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.
St. Louis Blues @ New York Islanders – 12.30PM ET
The road trip continues on for the St. Louis Blues who will take on the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon. The Blues had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Rangers, 3-5. The Islanders have lost four of their last five games, with their only win in that time coming against the Ducks, 4-0.
Marko Nadin
The New York Islanders are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-23-8 record. They are 19 points behind the place that leads to the playoffs which pretty much makes that task impossible unless they go on a long winning streak. The Islanders have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 3-4 home loss to Vancouver. The Islanders are the fifth-worst team in the league scoring only 2.5 goals per game. They have lost the last 8 games going in as a home underdog. Still, they have won 4 of the last 5 games against St. Louis.
The St. Louis Blues are one of the hottest teams in the league in the past weeks as they climbed to the third spot in the Western Conference with a 32-15-6 record. The Blues got their four-game winning streak snapped in the last game losing 3-5 against the New York Rangers. The Blues have won 8 of the last 9 games coming in after 2 days of rest and 5 of the last 6 against a team with a losing record. These two teams have played under the total goals margin in their last 5 meetings in New York.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-115)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues come into this game with a record of 32-15-6 through their first 53 games of the season. St. Louis has spent time on top of the Central Division this season, but that was back during the first few weeks of the year. Now they currently find themselves in second place double digit points behind the Colorado Avalanche. St. Louis is currently on a one game losing streak after getting beat by the New York Rangers in their last game. The loss to New York snapped a lengthy winning streak for the Blues. So they will be looking to bounce back in this one on the road.
Make sure to select who you think will score first before the early puck drop tomorrow at 11:30!
Play @together_cu First Goal Vote here: https://t.co/lpiWbSB0uF pic.twitter.com/uTVihcpwqH
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2022
The New York Islanders come into this game looking to hand the Blues their second straight loss in the city that never sleeps. However, it will be much more difficult for the Islanders as they have been so much worse than the Rangers this season. The New York Islanders come into this game with a record of 20-23-8 as they are 11 games below the .500 mark through their first 51 games of the season. The Islanders have been pretty bad in their brand new arena this year as they have a record of 10-11-4 when playing at home. As for the result of this game, I have the St. Louis Blues getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-150)
Jeffery Thomas
The dangerous Blues will kick off Saturday’s action with a Saturday afternoon game in New York against the Islanders. Their offense was pretty good in their last game given they were going against Vezina trophy candidate Igor Shesterkin who has been lights out at home. They put up 3 goals in the 3-5 loss and have produced 4.25 goals per game in the last eight contests. They are 6-1-1 in that span, outscoring opponents by 14.
The Islanders will look to bounce back after coming away empty handed in their last game against the Canucks, despite holding a 3-2 lead halfway through the 3rd period. They’ve been struggling on defense lately, giving up 3.5 goals a game and with their team lacking offensive firepower, it’s led to them losing seven of those ten. The Blues should be able to take advantage of a struggling Islanders defense and generate plenty of offensive chances. I love the price we’re getting on the moneyline here as St. Louis is the much better team and this is one of my favorite bets on the slate.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-150)
Detroit Red Wings @ Florida Panthers – 6.00PM ET
The Detroit Red Wings wrap up their short two game road trip on Saturday night with a game against the Florida Panthers. The Red Wings are playing on back-to-back nights, after facing off against the Lightning last night, in a game they lost, 1-3. The Panthers snapped their three game losing streak last time out, with a win over the Senators, 3-0.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Panthers have fallen from the first place in the Eastern Conference and are now second with a 36-13-5 record, only two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes. Florida snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over Ottawa. The Panthers are the best team in the league scoring 4.1 goals per game on 37 shots. Florida has won 8 of the last 10 games against Eastern Conference teams and 18 of the last 25 games overall. Florida has won the last 3 games against Detroit and 6 of the last 7 played at home.
The Detroit Red Wings are tenth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-19-9 record. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games, most recently 1-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Detroit has played over the total goals margin in 9 of the last 10 games playing without a day off and in 7 of the last 8 games. They have won 4 of the last 5 games against teams from the East but have lost 66 of their last 88 road games. The favorite has won 15 of the last 18 games between these two teams.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-430)
Tony Battalio
The Detroit Red Wings are coming off of the first game of a back to back on Friday night. They faced off with the Tampa Bay Lightning and despite a hard fought effort, they came out of the game with a loss by a score of 1-3. Now they will be looking to bounce back in this one against another top team in the National Hockey League when they play the Florida Panthers. Detroit’s record on the season after the loss is 24-25-6 through their first 55 games of the season. They are currently in fifth place in the Atlantic Division as they are 20 points out of third place in the division.
