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.
Florida Panthers @ Buffalo Sabres – 1.00PM ET
One of the first games of Sunday’s slate will see two teams from the Atlantic Division face off, when the Florida Panthers travel to Buffalo and take on the Sabres. The Panthers are currently on a three game winning streak after beating the Devils in their game yesterday, 7-6, in overtime. The Sabres have lost three of their last five games, but last time out they did get a good win over the Predators, 4-3.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Panthers are again two points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes on top of the Eastern Conference with a 47-15-6 record. Florida has won 6 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 7-6 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils after being 2-6 down entering the final period. The Panthers are the best offensive team in the league scoring 4.1 goals per game on 37.3 shots on goal per game. Florida has won the last 2 games against Buffalo, 8 of the last 9 games against teams from the Atlantic Division and 9 of the last 12 road games.
The Buffalo Sabres are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-33-11 record. The Sabres have won 2 of the last 3 games and are coming off a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Buffalo is ranked 25th in the league in both scored goals with 2.7 per game and allowed goals with 3.5 per game. The Sabres have won 3 of the last 5 games against Florida but have lost 39 of the last 59 home games. Buffalo has played over the total goals margin in 4 of the last 5 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 7
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League this season. At this point in the year, they are one of the top favorites to not only win the Eastern Conference, but win the Stanley Cup as well. It would be a huge achievement for them to end their in-state rivals two year reign as Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup champions. Florida comes into this game with a record of 47-15-6 through their first 68 games of the season. They are currently on a two game winning streak after getting back to back wins over Chicago and Montreal.
Just your typical Comeback Cats 📸#TimeToHunt
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 3, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League for the last few seasons. Things don’t look to be changing any time soon as it is likely they will start back at square one with their rebuilding process in the off-season. The Sabres had a shockingly hot start to the year but quickly cooled off. Now they come into this game with a record of 25-33-11 through their first 69 games of the season. As for the result of this game, I have the Florida Panthers getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers
Jeffery Thomas
If you are playing the Florida Panthers and are lucky enough to grab a lead, it is never safe until that final buzzer sounds, no matter how large that lead is. They lead the NHL in third period comebacks with 12, but the one they put together on Saturday may be their best one of the season. The New Jersey Devils led the Panthers 2-6 heading into the third period and were pretty much dominating the game from the opening face-off, but something just finally clicked and the Panthers rattled off four unanswered goals to force overtime, where they finally took the victory.
They’ll now have to shift their focus over to the Buffalo Sabres and avoid the let down in another matinee game. The Sabres are coming off a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday. The Sabres have not fared too well in this matchup, losing both meetings by at least 3 goals so it’s not expected for them to get their first win of the season series on Sunday. One thing that should be expected though is a lot of goals, which can be counted on in most Florida Panthers games. The first two meetings of these teams have had an average of 9 goals, so I’m pretty confident we can get to the total of 7 here in what I see as a 5-3 victory for Florida.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7
Vegas Golden Knights @ Vancouver Canucks – 7.00PM ET
A Pacific Division rivalry will take place on Sunday night when the Vegas Golden Knights hit the ice against the Vancouver Canucks. These two teams will be playing each other in back-to-back games, and this will be the first clash. The Golden Knights are coming into this match on a four game winning streak, while the Canucks have lost three of their last four games.
Marko Nadin
The Vancouver Canucks are 11th in the Western Conference with a 32-28-9 record and are 7 points behind the Golden Knights who hold the last spot that leads to the playoffs. The Canucks have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off back-to-back losses to the St. Louis Blues. Vancouver is ranked 10th in the league allowing 2.8 goals per game. The Canucks have won 4 of the last 5 games coming in after 3 days of rest, but have lost the last 4 home games. They have played over the total goals margin in 5 of the last 6 games
The Vegas Golden Knights are 8th in the Western Conference with a 38-24-4 record and have only one point advantage over the Dallas Stars who are pushing from the 9th spot. The Golden Knights have won the last 4 games and are coming off a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Vegas has won 6 of the last 10 games against Vancouver. They are ranked 14th in the league scoring 3.1 goals per game and are ranked 8th with 31 shots on goal per game. Vegas has won 5 of the last 6 games played after a one day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights spent most of the season in first place in the Pacific Division but have started to slide down the standings over the past month or so. Now they come into this game in fourth place and in danger of missing out on the Stanley Cup playoffs. They come into this game with a record of 38-28-4 through their first 70 games of the season. With only 12 regular season games left, the Golden Knights will need to clean it up and regain some momentum before the playoffs.
“If you try to attack it as a big picture, it’s overwhelming. Have to break it down game-by-game.”
