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.
Los Angeles Kings @ Boston Bruins – 7.00PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings wrap up their four game road trip on Monday night with a game against the Boston Bruins. The Kings have won their last two games in a row, against the Blue Jackets and Sabres. The Bruins have also won their last two games in a row, and their wins came against the Golden Knights and Blue Jackets.
Marko Nadin
The Boston Bruins have climbed to seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 38-14-4 record. The Bruins have won 7 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 5-4 shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Boston is the fifth-best defensive team in the league allowing 2.7 goals on 29.2 shots on goal per game. Boston has won 4 of the last 5 games against Los Angeles and the last four in TD Garden. Boston has won 13 of the last 16 games following a road trip of 7 or more games. They have played over the total goals margin in the last 4 games overall.
The Los Angeles Kings are fourth in the Western Conference with a 31-19-7 record. They have won 7 of the last 9 games and are coming off a 3-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres. The Kings allow the league-best 28.7 shots on goal and are ranked third with 35.5 on the other side of the ice. The last time Los Angeles won in Boston was back in 2016. The Kings have won 7 of the last 8 road games and 24 of the last 33 against Eastern Conference teams. The Kings have played over the total goals margin in the last 6 games against Eastern Conference opponents and in the last 4 games overall.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-192)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings come into this game with a record of 31-19-7 through their first 57 games of the season. They are currently on a two game winning streak after picking up wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres. They are on the bubble as far as the Stanley Cup playoffs are concerned as the Los Angeles Kings currently find themselves in second place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Calgary Flames. They will look to pick up their third straight win on the East Coast in this game.
Just came here for the (win)gs. @GEICO | #BundlingMadeEasy pic.twitter.com/JQe78tlANj
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 6, 2022
The Boston Bruins come into this game with a record of 34-18-4 through their first 56 games of the season. They are coming off of an overtime shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday evening. The win gave the Bruins wins in four of their last five games on the season. They currently find themselves in the playoff race as they hold on to one of the two Eastern Conference wild card spots at the moment. As for the result of this game, I have the Boston Bruins getting the win as I feel like home ice advantage will play a big part in the outcome.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-192)
Jeffery Thomas
The Kings got a 3-0 shutout victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday afternoon and will be on the back-to-back facing the Bruins in Boston. This will be the fourth and final game of their road-trip that has been pretty successful so far, with a 2-1 record. The lone loss was to the Stars in Dallas in a 3-4 game where they blew a 3-1 lead in the third period. At 31-19-7 Los Angeles sits at second place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Calgary Flames. The Boston Bruins are back at home to start a three-game homestand after spoiling Rick Nash’s night in Columbus with a 5-4 shootout win over the Blue Jackets.
Columbus scored the equalizer on a power play with 3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, but didn’t have enough to bring it home in front of their fans. That win was the 34th of the season and they are holding on to the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are coming in hot but the home edge with the Bruins in this one will be pivotal. Boston has found a great groove, winning seven of their last eight games and I see them having the advantage on both ends of the ice. I could honestly see a multiple goal victory for the home team in this one so give me the Bruins.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-192)
Florida Panthers @ Buffalo Sabres – 7.00PM ET
The Florida Panthers hit the road on Monday night, and the first stop on their two game road trip will be in Buffalo against the Sabres. The Panthers are looking like they are back on track, after winning their last two games against the Senators and Red Wings. The Sabres played the Kings last time out, and they were shutout, by a score of 0-3.
Marko Nadin
The Buffalo Sabres are 13th in the Eastern Conference with an 18-31-8 record. After losing 6 consecutive games, the Sabres won two consecutive games scoring 5 goals in each of those. First, they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 on the road and then went on to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Still, the Sabres were shut down last night losing 0-3 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Sabres have lost 12 of the last 16 games against Atlantic Division rivals and 23 of the last 31 games in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation. They have played over the total goals margin in 6 of the last 7 home games.
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Atlantic Division and in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 37-13-5 record. After losing three straight home games for the first time this season, the Panthers bounced back with two consecutive wins over Ottawa 3-0 and over Detroit 6-2. Florida is the best-scoring team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and are also on top with 37 shots on goal per game. The Panthers have won 5 of the last 6 games, the last 4 against Atlantic Division rivals and 9 of the last 11 against Eastern Conference teams.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-245)
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 37-13-5 through their first 55 games of the season. They are perhaps the main favorite in the Eastern Conference at the moment. They are currently on a two game winning streak after getting back to back victories over the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, both of those coming at home to end a long homestand. Now they will be looking to get this road trip started off on the right foot with a win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Hear from head coach Don Granato following this afternoon’s loss to the Kings. pic.twitter.com/OvVm4KPo71
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 6, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres rebuild will likely continue from square one next year after trading away Jack Eichel earlier this season. It has been a rough couple of years for the Sabres as they once again find themselves towards the bottom of the standings in the National Hockey League. The Sabres come into this game with a record of 18-31-8 as they are 21 games below the .500 mark through their first 57 games of the season. As for the result of this one, I don’t expect the Florida Panthers to have much trouble on the way to a win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-245)
Jeffery Thomas
The Buffalo Sabres will be on the back-to-back after putting up no goals in a Sunday home game against the Kings. That game snapped a two-game winning streak that Buffalo was on, and over two playoff teams in Toronto and Minnesota. Now they’ll get another powerhouse playoff team in the Florida Panthers on Monday who are fresh off a 6-2 blitzing of the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at home. It was a strong finish to their five-game homestand that started with three straight losses to the Predators, Blue Jackets, and Oilers.
