We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move towards the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder is starting to take shape. Every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
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Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
Carolina Hurricanes @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 1.00PM ET
Two Metropolitan Division teams face off on New Year’s day, when the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes are currently on a three game winning streak, with wins over the Red Wings, Kings and Canadiens. The Blue Jackets won their game last time out, 4-3, in a shootout, against the Predators.
Denis Kirilov
The Carolina Hurricanes will travel to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets on Saturday night. The team from Raleigh has been doing pretty well from the beginning of the season. They have the best record taking into account the fact that they have played less games. The Hurricanes are currently 3rd in the standings with 45 points from 30 matches. For example, the top 2 teams, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, are with 47 points from 33 games. Moreover, the Hurricanes are coming into this fixture after recording 3 straight wins at PNC Arena. Carolina has had some troubles with COVID-19, but now they are almost all cleared out from the health and safety protocols. The team is looking to take back what’s theirs and that’s the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Blue Jackets are playing some decent ice hockey, but they are still far away from the top teams in the League. They are 10th in the East with 31 points from 29 games. The Blue Jackets have a bit longer list with sidelined players due to COVID-19. The team will surely try to do their best in order to make the Playoffs, but they all know this will be a tough task. They have won their first game after the mini-break against the Nashville Predators at home, thus putting an end to their 2-game losing streak. The team has some troubles in defense as they have conceded almost 100 goals as they will need to further work on that aspect of the game. I think that the Hurricanes are far superior and they will easily close out the match.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-176)
Tony Battalio
The Carolina Hurricanes come into this game as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League so far this season. They currently possess a record of 22-7-1 on the season. Carolina is currently on a three game winning streak as they head into this game with the Blue Jackets. Their game against Columbus will be the first game of a quick one game road trip before returning to home ice for a few games. Carolina is one of the leading candidates to come out of a loaded Eastern Conference this season. They are currently in first place in the Metropolitan Division, tied with the Washington Capitals.
Wheels up ✈️ pic.twitter.com/tUN8HHlorF
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) December 31, 2021
The Columbus Blue Jackets picked up a huge shootout win over the Nashville Predators in their first game back from the extended Christmas break. They come into this game against the Hurricanes with a record of 15-13-1 on the year. They have been a pleasant surprise this season, as not many people expected them to be as competitive as they have been so far this season. However I don’t see them picking up the win in this game as I have the Carolina Hurricanes picking up the win on the road in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-176)
Michael Lantz
The Carolina Hurricanes breezed past the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, winning 4-0 and carrying over the offensive dominance they displayed prior to the league’s pause. A big part of their recent surge has come from the play of Teuvo Teravainen, who has tallied seven points in the last five games. They’ll look to keep the offense going against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that is trying to stay alive in the playoff race.
The Blue Jackets got a convincing win the other night as they beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout. Nashville has been one of the league’s hottest teams in the last month, so the Blue Jackets should be riding high on confidence. That’s just what they need before going up against one of the league’s best teams in the Carolina Hurricanes. Columbus might have home-ice advantage in this one, but right now Carolina looks dominant on both sides of the puck and I have a hard time picking against them.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-176)
Montreal Canadiens @ Florida Panthers – 1.00PM ET
The Montreal Canadiens are on the road on Saturday when they travel to Florida and take on the Panthers. The Canadiens are looking to turn around their current two game losing streak, which includes losses to the Lightning and Hurricanes. The Panthers are now on a two game winning streak, with thanks to wins against the Rangers and Lightning.
Denis Kirilov
The Montreal Canadiens continue with their struggles this year. The team is dead last in the Eastern Conference with 18 points from 33 matches. The Canadiens have lost their last two matchups in the NHL as they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-5 OT) and the Carolina Hurricanes (0-4). On top of that, half of their team has entered the health and safety protocols which will further worsen their situation. This will surely have a huge negative impact on the whole roster as they don’t get much time together on the ice.
The Florida Panthers, on the other hand, are looking at a fantastic 2-game winning streak ahead of their third consecutive match at home. The Panthers defeated the New York Rangers in their first meeting after the mini-COVID-19 break, 4-3. However, the game was quite intense up until the dying moments of the match. Then, they went on to demolish the Tampa Bay Lightning by 9-3. This will surely be a night to remember for the Panthers who occupied the leading individual rankings in the match. Jonathan Huberdeau scored 1 goal and added 4 assists. Anthony Duclair and Alexander Barkov wrap up the top 3 with 3 and 2 points respectively. I think that the Panthers will have quite an easy task tomorrow as they will take on the shorthanded Montreal Canadiens. Hence, I will suggest picking the Panthers to cover their spread throughout the match.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -2.5 (+128)
Tony Battalio
The Montreal Canadiens have really struggled this season. They come into this game with a record of 7-22-4 on the season, as they are nearly 20 games below the .500 mark for the year. If they don’t start to right the ship soon they will quickly find themselves out of the playoff race by the time February comes around. They are currently on a two game losing streak and have lost nine of their last ten games dating all the way back to the end of the month of November. If they want to break such a lengthy skid they will have to play a near perfect 60 or more minutes of hockey to beat a fantastic Florida Panthers team.
