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 five games on today’s schedule.
Carolina Hurricanes @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM ET
We kick things off on Monday night with a game between two Metropolitan Division rivals when the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes have lost five of their last seven games, but last time out they beat the Blues, 7-2. The Capitals will be looking to build on their two game winning streak, as they have wins over the Sabres and Devils.
Marko Nadin
The Washington Capitals are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-20-10 record. They have won the last 2 games and are coming off a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. The Capitals are ranked 11th in the league in scored goals per game with 3.3 and allowed goals per game 2.8. Washington has won the last 5 games against Carolina. They have also won the last 6 games against Eastern Conference opponents and 4 of the last 5 games coming in as underdogs. Washington has played over the total goals margin in the last 5 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 37-20-10 record. They have lost 5 of the last 7 games but are coming off a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Hurricanes are the best defensive team in the league allowing only 2.4 goals per game and defending 89.2% of the power play situations. Carolina has won 16 of the last 21 games following one day rest and 36 of the last 52 games following a win. The Hurricanes have played over the total goals margin in 8 of the last 11 road games going in as favorites.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (+100)
Tony Battalio
This is going to be one of the better games on the Monday slate as two of the top teams in the Metropolitan Division are set to face off. As the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Washington Capitals in a game with huge Stanley Cup Playoff implications. Carolina comes into this game with a record of 43-15-7 through their first 65 games of the season, as they are one of the top favorites in the Eastern Conference at the moment.
Made sure to mic up the 🍎 of everyone’s eye last night#ALLCAPS | @Enterprise pic.twitter.com/EmyXxfa2Yx
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 27, 2022
The Washington Capitals come into this game with a record of 37-20-10 through their first 67 games of the season. They have been carried most of the season by Alexander Ovechkin who is on a mission to break the all-time goal scoring record currently held by Wayne Gretzky. The Capitals aren’t inside of the top three at the moment but they hold on to one of the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. As for the result of this one, I’m taking the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-137)
Jeffery Thomas
An all Metropolitan Division tilt on tap for us on this five game Monday slate as the Carolina Hurricanes pay a visit to the Washington Capitals. The Canes are coming off a 7-2 road win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, which had to feel good as Carolina was just 2-3-2 in the seven games prior. They hold the nine-point advantage in the division but it is the Capitals who have been the hotter team lately with a 9-2-1 record in the month of March. The biggest piece to thank for the sizzling play has to be goalie Vitek Vanecek who has a 7-2-0 mark in March with a .920 save percentage. It’s imperative that he stays hot in this matchup against a very dangerous Carolina offense.
The Capitals seem to have things figured out when it comes to this matchup. They have won all three previous meetings and have found the back of the net at least four times in each. Even though Carolina may be the stronger roster, I have to side with the Caps who have dominated the head-to-head and are playing better hockey at the moment. It also doesn’t hurt that they will be at home too, so give the Capitals here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (+114)
Vancouver Canucks @ St. Louis Blues – 7.30PM ET
The Vancouver Canucks wrap up their four game road trip on Monday night when they take on the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks have lost four of their last six games, but last time out they did get the win over the Stars, 4-1. The Blues have lost five of their last six games, with their only win during this time coming against the Capitals, 5-2.
Marko Nadin
The St. Louis Blues have fallen to sixth place in the Western Conference with a 35-20-9 record. They have lost 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 2-7 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blues are the sixth-best scoring team in the league with 3.5 goals per game and are ranked 4th with 26.2% conversion of the power play situations. The Blues have won 3 of the last 5 games against Vancouver. They have also won 11 of the last 14 games against teams from the Western Conference and 15 of the last 21 home games as favorites.
The Vancouver Canucks are 11th in the Western Conference with a 32-26-9 record. They are finishing a four-game road trip with the visit to St. Louis. The Canucks defeated the Dallas Stars 4-1 in their last game. Vancouver has won 6 of the last 10 games against the Blues. The Canucks score and allow 2.8 goals per game. They have won 4 of the last 5 games on the road as underdogs and 5 of the last 6 games played on Monday.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-142)
Tony Battalio
Despite having another stressful year it has still been a huge improvement from last season for the Vancouver Canucks. Last year Vancouver was one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League and now they are somewhat still in the playoff race this season. They come into this game with a record of 32-26-9 on the season. Which puts them only two points away from the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Regardless of how this year ends, at least Vancouver can hold their heads high because they are trending in the right direction.
Hometown kid.
A deep dive on new #Canucks prospect Arshdeep Bains and his pursuit of a childhood dream.
