The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are heaps of games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With so many 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? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for some great games! So gear up, sit back, relax and watch. 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 best five games on today’s schedule.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM EDT
The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, and the Blackhawks are still yet to win a game with a season record of 0-5-2, meanwhile the Hurricanes are yet to lose a game. Last time out the Blackhawks lost in overtime, 2-3, to the Maple Leafs, and the Hurricanes won, 3-0, against the Bruins.
Denis Kirilov
A high-flying Carolina Hurricanes team is facing the struggling Chicago Blackhawks. Carolina has 6 wins out of 6 games from the start of the season while the Blackhawks are 0-2-5. Chicago was close to putting an end to their losing streak as they were leading Toronto in the 3rd Period, but didn’t manage to capture the opportunity. They eventually lost in overtime which extended their losing streak to 7 games, this has got to be one of the worst starts to a season in their franchise history.
Carolina, on the other hand, is having its best start to a campaign as they recorded 6 straight clean wins without going to overtime. They are winning by large margins so far and they are dominating the League on another level. The two teams are literally on the opposite side of things, but such matches are far from decided before the whistle. Everything points to Carolina, but there is always an end to each streak. Keeping in mind that the Hurricanes know perfectly well how to take the best advantage out of mistakes in their opponents’ defense, I would suggest picking over 6 goals.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 6 (-115)
Tony Battalio
The Carolina Hurricanes continued their impressive start to the season and remained undefeated with a win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night by a scoreline of 3-0. Now their next task will be defending home ice against a Chicago Blackhawks team who has started slow this season and will be looking to play spoiler. This will be the 3rd game in a 4 game homestand and their first game against Chicago in a span of 6 days as they will face off again on November 3rd this time in the Windy City.
Historic pic.twitter.com/pmxiBpI5xG
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 29, 2021
As for the previously mentioned Chicago Blackhawks, it will be the first chance to play spoiler for them this week, but it will be no easy task as they will have to do it on the road this time around. They have not looked particularly impressive thus far this season as through 7 games they sit at 0-5-2 and still have yet to record a win and are one of two winless National Hockey League teams through the first 2 weeks of the 2021-22 season. It will be a race between them and division mate the Arizona Coyotes to see who records a win first.
As for this game I don’t see any possible scenario short of Carolina not showing up that would result in the Blackhawks winning this game. The Carolina Hurricanes should control this one from start to finish and not just win but cover the goal spread easily.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 (+116)
Michael Lantz
The Carolina Hurricanes continued their path of destruction on Thursday night with a shutout win over the Boston Bruins. The ‘Canes advanced to 6-0 thanks to the stellar goaltending of Frederik Andersen (who even got an assist against the Bruins). They now host a Chicago Blackhawks team that’s been on the wrong side of the news as of late.
Aside from the disturbing allegations coming out against Chicago’s front office back in 2010, the team has also been hard to watch. If there’s a time for them to overcome a terrible start, I just don’t see it happening against a locked in team like the Hurricanes. So far their leader in points is new addition Seth Jones with six. The Blackhawks were counting on Jones to bring his all-star defensive play to “The Windy City”, but I don’t think they expected (nor necessarily want) him to lead the offense as well. I think Carolina will definitely cover in this one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 (+116)
Florida Panthers @ Detroit Red Wings – 7.00PM EDT
The Florida Panthers start their road trip in Detroit when they take on the Red Wings. The Panthers are one of the handful of teams left in the league that is yet to lose a game, their season record currently stands at 7-0-0, and last time out they won against the Bruins, 4-1. The Red Wings are also off to a reasonable start, with a season record of 4-2-1, and in their last game they got an overtime victory against the Capitals, 3-2.
Denis Kirilov
The Detroit Red Wings will host in their Little Caesars Arena one of the best teams in the NHL at the moment, the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are looking fantastic as they have already defeated some of their direct rivals for the Stanley Cup. The team has achieved high goals victories over Boston, Philadelphia, Colorado, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh. The sheer consistency and the great depth in the Panthers are their biggest advantages so far.