The Florida Panthers entered the season as Stanley Cup contenders and they have lived up to the hype thus far. Even with the distraction of having their head coach dismissed at the beginning of the season they have still managed to stay the course and further establish themselves as a threat to their in-state rivals three peat bid. As for the result of this game, I have them picking up another victory and further extending the Canadiens losing streak and run of bad form lately.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-490)
Michael Lantz
The Florida Panthers unleashed fury on Thursday night, winning 9-3 against their rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was a massive statement win, as the Panthers showed the league that they are a legitimate threat to the Stanley Cup throne. Now, they face one of the league’s worst teams in the Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens are 7-22-4, and after they had a positive result on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they went back to being the team they’ve been most of this year, losing 0-4 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Their tough schedule continues as they face the Panthers on Sunday. This Panthers team has elite scoring talent across the board, led by the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Anthony Duclair, and Alessandro Barkov. Those three have helped lead Florida to an Eastern Conference best 117 goals. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have let in an NHL worst 118 goals on the season. Look for the Panthers to continue their offensive firepower and cover over the Habs.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -2.5 (+128)
Edmonton Oilers @ New York Islanders – 2.00PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers hit the road and travel to New York to take on the Islanders, then the Rangers in consecutive games. The Oilers are currently on a two game losing streak, with losses to the Blues and Devils, which takes their season record to 18-12-1. The Islanders have been very inconsistent in their last few games they have played, and this is reflected in their season record, which stands at 9-12-6.
Denis Kirilov
The Edmonton Oilers will take on the New York Islanders in both teams’ first games for 2022. The Islanders had an awful period in November that was later transferred into December as they went on a 0-11 run. Since then, they have been playing on ups and downs, winning one and losing the next game. The team is currently 14th in the East with 24 points from 27 matches. They might still have a shot at the Playoffs, but they will need to outplay teams like the Boston Bruins, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders are the worst performing team in front positions, having scored just 61 goals. On top of that, they regularly conceded a lot of mistakes that lead to an enemy’s goal.
The Oilers are ready to punish such mistakes as they have some of the best forwards in the NHL – Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Right when everyone thought that they were back to winning, they started losing once again. They have just lost their first two away games after the COVID-19 mini-crisis. The team fell victim to the St. Louis Blues who are performing on a very high level from the beginning of the season. They also failed to capitalize their opportunities against the New Jersey Devils who took the better of the Oilers in their particular matchup. However, I think that the Oilers are still good and they should be able to defeat the inconsistent Islanders.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-108)
Tony Battalio
This one should be one of the top games of the weekend as the Edmonton Oilers head south of the border to play the New York Islanders. Edmonton has been in a slump lately however as long as their two stars are on the ice they are always a contender to make a run in the playoffs and potentially win the Stanley Cup this season. Edmonton is coming into this game with a record of 18-12-1 as they will be looking to break a two game losing streak in this competitive road game. This game against the Islanders will be the third game of a lengthy five game road trip that ends with a game against the Rangers and a stop in Toronto.
What a way to bring in the new year. #Isles | @Dimebank pic.twitter.com/s1fEVHGyra
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 1, 2022
The New York Islanders have had a rough go of it this season. They got their brand new area and have looked horrible nearly every single time they have stepped foot in it to play. They are coming into this game with a record of 9-12-6 on the season, and are quickly falling down the standings in a competitive Metropolitan Division. As for the result of this home game, I don’t expect it to get much better for them as I have the Edmonton Oilers to pick up the victory in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-108)
Michael Lantz
The Edmonton Oilers have continued to struggle; after a 2-4 loss to the Blues, they fell 5-6 to the New Jersey Devils. There’s trouble in paradise for Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as they are now at risk of completely missing the playoffs. They’ll need to continue to play at an elite level and get massive help from their depth as they play the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The Islanders have been a massive disappointment; they were supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender, but they’re currently 9-12-6 and are struggling to find ways to win after they started the year on a 13-game road trip. I keep wanting to pick the Oilers to win, but they’ve been so frustrating that I have to go with the Islanders to pull an upset at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders (-111)
St. Louis Blues @ Minnesota Wild – 7.00PM ET
The Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild will be played at Target Field, which is home of MLB’s Minnesota Twins, in Minneapolis. The Blues have won three of their last four games, which takes their season record to 18-9-5. The Wild are looking to snap a four game losing streak, with losses to the Kings, Golden Knights, Sabres and Stars.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues will try to surprise the Minnesota Wild in their Target Field in Minneapolis. The former leader in the Western Conference, the Wild, are looking at a 4-game losing streak that began with a narrow 1-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on December 11th. They went on to lose two more matches on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars. Minnesota also suffered an upset against the Buffalo Sabres in their last fixture before Christmas. This resulted in them dropping to 4th place with 40 points, but they are still able to contest the top spot with just a single win.
