We are so excited that the NHL is back, and there are more games on today for us fans to sink our teeth into. There are again more teams taking the ice, as some teams look to open their accounts, while others are back for their second or even third game of the season.
What will today’s games bring? Who will be able to get a win on the board and get their season off to a strong start? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for a fantastic day! So gear up, sit back, relax and watch. 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 hand pick and preview the best five games on today’s schedule!
Dallas Stars @ Boston Bruins – 7.00PM EDT
The Dallas Stars travel to Boston for their second game of the season, the Stars got off to a good start in their first game, defeating the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime. The Bruins are yet to kick off their campaign, but will do so in front of a home crowd.
Denis Kirilov
The Boston Bruins welcome the Dallas Stars in TD Garden for their opening game. They are beginning the 2021/22 season in good shape without many absences and are ready to start their journey to the Playoffs. They had six pretty close pre-season games where they faced decent teams like Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Rangers. Due to the nature of these games, both teams played a bit more defensively towards the last period.
On the other side, the Dallas Stars are showing improvement in their offensive end. They have managed to defeat the New York Rangers after overtime, 3:2, but what’s important is their efficiency in front of goal – 11%. If they keep this number tomorrow against the Bruins, the game will definitely be spectacular. Hence, I believe that if we see an early goal tomorrow, teams’ formation will open wide and many more goals will follow.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (+112)
Tony Battalio
The Dallas Stars are 1-0-0 coming into this game after a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers on October 14th. Meanwhile this will be the first game of the season for the Boston Bruins. Dallas won a hard fought season opener, which was led by Miro Heislanen’s 1 Goal and 1 Assist performance. Although he did not start the game, Anton Khudobin was awarded the win in between the pipes, after he came on in relief for Braden Holtby, who gave up both Rangers goals.
By the way, we play hockey – for real – tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/qWcp5DNjHW
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 15, 2021
Now Dallas will be looking to spoil the Bruins first game at TD Garden this season. However it will not be an easy task going up against Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Dallas will be playing their second game in three days while the Bruins will be fresh and ready to go on their own home ice. Due to those circumstances I’ll be taking Boston in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-176)
Michael Lantz
The Dallas Stars picked up a clutch win against a riled up Rangers team that was looking to score win number one at home. They now continue their East Coast road trip by traveling to the TD Garden to take on the Boston Bruins in their season opener.
The Bruins are a constant contender and still have outstanding talent in the likes of forwards Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, but that talent isn’t getting any younger, as they’re seen as “over the hill” by many analysts. But, I’ll give them the win in this one due to their rest and the fact that Dallas had to grind out a tough one in NYC just last night.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-176)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM EDT
The defending champs travel to Washington for their third game of the season. After losing their opening clash, the Lightning managed to get a narrow overtime victory against the Red Wings, 7-6. The Capitals will be playing their second game of the season, and have already chalked up one win, against the Rangers, 5-1.
Denis Kirilov
Washington Capitals are entering their 2nd game of the season after recording a massive 5:1 win against the New York Rangers. Ovechkin scored twice and provided 2 assists to his teammates and proved once again that he is one of the best wingers in the NHL, if not the best. The Capitals are not struggling with injuries and everything suggests that they have a great chance tomorrow. Moreover, they haven’t lost in regular time to the current Stanley Cup Champions for six games in a row.
Contrary to the Capitals, Tampa Bay struggled in their first two games. They lost their opening match against the Penguins at home in Amalie Arena, conceding 6 goals. Two days later they faced the Detroit Red Wings who also managed to go past their goaltender, Vasilevski, on six separate occasions. This can only mean that there are some misunderstandings in their defensive line and they will need more time to deal with this problem. Hence, I would choose the Washington Capitals to win their game against the Lightning.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (+108)
Tony Battalio
Before the puck dropped to start the season, Tampa Bay almost certainly were favored to return to the Stanley Cup Finals and potentially 3-peat. After two games they look more like the worst squad in the National Hockey League, usually world class goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has given up 9 Goals in 2 games, and 3 of those came to a Penguins team without Crosby and Malkin, and 6 more from Detroit just a few nights later. Despite winning 7-6 in overtime versus the Red Wings, this is not a formula that can continue for Tampa Bay if they want to give themselves a chance at winning 3 straight Stanley Cups.
