kings team, I like the idea of L.A. making the Devils West Coast road trip just a little more painful.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-120)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