The current situation within the Blues is quite different. They are ahead of the Minnesota Wild in the standings, staying 2nd with 41 points from 32 games. However, the Blues have a lot of difficulties playing on the road. They have lost 7 out of their last 8 matches away from home as they find it hard to go past their opponents’ keeper. If we look at the bigger picture, I would say that the Blues slowly, but surely turn into a title contender. However, their underperformance away from Enterprise Center concerns me and I would be reluctant to go with them in this contest. Actually, it will be quite the opposite as I will suggest picking the Minnesota Wild. The team from Minneapolis knows how to take advantage of the current circumstances and they are in luck as Barbashev, Buchnevich, Bortuzzo, and Schenn will miss the game for the St. Louis Blues.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-128)
Tony Battalio
This year’s version of the National Hockey League Winter Classic is going to be one of the best ones in the game’s history. As two of the top teams in the NHL this season will meet at Target Field for this clash, between Central Division opponents. The Minnesota Wild are coming into this game with a record of 19-9-2 so far this season, as they find themselves currently in second place of the Central Division, a single point behind their opponents in this matchup. However they are currently on a four game losing streak that they will be looking to break in this game.
As for the previously mentioned St. Louis Blues, they come into this game with a record of 18-9-5. They are currently in first place in the Central Division heading into this one. They picked up a win in their last game, and have won three of their last four games as the calendar turns to 2022. They will be looking for a win to extend their division lead in this game. However as for the result of this game, I don’t see it happening as I have the Minnesota Wild picking up the victory in this one at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-128)
Michael Lantz
At one point both of these teams were the hottest in the NHL. The Minnesota Wild really struggled before the pause, as they lost four straight games, but somehow have maintained the ability to stay one point out of first place in the Central Division. Now that they’ve returned from the pause, they’re looking to get back to their winning ways as they take on a very tough St. Louis Blues team.
The Blues are currently leading the Central Division, after they grabbed a 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Vladimir Tarasenko has proven he’s as elite as ever, as he’s tallied 32 points this year. This Blues team is slowly but surely looking like the team that many expected to compete for a Stanley Cup, after they battled through an inconsistent start. The Wild have had a few weeks to recompose themselves after a shaky start—I’ll pick them to win at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (+106)
Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET
The Ottawa Senators hit the road and on Saturday night they travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. The Senators have had five games in a row postponed, so they will be eager to get back on the ice in a competitive game, and their season record currently stands at 9-17-2. The Maple Leafs have had six games in a row postponed meaning they haven’t played since mid-December, and their season record currently sits at 20-8-2.
Denis Kirilov
A fantastic Canadian derby will take place on Saturday in the NHL as the Ottawa Senators fly to Toronto to face off the Maple Leafs in what promises to be a very intriguing contest. The situation within both squads is similar, but their rankings have been devastating for the Senators so far this season. They have won just 9 games out of 28 opportunities. The Senators have a long list of sidelined players due to COVID-19 as most of them are their starters. The Maple Leafs aren’t quite different in terms of unavailability. They will officially be without 13 of their players for the upcoming fixture against the Ottawa Senators.
The Maple Leafs are currently 6th in the East with 42 points from 30 matches. They still have a lot of time to take back the lead in the Conference. However, they will try to do that as soon as possible in order to avoid missing out on the great opportunity to ride the wave alongside Auston Matthews who seems to have found his peak form around Christmas. The team relies much on his plays in front positions, but since he regularly scores against their biggest rivals, I think that this concern can be wiped out. He knows how to make the Maple Leafs’ fans happy at Scotiabank Arena and I believe he will do exactly that on Saturday night. I would suggest going for Toronto to cover its spread, although they have plenty of players in the health and safety protocols.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (-112)
Tony Battalio
The Ottawa Senators come into this game with a record of 9-17-2 on the season. They are currently on a five game losing streak and things don’t look to be getting better anytime soon as the season progresses. Ottawa finds themselves in seventh place in a very competitive Atlantic Division. If they don’t turn their play around they will quickly find themselves out of the playoff race by the month of February. They have been one of the most affected teams by the Covid-19 postponements as they have had a number of games postponed up until this point.
“Terrific work by Ridly Greig in the corner to win that puck, to keep it alive”#GoSensGo | #WorldJuniorspic.twitter.com/rf1Six5E23
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 29, 2021
The Toronto Maple Leafs are primed to make a run in the loaded Eastern Conference this season. Toronto is coming into this game with a record of 20-8-2 on the season, however they may have some rust as they haven’t played a game since the middle of December. Prior to the string of postponed games, they had picked up victories in three of their last four games. As for the result of this game, I have them picking up another win in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-112)
Michael Lantz
In a Canadian battle between two of the league’s oldest teams, these squads were very different teams prior to the league’s pause. The Maple Leafs were a dominant offense headed by the likes of Austin Matthews, John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot. Now they’ll face the Ottawa Senators who may have a subpar record, but are oozing with young talent. Before the stop in play, the Senators had lost two games, but before that they utterly dominated two of the league’s top teams: the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But that was a few weeks ago, they can’t come in with the same mindset when they face a dominant team like the Toronto Maple Leafs. For this New Year’s battle, I expect the Maple Leafs to take care of business-—you can never trust the Senators—they love to play upset, but I think the Leafs should be able to handle them at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-295)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