🗣 Jason Dickinson meets with the media after Saturday’s practice in Burnaby pic.twitter.com/4NAmAe3dyk
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) April 2, 2022
The Vancouver Canucks are still making a late season push to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. As they come into this game with a record of 32-28-9 through their first 69 games of the season. Vancouver currently finds themselves in fifth place in the Pacific Division at the moment. A win in this one would be huge as they are currently seven points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, which is held by Vegas. As for the result of this one, I have Vancouver getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks
Jeffery Thomas
The Vegas Golden Knights had been struggling and slipped out of playoff contention but were able to take back that second wild card spot with a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Friday. The Canucks are also fighting for that same wild card spot, and will be fired up at the opportunity to play Vegas three times over the next nine days. They’ve already talked anoint how important they know these games are if they want to climb the standings, and getting two of those meetings at home, including this one on Sunday could be the deciding factor.
This is a toss up game and Vegas agrees seeing how they priced the lines. Both teams need this win but the Golden Knights are playing better hockey right now, winning four in a row while Vancouver has lost eight of their last eleven. Vegas has playoff experience on their side, so they know how to perform this time of year, while Vancouver has been showing their youth lately, not closing out games etc. I think Vegas gets this win and keeps their distance in the playoff race.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights
Philadelphia Flyers @ New York Rangers – 7.00PM ET
The Philadelphia Flyers are on the road for just one game when they travel to New York and take on the Rangers. The Flyers are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Maple Leafs, 3-6. The Rangers had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Islanders, 0-3.
Marko Nadin
The New York Rangers are third in the Eastern Conference with a 44-20-5 record. They are coming off a 0-3 home loss to the city rival Islanders which put an end to their four-game winning streak. The Rangers are ranked third in the league allowing only 2.6 goals per game and 11th defending 80.8% of the power play situations. New York has won the last 3 games against Philadelphia. They have won 15 of the last 20 games as home favorites and 6 of the last 7 games played on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Flyers are having a disappointing season as they are 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-36-11 record. The Flyers have lost the last 4 games and are coming off a 3-6 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are ranked 30th in the league scoring only 2.6 goals per game. Philadelphia has lost 36 of the last 51 road games, 35 of the last 52 played without a day off and 16 of the last 21 against Metropolitan Division rivals. The Flyers have played over the total goals margin in 5 of the last 6 road games and 10 of the last 14 games against Eastern Conference rivals.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers
Tony Battalio
It’s been a disappointing season for the Philadelphia Flyers. They come into this game well below the .500 mark, as they have a record of 21-36-11 through their first 68 games of the season. They are dead last in the Metropolitan Division and have already been officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs with 14 regular season games left. Philadelphia is currently on a two game losing streak after losing back to back games to Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins.
“We’re on to Philly. We have 13 games left in the year. It’s a crucial time for us.”
More Goody: https://t.co/GZL4zKllni
Fox: https://t.co/mQ0vrqO3IA
Coach Gallant: https://t.co/ZcoUR3c4Mf pic.twitter.com/5lbMwkIdcx— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 2, 2022
The New York Rangers were a surprise to many when the season got underway. As nobody expected them to be as good as they have been this season. They are one of the potential favorites in the loaded Eastern Conference to win the Stanley Cup this season. New York comes into this game with a record of 44-20-5 through their first 69 games of the season. They currently find themselves in second place in the Metropolitan Division. As for the result of this game I have New York getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers
Jeffery Thomas
All Metropolitan Division tilt here as we get the 7th place Philadelphia Flyers traveling to New York to take on the 2nd place Rangers on Sunday. The Rangers have enjoyed this matchup this season, winning the first two meetings and are looking to bounce back after a shutout loss to the Islanders last time out. That loss was at home and a bounce-back should be expected as the Rangers haven’t lost consecutive games at home since mid-December. The Flyers will come into this game on the back-to-back after losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-6 on Saturday.
That loss marked the fifth time in eight games that the Flyers lost by at least two goals and it’s clear Philly is just getting young guys some ice-time in preparation for next season. The Rangers have the home-ice advantage, rest advantage, goaltending advantage, and better roster in this matchup. It all adds up to a blowout spot against a team that has been very prone to getting blown out recently. I love that Igor Shesterkin will be in net here for the Rangers as he will be able to shut down this Flyers attack and help them cover this spread.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers -1.5
Minnesota Wild @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM ET
The road trip continues on for the Minnesota Wild, who will hit the ice against the Washington Capitals on Sunday night. The Wild are playing two nights in a row, and in their last game they beat the Hurricanes, 3-1. The Capitals have split their last six games, and this takes their record on the season to 37-21-10.
Marko Nadin
The Washington Capitals are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-21-10 record and have a comfortable 13 points lead over the New York Islanders who are in ninth place. The Capitals have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 1-6 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington is ranked 12th in the league scoring 3.2 goals per game and sixth allowing 29.3 shots on goal per game. The Capitals have won 3 of the last 5 games against Minnesota and 18 of the last 26 games played after 3 or more days of rest.