READ | https://t.co/HtRGslWpTX pic.twitter.com/YUvLfN11h8
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) March 27, 2022
The St. Louis Blues have been one of the most consistent teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 35-20-9 through their first 64 games of the season. The Blues currently find themselves outside of the top three in the Western Conference as they are in fourth place in the Central Division. Despite being outside of the top three they hold onto the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. As for the result of this game, I have the St. Louis Blues getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-142)
Jeffery Thomas
The St. Louis Blues have hit a bit of a rough patch in the season and are hoping to get things back on track when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. The last two hosting jobs by the Blues haven’t gone well, losing to both the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes by a combined score of 4-12. A loss here would mark five straight losses on home ice, and it’s possible with how the Canucks have looked coming in. Strong goaltending has propelled Vancouver to a 2-0-1 mark in their last three games, where they’ve only allowed 5 goals total.
This run needs to continue for a Canucks team that is fighting for their playoff lives, and are just 3 games back of the second wild card entering Sunday’s action. It’s been an overall solid season for the Blues on home-ice going 20-9-4, but recent form doesn’t give me that much confidence in them here. The Canucks have that sense of urgency and desperation that can be dangerous this time of year, and I’ll bank on them to continue racking up points and closing the gap in the wild card race.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (+118)
Buffalo Sabres @ Chicago Blackhawks – 8.30PM ET
The Buffalo Sabres wrap up their quick two game road trip with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sabres are playing on two nights in a row, and in their last game they lost to the Rangers, 4-5, in overtime. The Blackhawks have lost four of their last six, and this takes their overall season record to 24-32-10.
Marko Nadin
The Chicago Blackhawks are 14th in the Western Conference with a 24-32-10 record. Chicago has lost 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 4-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Chicago shoots second-lowest in the league, at 28.7 shots on goal per game. The Blackhawks have won 9 of the last 10 games against Buffalo. They have also won 8 of the last 11 games against a team with a losing record under 40% but lost 8 of the last 11 home games. Chicago has played over the total goals margin in the last 5 games following a one-game winning streak.
The Buffalo Sabres are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 23-33-10 record. Their last 5 games have finished in a tie at the end of regulation and they have won the first three and lost the last two of those. The Sabres score only 2.7 goals per game which ranks them 26th in the league. Buffalo has lost 23 of the last 31 games in the third game of a 3 in 4 situation and 38 of the last 51 games as road underdog. They have played over the total goals margin in the last 5 games playing after one day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Chicago Blackhawks (-172)
Tony Battalio
It’s been such a rough season for both of these teams. They are both towards the bottom of the standings with around a quarter of the season remaining to play. Despite the fact that both teams are already virtually eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs at this point, both Chicago and Buffalo are still fighting with everything they have whenever they get on the ice. Buffalo comes into this one with a record of 23-33-10 through their first 66 games of the season.
We are live with head coach Don Granato following tonight’s overtime loss to the New York Rangers. https://t.co/ydAB1bHyJm
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 27, 2022
The Chicago Blackhawks spent the first week or two of the season winless. Despite having such a terrible start, they tried their hardest to get back to the .500 mark, however it was too little too late and now they are coming into this game with a record of 24-32-10 through their first 66 games of the season as well which has them in seventh place in the Central Division. As for the result of this game, I have the Chicago Blackhawks getting the win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Chicago Blackhawks (-172)
Jeffery Thomas
The Buffalo Sabres were on the road in New York on Sunday and now will head west to Chicago for a battle in the United Center with the Blackhawks on Monday. The result was a loss for the Sabres but you really have to respect the hockey that this team has been playing recently, especially given their season is over as far as the postseason goes.
The score was 4-5 on Sunday against the Rangers and they were just coming off taking the Washington Capitals to a shootout on Friday. These guys have no quit in them and are pushing legit playoff teams to the brink and that should bode well for them against a Blackhawks team that has lost seven of their last eleven contests.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Buffalo Sabres (+142)
Arizona Coyotes @ Edmonton Oilers – 9.30PM ET
The Arizona Coyotes three game road trip comes to an end on Monday night when they hit the ice against the Edmonton Oilers. The Coyotes are playing two nights in a row, and in their last game they were beaten by the Jets, 1-2, in overtime. The Oilers have lost three of their last four games, with their only win in this span coming over the Sharks, 5-2.
Marko Nadin
The Edmonton Oilers are seventh in the Western Conference with a 36-25-5 record. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 5-9 loss to the Calgary Flames. The Oilers are ranked seventh in the league with 3.4 scored goals per game and third in the league with 26.3% conversion of power play situations. The Oilers have won 4 of the last 5 games against Arizona and the last 6 home games. They have also won 20 of the last 27 games against teams with a losing record under 40%.