It will almost certainly not get easier as across the ice is one of the greatest scorers in NHL history, Alexander Ovechkin. After a 2 Goal performance in a dominating win to open the season, the Washington superstar will be looking to add to his total in what could potentially be a record shattering year for him. Based on how shaky Tampa Bay has looked this year, betting on the Washington Capitals seems like a safer bet.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (+108)
Michael Lantz
Through their first two games the Tampa Bay Lightning have given up 12 goals; even worse it’s been to a depleted Pittsburgh Penguins squad and to the low-ranked Detroit Red Wings team. It’s been a frustrating start on the defensive front and it certainly won’t get any easier as they have to face the now 5th leading goal scorer of all time in Alexander Ovechkin.
Despite Tampa Bay’s subpar defense, they’ve been able to find the net, scoring 10 goals in those two games. This is going to be two teams with a whole lot of offensive firepower—so I’m expecting this one to be goals galore.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-105)
St. Louis Blues @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.00PM EDT
The St. Louis Blues are on the road for their first game of the season when they take on the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche have already got their season off to a good start and will be looking to go 2-0, after beating the Blackhawks 4-2.
Denis Kirilov
Colorado Avalanche continues its mission to lift the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001 against the St. Louis Blues at home. Their opening game against the Chicago Blackhawks started in a brilliant way, since after just 10 minutes of play they were leading 3:0. However, they put on the brakes in the other two periods and the game ended 4:2 in their favor.
St. Louis Blues are far away from title contenders this year mainly due to their weak defense. Both teams faced each other in the Playoffs last year and the Colorado Avalanche just obliterated them. They won all four games with at least three goals difference. In addition to this, in their pre-season games St. Louis Blues lost to Chicago Blackhawks in their home (1:5). Therefore, I don’t see any other good option, but to bet on a victory for the Avalanche. I would choose the Colorado Avalanche to cover their spread (-1.5).
Denis’ NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+146)
Tony Battalio
Colorado comes into this one at 1-0-0 after a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. For St. Louis this will be their first game of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. Colorado’s victory was led by 20 year old rookie Bowan Byram and the veteran left winger Gabriel Landeskog, who both chipped in with 1 Goal and 1 Assist a piece.
We have recalled Megna, Matteau and Sikura from the Colorado Eagles.
Newhook has been reassigned.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/7FgaYvTe2u
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 15, 2021
On the other side of the ice, Perron and O’Reilly will look to start their seasons off on the right foot and put a dent into this Avalanche team who are the clear favorites in the Western Conference and also a top favorite for Stanley Cup champions. Despite already playing a game this season and the Blues being fresh, I still think Colorado has too much firepower for St. Louis to compete with so that’s why I am going with Colorado and the spread.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+146)
Michael Lantz
Despite Nathan MacKinnon’s absence due to COVID, the Colorado Avalanche made quick work of a new look Chicago Blackhawks team with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday night. The Avs will be without MacKinnon again on Saturday and this time their opponent is the 2019 Stanley Cup champions, the St. Louis Blues.
While the Blues still have remnants of that championship squad, it should be noted that star forward Vladimir Tarasenko has been heavily involved in trade talks. The Blues are definitely a team on the decline and even without MacKinnon, I expect the Avalanche to take care of business at home. I hate to be a follower, but that spread is just too juicy of a pick in Colorado’s favor.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+146)
Winnipeg Jets @ San Jose Sharks – 10.00PM EDT
The Winnipeg Jets will be looking not to start their season off 0-2 when they take on the San Jose Sharks, who will be playing at home. The Jets lost the opening clash to the Ducks 1-4. The Sharks are opening their 2021-22 campaign at home and will be hoping the home crowd works in their favor.
Denis Kirilov
San Jose Sharks are opening their season at home against the Winnipeg Jets. They will be looking to surprise their fans with a win tomorrow, but this won’t be an easy task. The team is struggling in front of goal and their defense is not great either. After reaching the Conference Finals in 2019, losing to the St. Louis Blues 2-4, the Sharks found it hard to reach the Playoffs in the next couple of seasons. This year should be no different than the previous as they will be playing game for game and each single win will be a great success.