The Minnesota Wild are third in the Western Conference with a 42-20-5 record. They were on a seven-game winning streak before losing the last two against Pittsburgh but have won the last one, 3-1 over Carolina. Minnesota is ranked fourth in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and 19th allowing 3.1 goals per game. The Wild have won 5 of the last 7 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 14 of the last 17 games against Metropolitan Division rivals. Minnesota has played over the total goals margin in 9 of the last 10 games played on Sunday and in 4 of the last 5 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Wild were the best team in the National Hockey League at one point. Now they come into this game fresh off a long winning streak that put them in a great position with only weeks left in the regular season. As they come into this game with a record of 40-22-5 through their first 67 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Central Division but still have a long way to go to reclaim first, as the Colorado Avalanche have run away with the Central Division at this point.
Led all Caps defensemen in assists (11), points (12), blocked shots (23), takeaways (10) and time on ice per game (23:47) in March.
Carly is our Defensive Player of the Month!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/tTXMpHedzb
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 1, 2022
The Washington Capitals will be looking to finish the regular season strong and wrap up at least a wild card spot to get into this season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. Washington comes into this game with a record of 37-21-10 through their first 68 games of the season. They are currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division but also have control of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. As for the result of this game, I have the Minnesota Wild picking up the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Wild will be playing their second game in as many days after taking down the Carolina Hurricanes on the road on Saturday. Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 saves to stay unbeaten with his new team and tied them with the Calgary Flames for the second-most points in the Western Conference (barring what happened with the Flames game later that night). This could be a vulnerable spot for the Wild however, playing their third game in four days against a Capitals team that is in desperate need of points.
The Caps are holding on to the second wild card spot which means they are slated to play the powerhouse Florida Panthers in the first round which is not ideal. Catching the Bruins for the first wild card spot would be a best-case scenario for Washington so I’m expecting a lot of desperate hockey from them in this final month of the year. The Wild have been getting a lot of wins recently but those wins have been captured at home. On the road, Minnesota is just 17-16 this season and 3-6 in their last 9 as road underdogs which is the situation Sunday. I like Washington to take advantage of their home-ice advantage here and get an important 2 points.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals
Edmonton Oilers @ Anaheim Ducks – 8.00PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers kick off a three game road trip on Sunday when they take on the Anaheim Ducks, who themselves kick off a two game homestand. The Oilers have won their last three games in a row, as they have wins over the Coyotes, Kings and Blues. The Ducks finally put an end to their 11 game losing streak last time out, as they shutout the Coyotes, 5-0.
Marko Nadin
The Anaheim Ducks are 12th in the Western Conference with a 28-30-12 record. The Ducks are coming off a 5-0 win over Arizona putting an end to an 11-games losing streak. The Ducks are ranked 23rd in the league with 2.8 goals per game and 20th allowing 3 goals per game. Anaheim has lost 25 of the last 35 games when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game and 40 of the last 55 games as a home underdog. The Ducks have played under the total goals margin in 4 of the last 5 games.
The Edmonton Oilers are 6th in the Western Conference with a 39-25-5 record. They have won the last 3 games and are coming off a 6-5 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues. Edmonton has won 3 of the last 4 games against Anaheim. Edmonton is ranked 6th in the league scoring 3.5 goals per game and are ranked third in the league converting 26% of power play situations. Edmonton has won the last 5 games against teams with a losing record and 6 of the last 8 games following a win.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers
Tony Battalio
Despite a slow start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season, the Edmonton Oilers are now in a position to compete for a Stanley Cup championship. They come into this game with a record of 39-25-5 through their first 69 games of the season. They have perhaps the best two players in the entire league and should be taken as a serious threat to win the title. Edmonton currently finds themselves in third place in the Pacific Division as they hold a three point lead over Vegas.
The numbers behind our W. #FlyTogether | @GEICO pic.twitter.com/vlR0wdWHff
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 2, 2022
The Anaheim Ducks have had a roller coaster of a season as they have had both big winning and losing streaks as well. They come into this game with a record of 28-30-12 through their first 70 games of the season. After such a back and forth season, they are promised to finish the season with a losing record. They are currently sitting in sixth place in the Pacific Division and all but officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. As for the result of this game, I have the Edmonton Oilers getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers
Jeffery Thomas
It was a rough month of March for the Edmonton Oilers on the road, only winning one of their six games away from home. I’m wondering if a simple flip of the calendar to April could be what they needed and a Sunday date in Anaheim with the Ducks will provide us with those answers. Despite the road skid, Edmonton will be coming into this game on a three-game winning streak after beating the St. Louis Blues on Friday in overtime. The Anaheim Ducks had a rough March themselves which included them losing the last eleven games of the month.
They were able to snap that losing streak however, with a shutout win over the Arizona Coyotes on the road on Friday. These are two teams that just simply can’t be trusted, as far as taking a side, but I really love the over in this spot. The two meetings between these teams have seen a combined 21 goals and with the goaltending problems each team has had, paired with the offensive talent in this game, I think we have another high-scoring affair on Sunday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
