The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are heaps of games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With so many teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
What will today’s games bring? Which teams will have the ability to get the all important win on the board? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for some great games! 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 preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
Florida Panthers @ Boston Bruins – 7.00PM EDT
The Florida Panthers are one of the two teams left in the NHL that is yet to drop a game, and they are on the road when they take on the Boston Bruins. The Panthers have an 8-0-0 record, and last time out they won against the Red Wings, 3-2, in overtime. The Bruins have been slow to get going this season, with their record at 3-3-0, and last time out they lost, 0-3, to the Hurricanes.
Denis Kirilov
The Panthers are travelling to Boston in a game that might put an end to their fantastic winning run in the beginning of the season. They have already played against each other during this campaign with the Panthers coming out victorious after a 4:1 win. Forsling and Reinhart made the difference in this match, while Pastrnak, Marchand, Bergeron, and McAvoy had no response to their plays.
Florida leads the Eastern Conference with 8 wins out of 8 games and with 16 points respectively. They have shown their vulnerability against the Red Wings in their previous match, but the Panthers managed to close it out after 3 minutes of overtime. The Bruins seem out of shape in the early stages of this season as they are 50% in their 6 games and their wins aren’t special at all. I will choose the consistency and the momentum and I will pick the Panthers as the winner of this fixture.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers started off hot and are still rolling following their win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night, even though the game took Overtime to decide a winner. However they also just lost a big part of their success, as their coach stepped down amid the ongoing sexual abuse scandal that his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, are involved in. So, only time will tell if this team does not allow the distraction and the lack of a coach affect them in the long term.
🎥 Bruce Cassidy, Taylor Hall, Jeremy Swayman, and Brad Marchand meet with the media following tonight’s 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes: pic.twitter.com/7TzcVXoNJO
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 29, 2021
As for their play on the ice it could not be any better as they have raced out to an 8-0-0 record on the season. This is a team that could easily find themselves undefeated for the entire month of October with a win in Boston at TD Garden on Saturday night. However, it will be no easy task to achieve 9-0-0 against a scrappy Boston Bruins team led by Brad Marchand.
As for the previously mentioned Boston Bruins, they come into this game at home with a record of 3-3 on the season. It has been a mixed bag of sorts so far for Boston as they have shown flashes of being a contending team. They have also shown flashes of the truth and that truth is they have an aging core who is likely spending one final season together as they chase the Stanley Cup that’s eluded them for the past 10 seasons.
This game will be very competitive and fast paced, and it could very well end in Overtime or a Shootout win for either Boston or Florida. It could also end up being an offensive display or a defensive one as well. However I think, despite the distractions, Florida is playing unbeatable hockey right now. That is why I believe the Florida Panthers will come away with their ninth consecutive win in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers
Michael Lantz
The Florida Panthers didn’t let the abrupt resignation of Joel Quenneville tear them down, as they powered past an upstart Detroit Red Wings team to start the season off 8-0-0. They got a big game from Aleksander Barkov who scored two goals which equaled his season total. Getting Barkov going just adds another branch to this already lethal Panther team.
The Panthers look to extend to 9-0-0 against the Boston Bruins in the TD Garden. Florida and Boston just faced each other on Wednesday night, where the Panthers beat the Bruins, 4-1, in Miami. At 3-3, Boston has struggled against their toughest opponents, but they hope to spoil the Panthers on Friday night. But, there’s just something in the air in Miami right now, so I’ll say the same thing here as I said in my NBA picks revolving around the Miami Heat: until the Florida Panthers get a legitimate loss, I’m going to have a hard time picking against them.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers
Chicago Blackhawks @ St. Louis Blues – 8.00PM EDT
The winless Chicago Blackhawks look to right the ship on the road when they take on the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. The Blackhawks record currently stands at 0-6-2, and in their previous game they lost, 3-6, to the Hurricanes. The Blues on the other hand, have only dropped one game, with their record at 5-1-0, and in their previous game they lost to the Avalanche, 3-4.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues suffered their first loss of their campaign against the Colorado Avalanche at home. The game came down the wire, but the guests managed to contain their advantage in the final minutes, thus winning 4:3. The absence of St. Louis’ captain and forward, Ryan O’Reilly, was felt much as the Avalanche were the more dominant team throughout the whole game.