On the other hand, we have a Red Wings’ team that is not expected to do great things this year. They surely have low expectations for this campaign, but we’ve seen a lot of unorthodox outcomes in such games. At first sight, I would suggest picking the Panthers, but I am a bit afraid of what Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, and Tyler Bertuzzi will display in today’s game. That’s why I will go with an option that avoids choosing a winner and recommend over 6 goals in a match where I am expecting at least 8 goals on both ends.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 6 (-115)
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers hit the road on fire as they are undefeated sitting at 7-0-0 and looking like the most dominant team in the National Hockey League. Coming off an absolute trashing of the Boston Bruins, nobody looks to be stopping the Panthers anytime soon. Before the season started everyone had their eyes on another team in Florida, but they still expected the Panthers to contend for a playoff spot, as of right now the roles look to be reversed and it is the Florida Panthers, not the Tampa Bay Lightning with their sights set on the Stanley Cup trophy.
As for the Detroit Red Wings, they come into this game at 4-2-1 after a huge Overtime victory against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Detroit is performing better than most expected them to before the 2021-22 season started. However, continuing their winning streak will be no easy task against a team as hot as the Florida Panthers. If this level of play is something Detroit can keep producing, they may be able to play their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. They do possess the advantage of being on home ice in this one.
Even so, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the red hot Florida Panthers, home ice advantage may not be enough to cool the Panthers off. Florida has absolutely lit up the scoreboard through 7 games this season, totaling an impressive 31 Goals for an average of nearly 5 a game. Meanwhile Detroit have allowed 23 Goals for an average of a little bit over 3 a game. They will have to make that a fast fix to beat a team like Florida. So that is why I am going with the Florida Panthers to win in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-196)
Michael Lantz
So far the Florida Panthers have been the salt of the NHL. Starting 7-0 and dismantling top teams from across the league. Unfortunately, they were hit with a bit of a blackeye on Thursday: Manager Joel Quenneville stepped down amidst the disturbing 2010 Chicago Blackhawks scandal (Quenneville was the Blackhawks head coach then). Florida is still so talented, but will that negative exposure and a change at the helm burden the team going forward?
The Panthers face a Detroit Red Wings team that’s coming off of a big win against the Washington Capitals in overtime. Their young stars that include Dylan Larkin, Tyler Betuzzi, and Lucas Raymond are assembling a core that Detroit fans hope will be active for years to come. I think they’ll bring that momentum back to Motown and at least cover the spread against a Panthers team that despite being dominant, is in the middle of an oddly timed coaching change.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings +1.5 (-162)
Columbus Blue Jackets @ New York Rangers – 7.00PM EDT
The Columbus Blue Jackets begin their road trip when they travel to New York and take on the Rangers. Both teams have a fairly similar season record so far, with the Blue Jackets at 4-2-0, and the Rangers at 4-2-1. Last time out the Blue Jackets won, 4-1, against the Stars, and the Rangers lost their game, 1-5, against the Flames.
Denis Kirilov
The Columbus Blue Jackets will travel to New York to face off the Rangers in what promises to be a very tough game for them. On Monday, the Rangers lost to Calgary, 1:5, and this loss put an end to their 4-game winning streak. All of these matches were away from home; another interesting fact is that the Rangers are 0-2 at home and they haven’t scored more than 3 goals in each one of the seven games they’ve played so far.
The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, are a bit inconsistent as well, but their 4-0-2 in the beginning of the season is definitely a better start than they have expected. They have played 5 of those games at home and lost just once against the Carolina Hurricanes by 1:5. They had an away match in Detroit and the Red Wings defeated them with 4:1. Although the Jackets are looking dangerous at the moment, I will still go for a pick supporting the Rangers and I hope that this game will end their losing streak at home.
Denis’ NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-188)
Tony Battalio
The Columbus Blue Jackets have certainly surprised a lot of teams and fans alike early on in the season. With outstanding play from Patrick Laine and their goalies, they have started out at 4-2 through 6 games. Following Elvis Merzlikins impressive performance against the Dallas Stars in a game where Dallas fans may have given him extra motivation by mocking former teammate Matiss Kivlenieks death, he is playing like a star. If this level of play continues for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Patrick Laine stays motivated, they will be on a collision course with the 2021-22 Stanley Cup playoffs.
“We want to expect our opponent’s going to come in here and they’re going to play hard, but we want to play harder.”
