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 best five games on today’s schedule.
Washington Capitals @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 3pm ET
Two of the top teams in the National Hockey League are set to face off in this one in what could be a preview of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This matchup has grown to be a series rivalry over the years as the constant comparisons between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby never stop.
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Penguins are third in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 41-21-10 record. They have lost the last three games, two of them against Colorado and the last one, 3-0 to the New York Rangers. The Penguins defend 86% of the power play situations which ranks them second in the league. They have won 6 of the last 10 games against the Capitals and 5 of the last 6 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
The Washington Capitals are fourth in the Metropolitan Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-21-10 record. After losing in back-to-back games against Carolina and Minnesota with a total score of 11-2, the Capitals bounced back in the last one with a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington is 12th in the league with 3.2 scored goals per game and 13th with 2.9 allowed goals per game. The Capitals have won the last 4 games played after two days of rest and the last 4 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins
Tony Battalio
The Washington Capitals come into this game with a record of 38-22-10 through their first 70 games of the season. They currently find themselves in fourth place in the Metropolitan division but they do hold onto one of the wild card spots in the Eastern Conference so there is no need to panic. The Capitals are a Stanley Cup threat in my opinion as long as their superstar, Alexander Ovechkin can stay healthy for the remainder of the season. They are currently on a one-game winning streak after beating Tampa Bay in their last game.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming into this game sitting in third place in the Metropolitan division. They come into this game with a record of 41-21-10 through their first 72 games of the season. They are on the verge of locking up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference over the next week or two. They surprised a lot of people with their play this season and they are a dark horse team to win it all in my opinion. As for the result of this game I have the Pittsburgh Penguins getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins
Jeffery Thomas
The Washington Capitals will travel to Pittsburgh to take on their Metro division rivals in a Saturday matinee with playoff implications. The Penguins have been in the top three of the division for weeks but a recent dip has finally opened the door for the Caps to possibly make a move. Washington is currently holding a wild-card spot but is just 6 points back of Pittsburgh and has a game in hand coming into the two teams’ final meeting. It’s not a good time to have this game for the Penguins, who have lost three straight games and are 2-5-1 in their last eight. Hopefully the day off on Friday and getting back in front of their home fans can bring them back to their winning ways.
This is the game I’m looking forward to most on Saturday and that’s because I love when two rivals meet up, especially when those teams have elite offenses. All 3 meetings between these teams have gone over the total, and I think that’s exactly what we will get again, especially with how Washington has been involved in a lot of high-scoring affairs recently. Give me the over and bring on the goals!
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6 Goals
Florida Panthers @ Nashville Predators – 6pm ET
This one should be good as the Florida Panthers get set to travel north to Nashville to play the Nashville Predators. The Panthers are on the verge of a division title while the Predators are looking to get into the playoffs.
Marko Nadin
The Nashville Predators are fourth in the Central Division and sixth in the Western Conference with a 42-25-4 record but their playoff berth is still not secured as they have only 4 points more than the Vegas Golden Knights who are ninth. The Predators have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-to 2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Nashville won the last game against Florida 6-4 on the road. The Predators have won 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a winning record of over 60%.
The Florida Panthers are the top team in the Eastern Conference with a 49-15-6 record and are only two points behind the Avalanche for the best record in the league. The Panthers are the best offensive team in the league with 4.2 goals per game and 37.5 shots on goal per game. Florida has won 6 of the last 10 games against Nashville, 5 of the last 6 games on the road, and 6 of the last 8 games played without a day off. Florida has played over the total goals margin in the last 4 games against teams with a winning record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers come into this game with a record of 50-15-6 through their first 71 games of the season. They are currently in the first place in the Atlantic division and on the verge of winning the division title. They currently have an eight-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs and have the top record in the Eastern Conference. Florida is currently on an impressive six-game winning streak as well as they are getting hot at the right time. If they keep this up they could run their way through the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Nashville Predators are coming into this game in a last gasp effort to make it into the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. Nashville comes into this matchup with a record of 41-25-4 through their first 70 games of the season. They are currently in fourth place in the Central division. Despite not being in the top three of their division they are still set for the playoffs as they hold the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference. As for the result of this game I have the Nashville Predators getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators
Jeffery Thomas
Another game, another comeback by the Florida Panthers. It’s really unreal how this team just falls behind and still wins like it’s normal but on Friday they did it again, this time to the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres were up 3-1 at the end of the first period but by the end of the second, the game was all tied up at 3. The game-winning goal was then scored at the 19:22 mark in the third, giving the Panthers their 50th win on the season. They’ll now be on the back-to-back to face a Predators team who is feeling good after beating the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators in their last two games. The 4 points secured in those two games were huge and kept them 2 points ahead of the Dallas Stars for the first Wild-card spot.