The Chicago Blackhawks had probably the worst start to a season in their franchise history after losing all eight opening matches. However, they seem to be picking up a bit after their performance against the Maple Leafs and the Hurricanes in their last two games. Although they lost to the Hurricanes by 3 goals, they had their moments and opportunities throughout the match and this brings slight hope to their fans. Borgstrom, Jones, Kalynuk, Kane, Khaira, and Stillman are expected to miss the game against the Blues and I personally think that’s a little too much. Hence, I will confidently pick the St. Louis Blues winning the game by at least two goals difference.
Denis’ NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Blackhawks looked absolutely lost on Friday night in their massive loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. That loss extends their losing streak to a total of 8 games as they still remain winless on the season. It will certainly not get much better anytime soon as in the second game and final game of this road trip they play the 5-1 St. Louis Blues.
As for the previously mentioned St. Louis Blues they saw themselves at 5-0-0 and undefeated until they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in their last game by a score of 4-3 on Thursday evening. Even in defeat they have continued to light up the scoreboard adding another 3 Goals to their impressive early season total thus far.
In this game, the St. Louis Blues should have no issue defeating a depleted Chicago Blackhawks team. No one knows just how long the losing and winless streak will last for the Blackhawks at this point. I look for the Blues to not only win but cover the 1.5 goal spread as well on Saturday night.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5
Michael Lantz
The Chicago Blackhawks franchise is in a state of disarray right now. Aside from ugly front office issues, the team has been pitiful, going 0-6-2. They furthered that embarrassment on Friday night losing 6-3 the Carolina Hurricanes— a top team that showed the Blackhawks they have a long way to go if they want to return to the Stanley Cup days of the early-2010s.
On the other side of the puck, the St. Louis Blues were brought down to earth on Thursday night.
Going into their game against the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis sat an impressive 5-0, but if you dug a little deeper it was pretty easy to discover none of those wins were that impressive. Colorado ended up beating them 4-3 in a physical game. St. Louis has had no problem taking out bad teams like Chicago, so with this game at home, I expect them to get back on the winning side of things.
Michael’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues
Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.00PM EDT
The Minnesota Wild are on the road again when they take on the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. The Wild currently have a season record of 5-2-0, and last time out they lost, 1-4, to the Kraken. The Avalanche have a season record of 3-4-0, and in their last game they won, 4-3, against the Blues.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Wild will have to face their first real challenge for this season as they are coming up against the Colorado Avalanche. The team from Denver has been struggling with injuries in the opening games and this might serve as an excuse for the 4 losses they have already registered in their campaign. Francouz, Girard, Matteau, Nichushkin, Rantanen and D. Toews will be sidelined for the match against the Minnesota Wild.
However, the Colorado Avalanche are coming into this game after a 4:3 away win against the tough team of the St. Louis Blues. Minnesota, on the other hand, had to play against the rookies from Seattle who released the kraken and defeated the Wild, 1:4. I think this game might be of huge importance for both teams as one of them is desperately trying to avoid getting into a losing streak, while the other needs to start picking up with their rivals and live up to the high expectations set by the whole NHL community. In my opinion, the latter will prevail as the Avalanche will be eager to put an end to their losing streak at home (0-2) and please their fans with their performance in tomorrow’s game.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+154)
Tony Battalio
Minnesota started their 2021-22 season undefeated but seem to have hit a rough patch this week as they have now lost their last two out of three games by a combined score of 9-3. Those 2 losses came to two of the worst teams in the National Hockey League this season, the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators. This game against the Colorado Avalanche will be the 3rd game of a 3 game road trip to end the month of October.
