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.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Arizona Coyotes – 5.00PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins wrap up their three game road trip on Saturday when they travel to Arizona and take on the Coyotes. The Penguins have won three of their last four games, and this takes their overall record on the season to 37-16-9. The Coyotes are seeing somewhat of a resurgence at the moment, they have won six of their last seven, with their only loss in this time coming against the Bruins, 2-3.
Marko Nadin
After a while, the Arizona Coyotes have moved up from the bottom of the Western Conference. They are now 15th with a 20-36-4 record, two points ahead of the Settle Kraken. The Coyotes have won 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. That was their 4th road win in the last 5 games. The Coyotes are still at the bottom of the league when it comes to shots on goal and power play conversion. Arizona has lost 21 of the last 29 games as home underdog and 8 of the last 9 Saturday games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-16-9 record. They have won 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues. The Penguins are ranked 4th in the league allowing only 2.6 goals per game, third in defending 86.3% of power plays and 9th in shots on goal allowed with 30.5 per game. Pittsburgh has won 8 of the last 10 games against Arizona. They have won 21 of the last 28 games as road favorites and 5 of the last 7 games playing after 1 day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-285)
Coach Sullivan: “The most encouraging part for me was when they tied the game up, it didn’t affect our mindset just as far as playing on our toes… I thought we just got right back to work and tried to keep playing the game to our strengths.” pic.twitter.com/9WmfFNUazO
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 18, 2022
Tony Battalio
The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming into this game as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season. They currently have a record of 37-16-9 through their first 62 games of the season. They are a bit of a surprise this season as they were expected to be decent but no one could’ve expected they would be competing for a divisional championship like they are. They are currently in second place in the Metropolitan division as they trail the Carolina Hurricanes by 4 points.
The Arizona Coyotes have been one of the most disappointing teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 20-36-4 as they are 20 games below the .500 mark though their first 60 games of the season. Arizona has won their last two games in a row after getting back to back wins over the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. Now they will be looking to make it three in a row with a win in this one. However, as for the result of this game I don’t see it happening as I have Pittsburgh winning.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-285)
St. Louis Blues @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 5.00PM ET
The St. Louis Blues kick off a short two game road trip tonight, when they face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blues will be looking to get back on track after losing six of their last eight games, and their last two in a row against the Jets and Penguins. The Blue Jackets had their three game winning streak snapped last time out, as they were crushed by the Capitals 2-7.
Marko Nadin
The Columbus Blue Jackets are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-28-3 but are 15 points shy of the Capitals who hold the last place that leads in the playoffs. The Blue Jackets are coming off a 7-2 loss to Washington which got their three-game winning streak snapped. Columbus is the third-worst team in the league allowing 3.7 goals per game while they score 3.1 which ranks them 11th in the league. Columbus have won 7 of the last 9 games playing after 1 day rest and 6 of the last 7 games when their opponent is coming off a game in which they scored no more than 2 goals.
The St. Louis Blues are third in the Western Conference with a 34-17-9 record. They have lost 6 of the last 8 games which is their worst run in the season. The Blues are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. St. Louis is ranked fifth in the league scoring 3.5 goals per game and third in converting power play with 25.6%. The Blues have won 7 of the last 10 games against the Blue Jackets. St. Louis has won 4 of the last 5 games coming in after one day rest but has lost 5 of the last 6 games against Eastern Conference teams.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-184)
Not too shabby, Patty. Not too shabby 💯@ColumbiaGasOhio | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/fggPj9G43q
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 18, 2022
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues have been consistently good all season long. They come into this game with a record of 34-17-9 through their first 60 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Central division and will likely go no higher than that as the Colorado Avalanche have pulled away from the rest of the pack. They currently trail the Avalanche by 14 points with 22 games to go, so while there is a chance, with the way Colorado has played it is a slim one at best.
The Columbus Blue Jackets can’t decide if they want to be a playoff team or not it seems like. As they’ve constantly gone hot and then cold all season long. They come into this game with a record of 31-28-3 as they sit exactly at the .500 mark on the season. They are currently in fifth place in the Metropolitan division at the moment and will be looking to save their playoff hopes by getting on a hot streak soon. As for the result of this one I have the Blues getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-184)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Nashville Predators – 7.00PM ET
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the road for just one game when they head on over to Nashville and take on the Predators. The Maple Leafs will be looking to build on their two game winning streak, which includes wins over the Stars and Hurricanes. The Predators will be hoping they can get back on track, after dropping their game last time out, 4-5, against the Flyers.