This should be a very entertaining game between two very good playoff teams and I’m looking forward to it. Florida is rolling, winning six straight and will run into a Nashville team that is very good at home. Rather than pick a side though, I’m going to take what seems to always be a good bet in a Panthers game and that’s the over. Florida scores in bunches and the Preds are averaging over 4 goals a game in their last five. Both offenses will continue to roll here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7 goals
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Detroit Red Wings – 7pm ET
These two teams have both had rough seasons and will both end up missing the Stanley Cup playoffs. Columbus comes into this one in the middle of the pack while the Red Wings are 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Marko Nadin
The Detroit Red Wings are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 28-34-9 record. After losing six straight games, the Red Wings have won the last 2 against Boston and Winnipeg. Detroit is the team that allows the most goals in the league with 3.8 and they have conceded more than 10 goals in a single game, twice this season. Detroit has lost the last 5 Saturday games and have lost 10 of the last 11 games after allowing two goals or less in the previous game.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 33-33-6 record. They have lost 8 of the last 9 games and are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blue Jackets are 14th in the league with 3.1 goals per game and 29th with 3.7 allowed goals per game. They have lost 7 of the last 8 against Eastern Conference opponents, 5 of the last road games and 4 of the last 5 games against a team with a losing record. They have played over the total goals margin in 41 of the last 65 games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (-122)
Tony Battalio
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been a very consistently inconsistent team this season. As they will go through stretches of playing well then totally bottom out and lose three or four games in a row. They come into this game with a record of 33-33-6 through their first 72 games of the season. After itching close to potentially grabbing a wild card spot they once again bottomed out and now are all but officially eliminated from the playoffs. They are currently on a one game losing streak.
The Detroit Red Wings haven’t been much better this season. As they come into this game with a record of 28-34-9 through their first 71 games of the season. They are currently in fifth place of the Atlantic division but well out of playoff contention at this point. As they will likely be the next team to officially be eliminated from the playoffs if they lose this game. As for the result of this game, that is exactly what I expect to happen as I have the Columbus Blue Jackets getting the victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (-104)
Jeffery Thomas
Saturday’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets feature two teams that most likely will not be in the playoffs. The Red Wings definitely will not be while the CBJ have an outside shot but it’s very unlikely. The Jackets have won just one game since March 19, losing eight of nine and will really need to win out basically to even have a shot. The Red Wings come into this game winners of two straight after beating the Bruins at home on Tuesday and then Ottawa on the road on Wednesday. That marks the first time Detroit has won consecutive games since February 9 and 12.
It was a decent start to the season for the Jackets who were outperforming expectations but recently it appears they are just running out of gas. Detroit doesn’t have anything to play for but they are in better form and are at home where they play their best hockey, so I’m confident picking them to take down the CBJ on Saturday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings (-115)
Colorado Avalanche @ Edmonton Oilers – 10pm ET
This is going to be the best game of the evening. As two of the top teams in the Western Conference and the entire National Hockey League are set to face off. When the Colorado Avalanche head to Canada to play the Edmonton Oilers.
Marko Nadin
The Edmonton Oilers are fifth in the Western Conference with a 42-25-5 record. They have been playing excellent lately winning the last 6 games and are coming off a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. THe Oilers are ranked seventh in the league scoring 3.5 goals per game and 20th with 3.2 allowed goals per game. They have won the last 5 games against Western Conference teams, the last 9 games played at home but only 3 of the last 13 games against teams with a winning record over 60%.