🎥 Coach Brunette and Ekblad on getting back to our game after today’s practice. pic.twitter.com/LipuEaJHuY
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 4, 2022
The Florida Panthers have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League this season. The Panthers come into this game with a record of 36-13-5 through their first 54 games of the season. They are currently sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. In their last game, Florida got a big 3-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. As for the result of this one, I have the Florida Panthers getting a win over the Detroit Red Wings at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-430)
Jeffery Thomas
The Red Wings finish off their quick two-game road trip in Florida against the Panthers on Saturday. The first leg of the trip was a 1-3 loss to the Lightning where they were thoroughly dominated. It was scoreless after the first period before Tampa got all 16 shots in the first 11 minutes of the period, before taking a 0-1 lead. Detroit got the equalizer and went into the 3rd period tied, before conceding two goals in the final frame to lose. Florida snapped a three-game losing streak (all at home) with a 3-0 shutout win over the Ottawa Senators. It was nice to finally get a win, but besides the goaltending, it wasn’t anything to suggest the Panthers are back to their dominant form.
The Senators aren’t a strong opponent and to only get 3 goals on them on nearly 50 shots was surprising. They now get another opponent in Detroit that they shouldn’t have many problems with but will they finally look like the Florida of old? We cashed our bet fading the Red Wings on the road in their game against the Lightning and now we get them in a similar spot on Saturday. They are on the back-to-back and facing a team leagues ahead of them in talent and I don’t see a way they keep it close. Florida is so dangerous and with them having the rest advantage, they won’t have any problems getting this win in blowout fashion.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -2.5 (+110)
Vancouver Canucks @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET
The Vancouver Canucks wrap up their road trip on Saturday night with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canucks have won four of their last five games, and this takes their season record to 27-23-6. The Maple Leafs had their three game winning streak snapped last time out, as they went down to the Sabres, 1-5.
Marko Nadin
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going through a tough period of the season as they have lost 4 of the last 7 games, most recently 1-5 at home against the Buffalo Sabres. Still, the Maple Leafs are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-15-4 record. Toronto is the fourth-best team in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and are the best one when it comes to PP% with 29%. The Maple Leafs have won 19 of the last 26 games at home and 7 of the last 10 after scoring no more than 2 goals in the previous game.
The Vancouver Canucks are 11th in the Western Conference with a 27-23-6 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. The Canucks have won 7 of the last 10 games on the road and the last four when their opponent is coming off a game in which they scored no more than 2 goals. The home team has won the last ten games between these two teams and the Canucks have lost the last 12 games played in Toronto.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-245)
Tony Battalio
The Vancouver Canucks have been having a somewhat average season. They have shown a lot of improvement from last season, where they finished as one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League. Vancouver comes into this game only two games under the .500 mark with a record of 27-23-6 through their first 56 games of the season. Due to the weakness of the Pacific Division, it’s fair to say if the Canucks can get hot at the right time they could still find their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
So fresh, so clean 🥶@pmrazek34 | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/OtHOk8kzYb
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 4, 2022
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the better teams in the National Hockey League this season. The Maple Leafs come into this game with a record of 35-15-4 through their first 54 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division, only three points behind the Florida Panthers for first place in the division and the Eastern Conference. Toronto is currently on a one game losing streak they will be looking to break. As for the result of this game, I have the Maple Leafs getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-245)
Jeffery Thomas
The Canucks got a big comeback victory against the Islanders on Thursday and it kept their slight hopes at the playoffs alive. They’re making a real push since the hiring of their new head coach Bruce Boudreau, who has led them to a 19-9-4 record. Goalie Thatcher Demko is also a big reason for the turnaround, as he’s played some amazing hockey lately, but he faces a stiff test Saturday against an electric Toronto Maple Leafs offense. It hasn’t been a smooth ride for the Leafs in the last ten games though, as they hold a 5-4-1 record in that span.
The worst loss of those five, has to be the last game out when they were booed off the ice in their 1-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. They’ll have a chance to make it up to their fans with a big win over here on Saturday. The goaltending issues for the Leafs have been a huge problem but they get a matchup here where the Canucks shouldn’t spend much time in front of Toronto’s net. The Leafs will control the play, but with Demko playing as strong as he is, it’s not crazy to see the Canucks keeping this one close with the few opportunities they do get on a counter attack. Vancouver is desperate every night for points and will put together enough of a spirited effort to cover the spread on the road.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks +1.5 (-130)
Nashville Predators @ San Jose Sharks – 8.00PM ET
The Nashville Predators wrap up their short two game road trip on Saturday with a game against the San Jose Sharks. The Predators have lost their last two games to the Lightning and Kraken. The Sharks have traded losses and wins for the last five games and this takes their overall season record to 24-24-6.
Marko Nadin
The San Jose Sharks are having a disappointing season as they are 13th in the Western Conference with a 24-24-6 record. The Sharks have lost 9 of the last 11 games and are coming off a 1-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. San Jose has lost 5 of the last 7 home games and 8 of the last 9 as home underdogs. They have played under the total goals margin in 14 of the last 20 games and in the last 6 against a team with a winning record. San Jose has won 27 of the last 36 games against Nashville at home.