Marko Nadin
The Nashville Predators are sixth in the Western Conference with a 35-22-4 record. They have won 5 of the last 7 games but are coming off a 5-4 loss over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Predators score 3.2 goals per game which ranks them 12th in the league and what makes this fact interesting is that they are achieving that on only 29.3 shots on goal per game which ranks them 29th in the league. Nashville has won 17 of the last 25 home games and 10 of the last 14 after allowing 5 or more games in the previous game.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 39-17-5 record. They have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Toronto is the best team in the league when it comes to power play conversion with 29.4%. They are also fourth in the league with 3.7 goals per game and seventh with 34.5 shots on goal per game. Toronto has won 5 of the last 6 games after their opponent has allowed 5 or more goals in the previous game and 6 of their last 8 games playing after one day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+104)
can we distract you by watching this goal again? https://t.co/Ohh3yPvLJc
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 18, 2022
Tony Battalio
The Toronto Maple Leafs come into this game as one of the possible Stanley Cup contenders in what is a loaded Eastern Conference this season. The Maple Leafs come into this game with a record of 39-17-5 through their first 61 games of the season. As far as long term consistency is concerned they seem like Canada’s best shot to bring the Stanley Cup back to the great white north. The Maple Leafs are currently in third place in the Atlantic division.
The Nashville Predators are coming into this game with a record of 35-22-4 through their first 63 games of the season. They currently find themselves in fourth place in the Central division and will be looking to get themselves back into the top three as the final few weeks of the regular season is upon us. Earlier in the year Nashville actually found themselves on top of the division for a while. As for the result of this game I have the Toronto Maple Leafs getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-125)
New York Rangers @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 8.00PM ET
The New York Rangers kick off a three game road trip, and their first stop is in Tampa Bay to play the Lightning. The Rangers have won five of their last games, and this brings their season record to 38-18-5. The Lightning have followed up their three game losing streak by winning their last two games in a row, against the Canucks and Kraken.
Marko Nadin
The Tampa Bay Lightning are third in the Eastern Conference with a 39-15-6 record. They are coming off a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken which was their second win in a row after dropping the previous three games. The defending champions are ranked seventh in the league with 3.4 goals per game. They have won 6 of the last 8 games following a win and 21 of the last 27 games following a road trip of 7 or more days. The Lightning have players under the total goals margin in the last 4 games and in 8 of the last 12 games against Eastern Conference teams.
The New York Rangers are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 38-18-5 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-1 home loss to their city rival, the New York Islanders. The Rangers are third in the league allowing only 2.6 goals per game and second in the league converting 26.9% of their power plays. The Rangers have won 3 of the last 4 games against Tampa Bay. The Rangers have played under the total goal margin in the last 7 games against Eastern Conference rival and in the last 4 games against a team with a winning record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-102)
Welcome to the sunshine, @Bhags9. 😎 pic.twitter.com/MO3oMvyNVF
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 18, 2022
Tony Battalio
This one is going to be the best game of the Saturday evening slate. The New York Rangers will take on the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both of these teams are serious Stanley Cup contenders this season as New York is a bit of a surprise while Tampa Bay is looking to complete their three peat. The New York Rangers come into this game with a record of 38-18-5 through their first 61 games of the season. They are currently in a playoff spot and will try to clinch one with the regular season winding down.
The Tampa Bay Lightning come into this game with a record of 39-15-6 through their first 60 games of the season. The Lighting have been playing much better now than they were towards the beginning of the season. They will have to stay consistent if they want to go all the way again and cap off their legendary run to three straight Stanley Cup titles. As for the result of this game however, I think it’s the New York Rangers that get the win in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+172)
Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM ET
In one of the last games for the night in the NHL, we will see two teams from the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks, face off against each other. The Flames are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Sabres, 0-1. The Canucks have lost three of their last four games, with their only win in this time coming against the Devils 6-3.
Marko Nadin
The Vancouver Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 30-25-7 record and after a while the playoff berth is within reach. The Canucks have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 1-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Vancouver scores and allows 2.8 goals per game which ranked them 21st offensively and 13th defensively. The Canucks have won 4 of the last 5 games against Western Conference rivals and 5 of the last 7 games as underdogs.
The Calgary Flames are second in the Western Conference with a 37-16-8 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 1-0 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Calgary is the second-best defensive team in the league allowing 2.4 goals per game and are ranked sixth with 3.4 scored goals per game. They have won 6 of the last 10 games against Vancouver and 11 of the last 13 against conference rivals. Calgary has also won 16 of the last 21 games against teams with a losing record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-130)
“We’ve got to make sure we learn how to win those tight games.”
Mikael Backlund and Trevor Lewis reflect on the overtime loss to the Sabres. pic.twitter.com/5SuRuIlYgR
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 19, 2022
Tony Battalio
The Calgary Flames have been one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League over the last couple of months. They are currently in first place of the Pacific division and continue pulling away from the rest of the pack as Las Vegas and Los Angeles keep falling behind. They are playing the second game of a back to back in this one after facing off with the Buffalo Sabres on Friday evening. Surprisingly that game went down to the wire as it was scoreless late in the third period. In the end it was the Sabres who got the OT win.
The Vancouver Canucks are coming into this game having shown tremendous improvement from last season when they were one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League. They come into this game with a record of 30-25-7 through their first 62 games of the season. With only 20 games left in the year they are very much in playoff contention despite having a losing record. They are only a couple of points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference. However, as for the result of this game I have the Calgary Flames getting the win in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-130)
If you’re looking for more NHL news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your ice hockey needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