Coach Gallant: https://t.co/vUWM6vGz32
Laf: https://t.co/P7XeDh8ZRq
Nemeth: https://t.co/21HwABylti pic.twitter.com/3wgCeZM4N3— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 26, 2021
As for the New York Rangers they are currently 4-2-1 with an extra game played on the season than the Blue Jackets to this point. However, last time the Rangers stepped onto the ice, they were embarrassed by the Calgary Flames by a score of 5-1. Much like Columbus, they will find themselves in the playoffs if they keep winning 4 out of every 7 games they play, or at least still be in a position to contend by season’s end if nothing outrageous happens between now and then.
As for the game, being at home for the New York Rangers provides a helping hand but Columbus is still very capable of winning on the road in a hostile environment as proven by their last game against the Dallas Stars in the big D. I think the Columbus Blue Jackets will find a way to continue their impressive string of play and walk out of New York with a huge victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (+158)
Michael Lantz
Some preseason rankings listed the Columbus Blue Jackets as one of the league’s 5-10 worst teams. So far they’ve played way above those standards, putting together a 4-2 record and having some huge scoring surges in multiple games. But they’ve also had some games where they’ve been blanked on offense, while being blown out on defense. As unpredictable as they’ve been, fans are thrilled with the winning record they’ve brought to the table.
Speaking of fans who are thrilled with their team’s winning record, The New York Rangers were on a four-game win streak prior to their Monday night loss to Calgary 5-1 at MSG. So you can bet they’ll be looking to bounce back against this Columbus team. The Rangers have enjoyed another fabulous year from defending Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, but you’d have to think they’d want a little more from their forwards. All-star Artemi Panarin and 2020 1st overall pick Alexis LaFreniere have only generated seven points between them. If those two can really take off, the Rangers can be a huge threat in the Eastern Conference. For now, with the Rangers having a hard time generating offense and the Blue Jackets going into MSG against a fairly tough defense, I’m going to go for the under.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-118)
Arizona Coyotes @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM EDT
Another game, another loss for the Arizona Coyotes, who travel to Washington to take on the Capitals on Friday night. The Coyotes are still winless so far this season, with their record standing at 0-6-1, and last time out they lost to the Lightning, 1-5. The Capitals are yet to lose a game in regulation time, with their record currently standing at 4-0-3, and last time out they lost in overtime to the Red Wings, 2-3.
Denis Kirilov
The Arizona Coyotes travel to Washington in an attempt to stop their 7-game losing streak. Unlike Chicago, who is the other team in their position, the Coyotes are losing their games by a significant margin. They are keeping their goaltenders busy throughout the matches as they have to make miracles in order to keep their goal safe. In 5 out of those 7 games from the start of the 2021/22 campaign, they have conceded 5 or more goals which is an awful achievement.
The Capitals are looking bright as they haven’t lost a game in regular time yet. They have 4 clean wins and 3 draws which were eventually turned into defeats. The Detroit Red Wings, the Calgary Flames, and the Tampa Bay Lightning managed to somehow outplay them in overtime. However, I don’t believe this match will go to overtime. I truly believe that this will be a one-sided game from the very beginning and the Capitals will have an easy task covering the spread of 1.5 goals.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5 (-115)
Tony Battalio
The Arizona Coyotes continue to remain winless as they took a beating at the hands of the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, on Thursday night by a score of 5-1 in a game that was out of reach from the opening puck drop. Their quest for the first victory of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season will not get any easier as they turn around on 24 hours rest and play the Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovechkin.
As for the previously mentioned Washington Capitals they sit at 4-0-3 currently, having yet to lose a game in regulation this season. In their last appearance on the ice they blew an early lead to the Detroit Red Wings in regulation and eventually fell in overtime by a score of 3-2. Despite the loss, Alexander Ovechkin found his way onto the scoresheet again with an early 1st period Goal, by doing so he continues to add to his impressive start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season as he looks to break Wayne Gretzky’s all time goal scoring record at some point.
In regards to this game it should be smooth sailing for Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in this one. This is a game that should not be a close contest at any point, because the Coyotes are nowhere close to the team that Washington is, at least for now. Not only should Washington win but they should win with ease, easily covering the 1.5 Goal spread.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5 (-115)
Michael Lantz
I almost feel bad how much we have to talk about the Arizona Coyotes on this site—there’s never going to be anything nice to say. They’ve scored 12 goals in seven games and show little signs of improvement. Honestly, I pray for them—hopefully this terrible play at least pays off and gets them Shane Wright in the draft, but with the lottery system you never really know until the day the balls are drawn.