The Nashville Predators are 6th in the Western Conference with a 30-20-4 record. They have lost 6 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 3-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Nashville has won 4 of the last 5 games against San Jose including a 3-1 win earlier this season. Nashville has lost 4 of the last 5 games as favorites and the last six when their opponent is coming off a game scoring no more than 2 goals. They have played over the total goals margin in the last 4 road games and in 14 of the last 20 games as favorites.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-164)
Tony Battalio
The Nashville Predators have put together a pretty decent season thus far as they’ve spent time on top of their division at various points of the year. However, at this point in the year that seems like centuries ago as they now sit in fourth place, outside of the top three in the Central Division. Despite their lack of a playoff spot inside of their division they currently hold onto the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Nashville is currently on a two game losing streak after being knocked off by the Seattle Kraken and Tampa Bay Lightning in their previous two games.
“[The family] is excited to put teal jerseys back on.”@stalock32 speaks to the media for the first time since being traded to San Jose. pic.twitter.com/lfLgK1WJZ9
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 3, 2022
The San Jose Sharks have had a very rough year that has sent them free falling down the Western Conference standings as the season has progressed. San Jose comes into this game with a record of 24-24-6 as they are 6 games below the .500 mark through their first 54 games of the season. They are in seventh place in the Pacific Division, however, they are only ten points out of third place which is currently held by the Edmonton Oilers. As for the result of this game, I have Nashville getting the win on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-164)
Jeffery Thomas
The Nashville Predators are on a brief two-game Western road trip that will conclude on Saturday against the Sharks. In the first game, they blew a 2-0 lead to the Kraken, losing 3-4 on Wednesday. The Preds entered Friday’s action holding the first wild card spot, but if they do not end up making the playoffs they can look at their season series against the expansion Kraken, where they lost two of three. The Sharks had a few days off after a 1-3 loss on Tuesday in Vegas.
It’s been a rough stretch for San Jose since the start of February, going 2-7 and basically eliminating their playoff hopes. They sit 7th in the wild card race and are 10 points back of the second wild card spot. Two teams looking to get back in the win column here, and while Nashville has been very streaky I think it’s them that will be the ones to get it done. The San Jose Sharks are 1-8 in their last nine as a home underdog so this is the ideal get right spot for the Preds and I will be backing them.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-164)
Calgary Flames @ Colorado Avalanche – 10.00PM ET
The final game in the NHL on Saturday night is a doozy as we see the Calgary Flames face off against the Colorado Avalanche. After winning 10 games in a row, the Flames have gone 2-2 in their next four. The Avalanche had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, as they went down to the Coyotes, 1-2.
Marko Nadin
The Colorado Avalanche have a 13 points lead on top of the Western Conference when they host the second placed Calgary Flames. The Avalanche are 40-11-4 so far in the season and have won 4 of the last 5 games. Colorado is coming after a 1-2 loss against the Arizona Coyotes who are at the bottom of the conference. Colorado is the second-best team in the league with 3.9 goals per game and fifth with 35.2 shots on goal per game. The Avalanche have won 43 of the last 51 home games and that will be the case when they host the Flames.
The Calgary Flames have made a huge leap in the Western Conference as they are second at the moment with a 32-14-7 record. Calgary was on a 10-game winning streak before losing 2 of the last 4 games. They are coming off a 4-5 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Flames are the second-best defensive team in the league allowing only 2.5 goals per game and have the sixth-best offense with 3.5 per game. Calgary has won the last five against teams with a winning record and 9 of the last home games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (+126)
Tony Battalio
This is going to be the best game of the evening as two of the best teams in the National Hockey League are set to face off. Both of these teams are currently in first place in their respective divisions and the top two favorites in the Western Conference as well. The Calgary Flames come into this game with a record of 32-14-7 through their first 53 games of the season, as they have started to pull away in the Pacific Division. Calgary is currently on a one game losing streak after losing their last contest.
#Flames fans >>>>>>>> pic.twitter.com/gKPgNtZDk9
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 4, 2022
The Colorado Avalanche have built what feels like an impossible lead to overcome in the Central Division as they are currently 14 points ahead of the St. Louis Blues. They have been the favorites for the Stanley Cup for some time now and that is unlikely to change between now and the playoffs. Colorado is currently on a one game losing streak as well. They come into this game with a record of 40-11-4 through their first 55 games of the season. As for the result of this one, I think home ice will play a part in the outcome which is why I have Colorado winning.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-152)
Jeffery Thomas
The Flames were rolling as the hottest team in the league before suffering a shocking upset loss to the Canadiens on Thursday night. You still can’t take away the fact that they have won 12 of 14 though and will hope to get back on track here. Most of that success recently however has come at home, where they will not be for this game. In their past 10 road games, the Flames are 4-6 and even worse when they are road underdogs, posting a 1-6 record in those situations. The other huge upset on Thursday night came when the Coyotes got the Avalanche by a score of 1-2.
Now they will head back home for a bounce back performance, where they have dominated. The Avs are 21-2 in games where they are priced as home favorites, so with both teams off bad losses this will be very interesting to see how each responds. This game between the Flames and Avs could very well be the preview of the Western Conference Finals. As good as the Flames are, it’s impossible to bet against the Avs at home, as the numbers speak for themselves. It’s also a matchup that the Avalanche have dominated recently with a 6-1 record in their last 7 against the Flames. I like them to make it 7-1 on Saturday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-152)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