“I played forward the first 8-10 years of my life. So it’s in my roots, but it’s been awhile.”#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/OPiahwrs5D
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 29, 2021
The Colorado Avalanche were preseason favorites to make a run and potentially win the Stanley Cup trophy. However the start of their season has not gone as expected. They currently sit at 3-4-0 and will need to start to string a winning streak together to get their season turned around as fast as possible. It will not be easy as they do not have a favorable schedule approaching them in the month of November. It includes multiple games against Columbus and games against San Jose and Dallas as well.
As for this game, I believe the Minnesota Wild will find a way to get back on the right track and fix their result slump. The Wild have all the tools it takes to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and once they get the correct formula figured out, they will be a team that will be frustrating to play against night in and night out.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (+132)
Michael Lantz
The Colorado Avalanche got the big win they needed on Thursday night defeating an undefeated St. Louis Blues team 4-3. It was a feisty game, but the Avalanche prevailed without Mikko Rantanen and only one assist between Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog (it was courtesy of MacKinnon). Having their depth step up was the deciding factor for the Avs, something they’ve needed more of and will continue to if they have any hopes of winning a Stanley Cup.
The team’s next test comes against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild were undefeated on the road before a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. Although they were stifled by the expansion teams, the Kraken, it should be noted the Wild were without leading scorer Mats Zuccarello. Still, their defense was allowing the Kraken to get off shots from all over the ice and if it wasn’t for a valiant effort by Cam Talbot, that game could’ve been a lot worse. It won’t be any easier facing the firepower of the Avalanche. As good as Minnesota has been on the road, I think the Avalanche will continue to ride high after that big win against the Blues the other night.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+154)
Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM EDT
The Edmonton Oilers are on the road when they take on the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers have a season record of 5-1-0, and last time out they lost to the Flyers, 3-5. The Canucks have had a bit of a mixed bag so far this season, with a record of 3-4-1, and in their previous game they also lost to the Flyers, 1-2.
Denis Kirilov
The Edmonton Oilers suffered their first loss for the season in their game on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. They started off the game pretty insecure and conceded two goals in the opening 10 minutes. Later on, they managed to form a comeback just to concede another two goals in the 3rd Period. However, despite this loss, the team still looks great and their high ambitions are justified.
On the other hand, we have the Vancouver Canucks who clinched three wins from the start of the campaign and suffered four losses during this period. Two of their victories came against some of the weakest teams in the League like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Seattle Kraken. There will be too many players who will be missing for the hosts from Canada and the Canucks will most certainly pay the price. Ferland, Sutter, Poolman, Dickinson, and Hamonic are amongst some of the players who will be sidelined for the game. I believe that the difference between these two teams will be visible throughout the whole match and Edmonton will win with ease.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-146)
Tony Battalio
Despite losing their first game of the season to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night by a score of 5-3. Edmonton is still on paper one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. They are certainly a team that will not allow losses to start to string together either. Saturday’s game will be the only game of a quick 1 game road trip. It will come against fellow Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks, who the Oilers have already faced and beaten once in the regular season this year.
As for the previously mentioned Vancouver Canucks they too, much like Edmonton, came off a loss to the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 2-1. However unlike Edmonton, Vancouver is sporting a losing record on the season at 3-4-1. Vancouver comes into this game on a two game losing streak following losses to Minnesota on Tuesday and previously mentioned Philadelphia on Thursday night. They will be looking to break their two game skid against one of the best teams in the league, so it will be no easy task.
As for the game, it could very well turn into a blowout win for Connor McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers if he keeps putting up numbers like he has in every game thus far this season. If Vancouver can manage to keep McDavid contained they could very well make a game out of this one and even pull off an upset win, however some things are easier said than done and this is why I am taking the Edmonton Oilers to win this game and cover the 1.5 goal spread.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+172)
Michael Lantz
In what should be an exciting Pacific Division showdown, both the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks are looking to bounce back after losses against the Philadelphia Flyers. These two Canadien rivals already faced off in their season opener, with Edmonton taking it in OT. But this was after Vancouver clawed back in the third period to force the extra time, as their defense made some clutch adjustments against this powerhouse Edmonton offense.