Entering Sunday’s action, the Panthers were holding firm to the 1st place spot in the Atlantic Division with 79 points, one point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Buffalo got on a nice two game winning streak but Sunday was them coming back to reality and Monday will be a continuation of that. Florida is getting back in their groove and against this Buffalo team it’s a great opportunity to flex their muscles and show why they’re one of the best teams in the NHL. Domination from the opening puck-drop is what we will see so give me the Panthers big.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+102)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 7.00PM ET
The Toronto Maple Leafs have just one game on the road when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. The Maple Leafs have lost their last two games in a row, to the Sabres and Canucks. The Blue Jackets have lost four of their last five games, and this takes their season record to 28-25-3.
Marko Nadin
The Toronto Maple Leafs are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-16-4 record. The Maple Leafs are going through the most difficult part of the season as they have lost 5 of the last 8 games. Toronto is coming off back-to-back home losses, 1-5 to the Buffalo Sabres and 4-6 to the Vancouver Canucks. Toronto are the best team in the league in power play conversion with 29.3% and they are the fourth-bests scoring team with 3.6 goals per game. Toronto has won 17 of the last 23 games against conference rivals and 6 of the last 7 games against division rivals.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are ninth in the Eastern Conference and will have to go on a great run in order to reach the playoffs as they have a 10 points deficit to the Washington Capitals who are 8th. Columbus has lost 4 of the last 5 games and is coming off a 4-5 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. The Blue Jackets allow the most shots on goal in the league with 35.8 and allow the second-most goals with 3.6. Columbus has won 3 of the last 5 games against Toronto and the last 7 games when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (+190)
Tony Battalio
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been playing great hockey so far this season. As they come into this game with a record of 35-16-4 through their first 55 games of the season. They currently find themselves sitting in a great position for the playoffs as they are in third place in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs are currently on a two game losing streak however, as they have lost back to back games to the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks as they have yet to win a game in the month of March.
19,434 strong 💪
Thank you, #5thLine, for helping us tally the largest crowd in Blue Jackets history. pic.twitter.com/KiSWgOUvlu
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 6, 2022
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been playing much better as of late. However, they have given away late leads in their last two games against the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins, and the late collapses led to two crucial losses. The Blue Jackets come into this game with a record of 28-25-3 through their first 56 games of the season. They will be looking to bounce back in this one against a Maple Leafs team that they have tons of playoff history with. As for the result of one, I have the Columbus Blue Jackets getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (+190)
Jeffery Thomas
The Maple Leafs are entering this game off a couple ugly losses in a row. It was a 1-5 loss for them on Wednesday to the Sabres followed up by a 4-6 loss on Saturday to the Vancouver Canucks, both at home. The goaltending continues to be an issue, no matter if it’s Jack Campbell or Petr Mrazek starting. Campbell has allowed 14 goals in his last three starts and it’s been 9 allowed for Mrazek in his last three. The Leafs’ offense has been consistently reliant, ranking 4th in goals per game and the best power play in the league, converting at a 29% clip.
Columbus is a long-shot to make the playoffs at this point in the season, but they aren’t yet mathematically eliminated, and they have been playing with that desperation lately. Columbus has scored 11 goals in their last three games and have the 9th best offensive unit on the season, scoring 3.27 goals a game. Their main key in this game will be staying out of the box, as like I mentioned the Toronto power play is very difficult to contain. Everything I’m seeing for this game looks like it sets up for a shootout. Neither team’s goaltending has been good and both offenses have been rolling. Columbus just snuck by Toronto 4-3 on February 22nd but it’s hard to trust either of these teams so the safe bet is the over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7 (+104)
Colorado Avalanche @ New York Islanders – 7.30PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche kick off a three game road trip on Monday night when they travel to New York and take on the Islanders. The Avalanche have followed up their four game winning streak by losing their last two games in a row, against the Coyotes and Flames. The Islanders have lost four of their last six games, but they did manage to get the all important win over the Blues last time out, 2-1.
Marko Nadin
The New York Islanders are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-23-8 record. The Islanders have lost 4 of the last 6 games but are coming off a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Islanders are the seventh-best defensive team in the league allowing 2.7 goals per game but are ranked 28th with only 2.5 scored per game. New York has won 3 of the last 5 games against Colorado and 7 of the last 10 games after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. The Islanders have played under the total goals margin in 9 of the last 12 games following a win.