Even worse for Arizona, they go against a Washington Capitals team that just had a gritty loss against the Detroit Red Wings. They’ll be looking to bounce back and will have their sights set on the Coyotes as victims. Alexander Ovechkin has scored in the last three for the Caps as he sits just three goals from tying Brett Hull for fourth all time. I expect Ovie to get at least one closer against this terrible Coyotes team.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5 (-115)
Ottawa Senators @ Dallas Stars – 8.30PM EDT
The Ottawa Senators begin their three game road trip when they take on the Dallas Stars. The Senators have a season record of 2-4-0, and last time out they lost, 5-7, to the Capitals. The Stars have a season record of 3-3-1, and in their previous game they lost in overtime to the Golden Knights, 2-3.
Denis Kirilov
After 4 consecutive games at home, the Ottawa Senators are heading to Dallas which will start their 3-games away journey. The Senators have been underperforming in the first couple of matches as they are 2-0-4, which puts them in the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They are in a 3-game losing streak at the moment losing to the Sharks, the Rangers, and the Capitals. All of their matches from this season are close ones with many uncertainties heading into the 3rd Period. However, they managed to defeat their upcoming opponent on October 18, 3:2. Chris Tierney scored the decisive goals in the 2nd Period while Connor Brown contributed with 3 assists for the final victory.
The Dallas Stars are also looking inconsistent from the start of the season. They haven’t managed to get a victory in the regular time yet. All of their games seem to be pretty tight, going down the wire and having a final play deciding them. Moreover, the team hasn’t really played against teams in top form like the Panthers, the Hurricanes, the Oilers, etc. I think this matchup is pretty close, but even if it’s a 50/50-coin flip, I would suggest picking the better option in terms of odds. The Ottawa Senators can certainly win this game and extend their winning streak to 3 games in head-to-head matches.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Ottawa Senators (+162)
Tony Battalio
Ottawa kicks off a tough 3 game road trip all the way down south in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area. It could not be coming at a worse time as they have struggled to start their season at 2-4-0 through 6 games. They already lead the season series with the Dallas Stars, they beat them by a score of 3-2 back on October 17th, however that came at home and it will be a much more difficult task on the road. The Ottawa Senators have looked like a mixed bag at times, one game they look like a fluid offensive team, the next they do not and the same can be said for their performances on the defensive end as well. So nobody knows for sure which version of the Ottawa Senators we will get night in and night out.
First practice in the 🇺🇸 #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/oRWQIQEP2P
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 28, 2021
As for the Dallas Stars, they have started off their season around the .500 mark as they sit at 3-3-1 following their last two games, which were losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets in regulation and a loss to the Las Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-2 in Overtime on Wednesday night. They are a team that had playoff expectations before the season started and they are certainly not living up to that at the moment.
As for this game, it will likely be a back and forth battle between two decent offenses and two less than impressive defenses. With no clear winner that can be stated before the game is played in my opinion, which is why I am taking the over at 5.5 Goals in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
The Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators meet for the second time in two weeks, after a 10/17 matchup in Ottawa resulted in the Senators winning 3-2. After that loss, the Stars won back-to-back games before losing two-in-a-row to further the uncertain identity they’ve had in this short season. Despite a goal against Columbus on Monday, Tyler Seguin needs to play much better than the three points he’s provided in seven games.
Meanwhile Ottawa haven’t seen the win column since that last meeting against the Stars. They’ve lost three straight, and while each game they’ve scored more goals than the last, they’ve also surrendered an increasing amount as well (losing 2-1, 3-2, 7-5). While the offense hasn’t been outstanding, they have had some great play from defenders Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub who are 1 & 2 on the team in +/-, even though the rest of the defense can be quite suspect. Expect another close matchup between two teams that are a bit hard to put a finger on at this point in the season. I think at this point my safest bet would be for Ottawa to cover.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Ottawa Senators +1.5 (-162)
If you’re in need of more NHL news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your ice hockey needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