While we all know how valuable Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are to the Oilers, Vancouver has had no shortage of playmakers as well. Conor Garland and J.T. Miller has each stacked up eight points and Quinn Hughes continues to be outstanding in both his defensive and offensive contributions. As much as I like the potential Vancouver has for the upset, I was really impressed with how the Oilers were playing before their third quarter on Wednesday night. I don’t expect them to underwhelm again, so I’ll pick them for the outright win.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-146)
Philadelphia Flyers @ Calgary Flames – 10.00PM EDT
The road trip continues for the Philadelphia Flyers when they travel to Calgary to take on the Flames. The Flyers have a decent season record, currently standing at 4-1-1, and last time out they won against the Canucks, 2-1. The Flames also have a good season record, at 5-1-1, and in their last game they won, 4-0, against the Penguins.
Denis Kirilov
The leader in the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames, will host the high-flying Philadelphia Flyers who have got 4 wins out of their last 5 games. Philly proved that they will be contenders for the Stanley Cup with victories over the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins. They also played a decent match against the Florida Panthers, but eventually lost, 2:4, after two unanswered goals in the last period.
The Calgary Flames are in a 5-game winning streak, defeating teams like the Washington Capitals, the New York Rangers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Most of these victories were dominant as Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, and Andrew Mangiapane displayed a great understanding between each other which led to them having a blast on the ice. However, this upcoming fixture will be a bit different as the Flyers have shown that they can play like equals against top-tier teams in the NHL and I expect a tight contest that will go down the wire. Hence, I will give a bit riskier prediction choosing the tie as the outcome after regular time. If I have to pick how the game will end, I would say “a win for Philly after a penalty shoot-out”.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tie (+320)
Tony Battalio
This is a game between two of the National Hockey League’s hottest teams at the moment. Both Calgary and Philadelphia come into this game with favorable records. The Calgary Flames are welcoming the Philadelphia Flyers to Canada on Saturday evening while sporting a 5 game winning streak after beginning the season at 0-1-1. As for the Philadelphia Flyers, they too ride a winning streak of their own that sits at 2. This is also the third and final game of a three game road trip for Philadelphia. It is also the first game of a five game homestand for the Calgary Flames.
Friday vibes. #BringItToBroad pic.twitter.com/YUnxdPbzJI
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 29, 2021
Both of these teams have been racking up wins at a fast and dominating pace recently. During the Flyers two game winning streak, they have beaten the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks so they look to continue beating up on the fellow north of the border Calgary Flames in this one. As for the previously mentioned Calgary Flames, over the course of their 5 game winning streak they have added victories over Pittsburgh, New York, New Jersey and the Washington Capitals, all 4 are very good teams and will be in the playoff race at the end of the year. This is a game that will be back and forth and in my opinion will end with the Calagry Flames extending their winning streak and continuing their recent fantastic form on the ice.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-156)
Michael Lantz
This should be a fun matchup between two teams that haven’t faced each other in nearly two years (November 2019). Both the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers have plenty of big play forwards, but they also have reliable defenses for when the offense is having a slow night. The Flyers only gave up one goal to the Canucks on Thursday night and the night before they adjusted against a high powered Oilers offense and shut them down in the third period after giving up three goals in the first two.
Calgary has also played great across the board: players such as Elias Lindholm and Andre Mangiapane are second in goals scored and Johnny Gadreau is leading the league in assists. Additionally, goalie Jacob Markstrom has shown brilliance in the goal, providing the team with two shutouts in their last five and almost getting one more against the Rangers in a 5-1 victory. This one is tough, Calgary might seem like the more well-rounded team, but the Flyers have shown resilience on their Canadian road trip. I’m going to go with an upset and pick the Flyers in a close one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+130)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
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