Although the Winnipeg Jets suffered an upset in their first game this season against the Anaheim Ducks, they still played very well. They were dominating the match, but John Gibson, Anaheim’s goaltender, denied them on several occasions. The Ducks were on the opposite side of the coin – their fabulous shooting percentage (18.18%) led them to a 4:1 victory and the Jets couldn’t do anything about it. However, I think that they are the superior team in this upcoming game and they would prevail either in regular time or after extra-time and penalties.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets (-130)
Tony Battalio
Winnipeg is coming into this game with a loss on the young season after falling to the Anaheim Ducks by a surprising 4-1 scoreline. This will be San Jose’s season and home opener. Hellebuyck will look to bounce back from his horrifying opener in net while Connor and Stastny will be looking to add more points to their individual stats.
As for San Jose, they will be looking to move on from the Evander Kane drama that transpired over the offseason and start their campaign with a big home win. However, I look for the Winnipeg Jets to bounce back from their bad first game performance and take the win on the road in San Jose.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets (-130)
Michael Lantz
On Thursday night, Winnipeg not only lost to a poorly rated Anaheim Ducks team, they got flat out embarrassed. They were hit with a 4-1 loss despite having the much superior squad across the board. For some, this might be seen as a red flag, but as I said in my prediction for that game, the Ducks do need to win some games. Even though I had Winnipeg winning, it wasn’t the easiest pick.
So, I expect the Jets to make a full recovery against another weak opponent in the San Jose Sharks. Connor Hellebuyck is too good of a goalie to let in another 4 goal disaster and this Winnipeg defense they worked hard to improve will work together to come through in the Bay Area with the first victory of the season. I’ll also back away from a repeat moneyline bet and take the Jets spread.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets -1.5 (+176)
Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers – 10.00PM EDT
The Calgary Flames are on the road for their opening game of the season, as they head to Edmonton to take on the Oilers. The Oilers have already played one game, which resulted in a win, against the Canucks, 3-2, in a shootout.
Denis Kirilov
The last pick for tonight comes from the game between Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers began the season with a 3:2 win after penalties against the Canucks. The match was pretty even as the Oilers were doing a fantastic job up until the 3rd Period when Ekman-Larsson and Hughes found their net twice and equalized. However, the Oilers struggled in front of goal against a team that doesn’t really have big potential for the Playoffs and this doesn’t speak well for their ambitions. The injury list is getting larger and this will inevitably take its toll on the players.
Calgary Flames missed the Playoffs last year by a small margin and they are ready to fight even more for their spot this year. In contrast to most of the teams in the NHL, the Flames played eight pre-season games where they tried different strategies with their new additions – Erik Gudbranson, Brett Ritchie, and Blake Coleman. Most of the games were low-scoring as the team rarely concedes more than 2 to 3 goals per game. I am expecting a more defensive play in their opening game for the season and that’s why the under is the better option.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Under 6.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
After an opening season win against the Vancouver Canucks in a game where it took a shootout to get the job done, the Oilers look to go 2-0 against fellow north of the border teams. Connor McDavid provided 2 Assists to help beat the Canucks but did not record a Goal. That is not something that should last long and Connor will be on the board sooner rather than later. For the Flames this will be their season opener and they open on the road against two of the National Hockey League’s best players in McDavid and Draisaitl.
Kassian’s availability for tomorrow, Bouchard’s expanding role, expectations of tomorrow’s #BattleOfAlberta & more – catch up on the #Oilers storylines from today. pic.twitter.com/gEj8Rakkhi
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 15, 2021
So to make a long story short this will not be an easy task by any means. Despite taking it down to the wire against Vancouver, Edmonton is still one of the NHLs best teams and by far the best Canadian team and should win this one with ease on Saturday night. However, in a game with two of the leagues better goalies, I don’t think it will be high scoring and it will likely finish as a 1 goal difference kind of game so the moneyline is the safer bet here.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-144)
Michael Lantz
It’s a derby between the two squads from Alberta. The Edmonton Oilers looked pretty dominant through two periods in their showdown against Vancouver on Wednesday. Then the third period happened, and a young Vancouver team got even by the end of regulation. Edmonton went on to get the overtime victory winning 3-2, but after continuous postseason struggles, the question of their ability to close out games has already arisen.
Calgary on the other hand is trying to prove they still have something left in the tank. At one time, a promising young squad with the likes of Johnny Gaudreau and Matt Tkachuk, the Flames have failed to capitalize with all their talent. In the offseason they lost captain and former Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano. It’ll be interesting to see who can step up and be the head honcho of the squad. This game has exciting front-six’s on both teams, but Edmonton still seems on the up, whereas Calgary seems a bit uncertain.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+176)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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