The Arizona Coyotes are at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 20-40-5 record. They have lost the last 5 games and are coming off a 1-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Coyotes are the worst team in the league with 25.7 shots on goal per game and second-worst with 2.6 goals per game and 13.5% of power play conversion. The Coyotes have lost 7 of the last 10 games playing without a day off and 50 of the last 72 games as underdogs. They have played over the total goals margin in 9 of the last 12 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-410)
Tony Battalio
Outside of the last game involving Chicago and Buffalo we just covered, the Arizona Coyotes have been another one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League this season. Much like the Chicago Blackhawks, it took a little bit for the Arizona Coyotes to notch a victory on the season. They have spent the majority of the year in eighth place in the Central Division and come into this game with a record of 20-40-5 through their first 65 games of the season.
“We’ve spent the last five weeks trying to improve in certain areas of our game & I thought we got away from it tonight & paid the price.”
An offensively-charged #BattleOfAlberta went the Flames’ way in a 9-5 final.https://t.co/X73hmR1Uz7 | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/qPn2frLMgG
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 27, 2022
The Edmonton Oilers are perhaps the most talented team on paper in the entire National Hockey League. However a slow start to the season left fans with some doubts. Over the past few months they have stepped up their level of play and now they come into this game with a record of 36-25-5 through their first 66 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Pacific Division at the moment. As for the result of this game, I have the Oilers getting the win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-410)
Jeffery Thomas
The Edmonton Oilers were in need of a regroup moment and Sunday could have provided that. They were coming off three losses in their last four games, which included a 5-9 thrashing at the hands of the Calgary Flames. Their playoff spot in the West is still locked in but they will need to start tallying more points up, and the upcoming three-game homestand could be exactly what they need to get things back rolling.
The Coyotes will be on the back-to-back after a close 1-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. It’s hard to imagine them recovering enough in less than 24 hours to put up a competitive effort against a motivated Oilers team who will have the rest advantage.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-410)
Seattle Kraken @ Los Angeles Kings – 10.30PM ET
The final game on Monday night will see the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings, both from the Pacific Division, face off against each other. The Kraken and Kings faced off against each other last time out, with the Kings defeating the Kraken, 4-2. Can the Kraken strike back instantly, or will the Kings get yet another win tonight?
Marko Nadin
The Los Angeles Kings are fourth in the Western Conference with a 36-22-9 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Kings have won both of the previous games against Seattle this season. Los Angeles is fifth in the league with 35 shots on goal per game but score only 2.9 goals per game which ranks them 20th. They are on top of the league allowing 28.4 shots on goal per game. The Kings have won 8 of the last 11 games as home favorites and 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a losing record under 40%.
The Seattle Kraken are 15th in the Western Conference with a 20-39-6 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-4 loss to the Kings. Seattle is ranked 30th in the league with 2.6 goals per game and 28th with 3.6 allowed goals per game. The Kraken have lost 23 of the last 31 road games, 17 of the last 22 games against teams with a winning record and 24 of the last 31 games against Western Conference teams. They have played over the total goals margin in 7 of the last 8 Monday games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-235)
Tony Battalio
This Pacific Division matchup between the National Hockey League’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings should be a decent one. As both teams are on different ends of the spectrum in the standings this season. The Kraken’s inaugural season is going to end with them finishing towards the bottom of the league, while the Los Angeles Kings look set to claim a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
why’d mom force
us to wear these
Kraken hoodies? pic.twitter.com/f9biclO8Rc— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 27, 2022
The Seattle Kraken come into this contest with a record of 20-39-6 through their first 65 games of the season which puts them in last place in the Pacific Division. While the Los Angeles Kings come into this game with a record of 36-22-9 through their first 67 games of the season, which puts them in second place in the Pacific Division at the moment. As for the result of this game, I have the Los Angeles Kings picking up the victory over the Seattle Kraken.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-235)
Jeffery Thomas
The Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken will meet up again after their battle on Saturday in Los Angeles. That game was won by the Kings by a score of 4-2 and I’m sure they would love nothing more than to make it two victories in three nights against the Kraken. Los Angeles has positioned themselves nicely to finally get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2018, while Seattle is still figuring things out as an expansion team.
A win in the Saturday matchup with Los Angeles, would’ve been a season-high (and franchise record) third consecutive victory and that tells you all you need to know about how their first season in the NHL is going. The Kraken are the bottom team in the Pacific Division with 46 points, 19 behind the next-closest team, the Anaheim Ducks.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-235)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