The Colorado Avalanche have the best record in the league with 40-11-5. However, they have lost the last two games against Arizona and Calgary which is only the third time this season to have back-to-back losses. Colorado is the second-best team in the league with 3.9 goals per game and is ranked 4th with 35.2 shots on goal per game. The Avalanche have won the last two games against the Islanders and 9 of the last 11 road games. They have played over the total goals margin in 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a losing record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-220)
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Avalanche were the preseason favorite to win the Stanley Cup trophy. After a slow start to the season some people doubted them. But they have heated up in a big way over the last three months as now they come into this game as the best team in the National Hockey League. Colorado comes into this game with a league best record of 40-11-5 through their first 56 games of the season. Colorado is currently on a two game losing streak they will be looking to snap in this one.
Today we hosted the first #Isles Break the Ice event! 🏒
The program connects kids in the community to first responders and law enforcement from their area through the game of hockey. pic.twitter.com/XYE0TvaYcv
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 6, 2022
The New York Islanders have had a very rough year. After starting the year on a very lengthy road trip due to their new arena not being built, they were likely worn out by the time they got to play their first game at home of the season. They haven’t been too much better when playing in their home arena either as they come into this game with a record of 21-23-8 through their first 52 games of the season. As for the result of this game, I have the Colorado Avalanche getting the victory over the Islanders.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-220)
Jeffery Thomas
Colorado is trying to find their groove again after two-straight losses. Saturday the Flames knocked them off on their home ice and they will now get a chance for a bounce-back against an Islanders team they just beat less than a week ago. They will enter this game as a road favorite, which has been a very favorable spot for them recently, going 9-2 in the last eleven of those situations. The Isles got a day off after a 2-1 win over the Blues on Saturday. It was a rare victory for them as a home underdog, as they’re just 1-8 in those situations.
They are worse than the Avs in every aspect so that is a trend that is likely to continue on Monday. There’s no reason to overthink this spot. All these guys are professionals and anything can happen but everything points to a straightforward victory for the Avs here. Colorado are the favorites for the Stanley Cup and are much better than the Islanders who are nowhere near playoff contention. Colorado just won the first matchup 5-3 in regulation and we will get a repeat performance.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Colorado Avalanche (-135)
Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames – 9.30PM ET
The final game on Monday night in the NHL will see the Edmonton Oilers hit the road and take on the Calgary Flames. The Oilers will be looking to get back on track after dropping their last two games in a row, to the Blackhawks and Canadiens. The Flames have won three of their last five games, and this takes their overall record to 33-14-7.
Marko Nadin
The Calgary Flames are on top of the Pacific Division and second in the Western Conference with a 33-14-7 record. The Flames have won 3 of the last 4 and 13 of the last 15 games. They are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Flames are sixth in the league with 3.5 scored goals per game and second with 2.5 allowed goals per game. They are also ranked second with 35.7 shots on goal per game. Calgary has won the last 6 games when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game and 11 of the last 12 games at home.
The Edmonton Oilers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 30-22-4 record. The Oilers have lost 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 2-5 loss against the bottom team in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens. The Oilers are ranked 10th in the league with 3.2 goals per game on 33.2 shots on goal per game. Edmonton has won 5 of the last 6 games after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game and 8 of the last 11 games playing after 1 day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-200)
Tony Battalio
This one is going to be the best game of the evening on Monday night. As two of Canada’s best and two of the league’s best teams will face off in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid will travel to play one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League at the moment when they face off with the Calgary Flames. McDavid’s Oilers started the season out slow but have come on as of late and now find themselves in a great spot. They are currently in fourth place in the Pacific Division and have a record of 30-22-4 through their first 56 games of the season.
Johnny cannot be stopped. pic.twitter.com/sHHaoOzh8w
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 6, 2022
The previously mentioned Calgary Flames are coming into this game with a record of 33-14-7 through their first 54 games of the season. They have been the hottest team in the league over the past month or so, as they currently find themselves on top of the Pacific Division. The Flames have built up a four point lead over the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. They are currently on a one game winning streak at the moment. As for the result of this game, I have the Calgary Flames bouncing back with a victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-200)
Jeffery Thomas
Calgary is coming in holding down the top spot in the Pacific Division after a hard fought overtime victory in Colorado. That pushed their record to 13-1-1 since January 28 and the numbers they have put up during that stretch are just ridiculous. They are 3rd in goals a game (4.20), 6th in shots a game (35), 2nd in goals allowed (2.27), and 4th in shots allowed (28.6). Now they will take on the Oilers who wish they could get a run like that going if their own to get a spot in the postseason. Their 2-5 loss to Montreal in their last game, knocked them out of a wild card spot, and they are now 2-4-1 in their last seven games.
In those seven games they are only scoring 2.71 goals a game while giving up 3.71, which is an obvious recipe for disaster. Despite how things have been going for these two teams lately, it was surprisingly the Oilers who won the first two meetings of these teams this season. But right now, the healthier, more confident, and just flat out better team is Calgary and they will have revenge on their mind. Given how flat the Oilers have tended to look in recent performances, the Flames will see this as a great opportunity to get back at their rivals.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-200)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
