We are in the thick of the 2021/22 NHL season, and things are certainly heating up! Today there are two games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With four teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
How will today’s games shake out? Which teams will be in the winners circle, and who will need to bounce back after a loss? 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 two games on today’s schedule.
Detroit Red Wings @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 7.00PM ET
The Detroit Red Wings begin their four game road trip when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. The Red Wings have a decent season record so far, sitting at 8-6-2, and they have won four of their last five games, including wins over the Sabres, Golden Knights, Oilers and Canadiens. The Blue Jackets will be looking to bounce back after two losses in a row, to the Capitals and Rangers, which brings their season record to 7-5-0.
Denis Kirilov
Two teams who are far away from being considered title contenders will face each other on Monday. The Detroit Red Wings will travel to Columbus with the ambition to make a 5-1 run in their last 6 games. They have performed surprisingly well in the past 10 days which is due to their fantastic defense. The Wings conceded 2 goals against the Golden Knights, the Oilers, and the Capitals, all of which are great teams with some of the best offensive players in the NHL. It’s odd to think that the Red Wings managed to pull that off, but it really happened and this further points out that even the underdogs might end up having a remarkable winning run.
On the other hand, the Columbus Blue Jackets have also played some fantastic games lately, although they lost their last two home matches against the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. They defeated the Colorado Avalanche twice in a row which is an amazing achievement, since the Avalanche are considered favorites for the Stanley Cup. The Blue Jackets are looking to make their first huge impact in the Playoffs as their next goal should be reaching the Stanley Cup Semifinals. They definitely have the potential to do so in the upcoming years, but it will be a really difficult task at the moment with teams like the Panthers, the Hurricanes, the Lightning, etc. Anyway, as of this game, I think that the Red Wings might surprise the Blue Jackets in their home arena.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings (+112)
Tony Battalio
Both teams have been surprising on the year so far and look like potential fringe playoff teams at the moment. The Detroit Red Wings are currently 8-6-2 through their first sixteen games on the year. They have started the month of November around the .500 mark through 7 games as their record so far is 4-3-0. This game against the Columbus Blue Jackets will be the first of a four game road trip for Detroit so they will be looking to get it started off on the right foot.
Been watching this on repeat. 🔁
Last night’s @xfinity powerful connection! pic.twitter.com/Rkiw7a28fL
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 15, 2021
As for the previously mentioned Columbus Blue Jackets, they are currently 7-5-0 on the year, however they are currently on a two game losing streak. They are .500 in the month of November so far with a record of 2-2-0 after their first four games. This game against the Red Wings is the finale of a four game homestand for Columbus so they will be looking for some momentum and a win to cap off the stay at home. As for the result of this game, I look for the Columbus Blue Jackets to break their short two game losing streak and get back into the win column.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (-134)
Michael Lantz
The Detroit Red Wings have become one of the NHL’s funnest teams to watch this season. At 8-6-2, they received some huge offense from the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond—all of which are so young and still nowhere near their peaks. In addition to being fun to watch, the Red Wings are also getting big results. Last week they beat a dominant Edmonton Oilers team 4-2 and in the game before that beat the Pacific Division favorite Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2. On Saturday night, they beat the Montreal Canadiens in a gritty overtime game, 3-2, and look to continue their success on Monday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
After winning four of five, the Columbus Blue Jackets have dropped consecutive games against quality opponents. They’ve been without Patrick Laine, who’s a major contributor to this team’s success. Without him, this team seems to be missing a major piece that they’ve had a hard time filling. Still, there’s still plenty of time left, and luckily the Blue Jackets do have some great talent in Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jakob Voracek. They hope they can get back to their winning ways at home against the Detroit Red Wings, who have struggled a bit on the road. Even with their struggles, it seems the young Red Wings are more confident than ever. I’ll give them the advantage in this one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings (+112)
New York Islanders @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7.00PM ET
The New York Islanders are nearing the end of their mammoth road trip when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders will be looking for a win to snap the two game losing streak they are currently on, which includes losses to the Wild and Devils. The Lightning wrap up their home stand tonight, and so far this month they have already played three overtime games, which brings their season record to 7-3-3.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Islanders will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second and last match for Monday in the NHL. Both teams have big expectations this season as they can rely on many experienced players who can lead them to reaching new heights. The current champions from Tampa are looking to defend their title in a very competitive NHL this year. They know their task won’t be easy, but they proved to us that they won’t give up without a proper fight. The Lightning managed to defeat one of the best teams currently in the League in their previous game. The Panthers fell victim to the hungry NHL Champions who want to make a statement in such important matches.
The Islanders, on the other hand, are in a 2-game losing streak, being defeated consecutively by the Minnesota Wild and the New Jersey Devils. They didn’t stand a chance in both matches which further raised some issues within the team. Not having any injuries to deal with and losing such vital games is definitely not a good sign for their future for this season. The Islanders and the Lightning faced off in the Stanley Cup Semifinals last year where Tampa defeated New York by 4-2 in the series. Although the fixtures were tight, game 5 was so dominant that it kind of drained all the hope that was left in the Islanders. They suffered a 0-8 loss which further proves the difference between those two teams. I will use this factor to my advantage and I will choose the Tampa Bay Lightning as the winners of tomorrow’s meeting.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-140)
Tony Battalio
The New York Islanders are only two games away from ending their extended road trip to open up the season. This game against the Tampa Bay Lightning is the 13th game of a massive 14 game road trip to open up the 2021-22 campaign for the Islanders. New York has had an okay start to the season as through 11 games they possess a record of 5-4-2. Following this game against the Lightning they finish their trip with a game against the Florida Panthers.
Let’s do it again tomorrow. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/rhIXP85cTV
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) November 14, 2021
As for the Tampa Bay Lightning, they are currently 7-3-3 on the season as they are starting to turn things around after a slow start to the season. This game against the Islanders is the finale of a three game homestand for the Lightning where they have gone 1-0-1 in two games that both went to overtime. As for the result of this one, I expect the New York Islanders to pull out a shocking overtime or shootout victory against the two time defending Stanley Cup Trophy winners.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders (+116)
Michael Lantz
The New York Islanders face the team that has ended their season the past two years: the Tampa Bay Lightning. Not only has Tampa ended their season, but they’ve done so in the Stanley Cup Semifinals. The Islanders are on road game 12 of 13 to start the season, and they’d love to get a little revenge before heading back up to New York.
Both of these teams have been a bit disappointing so far. The Islanders are 5-4-2 to start the season in which many critics saw them as Stanley Cup favorites. But, playing your first 13 on the road has to be exhausting, so I’m sure once the Isles head back home and have a little more balance in their schedule, they’ll really start to take off.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning got off to an unconvincing start after winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup. But, the champs know how to go about a regular season, and are aware that they don’t always have to play at 100%. In recent games they’ve turned it around a bit, and now sit at 7-3-3, including a huge win Saturday night against their bitter rivals the Florida Panthers.
I know New York is looking for some blood after the way their last two seasons ended, but after playing so many games on the road and now going up against a seemingly revitalized Lightning team—I’ll pick Tampa to continue to inflict pain on the Isles.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-140)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