The Colorado Avalanche are the team with the best record in the league as they are at 51-14-6. The Avalanche have won the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets. They are the third best scoring team in the league with 3.8 goals per game and are ranked fifth with 25.2% power play conversion. Colorado has won 6 of the last 7 games against teams with a winning record, 11 of the last 13 games played without a day off and 5 of the last 6 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers
Tony Battalio
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference are set to face off in this one. As this game could easily end up being a preview of the Western Conference Finals during the Stanley Cup playoffs next month. As the Edmonton Oilers will host the league leading Colorado Avalanche. Colorado comes into this one with a league best record of 51-14-6 through their first 71 games of the season. They are currently on a five game winning streak at the moment.
Despite a slow start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season, the Edmonton Oilers are now in a great position to challenge for a Stanley Cup trophy this season. They come into this game with a record of 42-25-5 through their first 72 games of the season. They are currently on a six game winning streak as they are catching up to the Calgary Flames as they only trail them by six points coming down the stretch. As for the result of this game I have Edmonton getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers
Jeffery Thomas
The Edmonton Oilers were able to keep their winning streak going, pushing it out to six games with their win against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. Connor McDavid got his career-high 42nd goal in the win, and became just the seventh player in NHL history to have multiple 15-game point streaks in a season. He is the league’s top scorer with 109 points and the main reason why this Oilers team is so going to be so dangerous in the postseason. His A game will be needed on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche who got a 5-4 overtime victory on the road over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
The Avs just got the better of Edmonton, 3-2 back on March 21 and I’m sure the Oilers will be seeking to avenge that loss. However, I don’t see that in this game, even without Colorado being on the back-to-back. Playing on no rest hasn’t impacted this team’s performance, as the Avs are 11-2 in their last 13 games on no rest and even on the road I’m going to back the best team in the league to escape with the victory on Saturday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche
San Jose Sharks @ Vancouver Canucks – 10pm ET
The San Jose Sharks will take on the Vancouver Canucks in this one. The Sharks are out of the playoffs while the Canucks are looking to make one final push to get into the playoffs as the regular season winds down.
Marko Nadin
The Vancouver Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 34-28-10 record. They have won the last two games against Arizona and Vegas, both by 5-1. The Canucks are scoring only 2.8 goals per game which ranks them 20th in the league as many as they allow which puts them 8th defensively. Vancouver has won 6 of the last 7 games against the Sharks. They have also won 11 of the last 16 games going in as favorites, but have lost 4 of the last 5 games following a win and the last 5 played at home.
The San Jose Sharks are 13th in the Western Conference with a 42-25-5 record.29-32-9 record. They have lost the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. San Jose is ranked 28th in the league scoring 2.6 goals per game and third in the league defending 85.3% of the power play situations. The Sharks have lost 20 of the last 27 games, 10 of the last 12 road games and the last 5 games against Western Conference opponents.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks -1.5 (+176)
Tony Battalio
It’s been a terrible year for the San Jose Sharks as a long losing streak in the middle of the season sunk their playoff hopes for good. Now they come into this game with a record of 29-32-9 through their first 70 games of the season. They are currently in seventh place in the Pacific division and all but officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. They currently find themselves on a five game losing streak as that has been the story of their dreadful season.
The Vancouver Canucks enter this one trying to sneak into the Stanley Cup playoffs with less than a dozen regular season games left. They come into this game with a record of 34-28-10 through their first 72 games of the season. They currently find themselves in fifth place in the Pacific division. They are only six points back of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. As for the result of this game I have the Vancouver Canucks getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-154)
Jeffery Thomas
The San Jose Sharks will travel to Vancouver for a game with the Canucks in hopes to snap out of their cold streak. The Sharks have lost five straight games following their 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday. They’ve been outscored 20-11 during this stretch and it’s the second time this season they’ve been held winless over a five-game stretch. The Canucks will host them on Saturday in hopes of keeping their winning streak alive. Vancouver has scored consecutive road wins over the Vegas Knights and Coyotes and will need to put a few more together as they still trail the Dallas Stars by 6 points for the final wild-card spot.
The Vancouver Canucks need this win badly and they know it. The Canucks have already won both meetings against the Sharks this season by a combined score of 10-6 so this has been a favorable draw for them. I think they will make it 3-0 against San Jose on the season with a home win on Saturday, drawing even closer to a possible playoff spot.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-154)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
