We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move towards the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder is starting to take shape. Every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
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Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the four games on today’s schedule.
Vegas Golden Knights @ New York Islanders – 2.00PM ET
The road trip is in its final stage for the Vegas Golden Knights, who play the New York Islanders in the first game on Sunday. The Golden Knights have won four games in a row, and seven of their last eight games, which brings their season record to 19-11-0. The Islanders have been a little inconsistent so far in December, which takes their season record to 8-12-5.
Denis Kirilov
The Vegas Golden Knights will have an easy visit at first sight to New York as they will face the Islanders on Sunday in the NHL. The Golden Knights are off to a great run recently, having won 4 games in a row. This put them in the battle for 1st place in the West as they are just 2 points away from the top spot, occupied by the Minnesota Wild. They will try to snatch the victory tomorrow and with a bit of luck, they might end the day on the top. Jonathan Marchessault, Max Pacioretty, and Reilly Smith are ready to destroy the Islanders’ defense as they will have to catch up in the scoring leaderboard.
The Islanders, on the other hand, started off this season with plenty of away games which resulted in them losing grip early on. They didn’t manage to make a comeback as they are still 14th in the East with 21 points from 25 matches. The team struggles in offense as they barely score a bit above 2 goals on average per game. Their defense is not brilliant as well, having conceded a total of 73 goals. They have been trading wins and losses recently and on top of that, the Islanders suffered an 11-game losing streak in November-December. I think that the game should go in favor of the Golden Knights as they are yet to report any Covid-19 case.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-152)
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights come into this game with a record of 19-11-0 on the year. They are currently on a four game winning streak, and have picked up victories in seven of their last eight games. They are currently in first place in the Pacific Division. After a slow start to the season, they have finally started to pick up steam and will be looking to secure a playoff spot in a competitive division. This game will be the finale of a four game east coast road trip that they will be looking to finish with an undefeated record.
these streets will make you feel brand new ✨
BIG LIGHTS WILL INSPIRE YOU 🌃 pic.twitter.com/s3tJgXCscH
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) December 18, 2021
The New York Islanders are having a rough season so far. They started out the year on a long road trip, due to their new arena being constructed. When they finally got home, they didn’t do much better, as through their first nine home games they have only won two of them. They will be looking to break their bad luck at home with a big win here. As for the result of this game however, I don’t look for that to happen as I have the Vegas Golden Knights to pick up the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-152)
Michael Lantz
The Vegas Golden Knights have won seven of eight games and are working their way up the Pacific Division standings. After being plagued by injuries early on, they’re showing why they were a Stanley Cup favorite before the season. They continued to assert their dominance with a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on Friday at Madison Square Garden. They’ll look to make it a NYC sweep as they face the struggling New York Islanders.
The Islanders have to be one of the biggest disappointments this season. With an 8-12-5 record, they’re eighth in the Metropolitan Division. It was tough for them to start the season playing 13 games on the road, but the Isles still haven’t adjusted as the season has progressed. Unless the Golden Knights are burned out, I don’t see any reason for them to lose this one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-152)
St. Louis Blues @ Winnipeg Jets – 3.00PM ET
The St. Louis Blues kick off their three game road trip in Winnipeg when they take on the Jets. The Blues have won five of their previous six games, which brings their season record to 17-8-5. The Jets have lost three games in a row, with losses to the Canucks, Sabres and Capitals.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues and the Winnipeg Jets are coming up against each other in an electrifying contest on Sunday in the NHL. Both teams have set their eyes on the Playoffs and it will be a huge disappointment for them, if they don’t accomplish this goal. The Blues have a small head-start as they are 4th in the Western Conference with 39 points. The Jets are falling a bit behind in 9th place with 31 points from 29 games. They have been on a bad streak lately, losing their last three matches. The Jets fell victim to the Canucks, the Sabres, and the Capitals.
The St. Louis Blues have been performing well in December and especially right before Christmas. They have won 5 out of their last 6 games against teams like the Florida Panthers, the Dallas Stars, and the Detroit Red Wings. Some victories might be against weaker opponents, but this only supports the fact that they keep a consistent form. Kyrou, Perron, and Thomas are still injured for the Blues, but this doesn’t stop them from playing on a very high level. I think we might see yet another display of masterclass on Sunday as I expect them to defeat the Jets in a contest that might go all the way down the wire.
Denis’ NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (+118)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues are starting a three game road trip north of the border in Winnipeg on Sunday. They will head into it with a record of 17-8-5 as they have been on somewhat of a hot streak, winning five of their last six contests. They are currently in third place in the Central Division and will be looking to keep pace in the playoff race as the calendar year is coming to a close.
The Winnipeg Jets are having a much rougher go of things as compared to their opponents for this game. They come into this game with a record of 13-11-5 and they are also on a three game losing streak. They have lost consecutive games to the Vancouver Canucks, the Buffalo Sabres, and the Washington Capitals. This game against St. Louis is the finale of a three game home stand for the Jets and they will be looking to grab at least one win. However I don’t see that happening as I have the St. Louis Blues picking up the win in this one on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (+118)
Michael Lantz
The St. Louis Blues are thriving, coming off consecutive 4-1 wins against the Dallas Stars. They currently sit at third in the Central Division with the hopes of making a playoff push similar to their 2019 Stanley cup success.
On Sunday, they face a Winnipeg Jets team that’s lost three straight games. This team with so much potential hopes to turn it around against a thriving Blues team. The Jets have so much potential in the likes of Kyle Conner and goalie Connor Hellebuyck. They’re able to pull off big wins from time to time but have lacked consistency. With this Blues team heating up, I’ll pick them to win.
Michael’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues +1.5 (-235)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New Jersey Devils – 7.00PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils play each other in back-to-back games, and on Sunday night it is the Devils with the home ice advantage. The Penguins are currently on an impressive six game winning streak, which has helped boost their season record to 16-8-5. The Devils are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost, 2-5, to the Red Wings.
Denis Kirilov
The Pittsburgh Penguins will travel to New Jersey as they will try to make use of the bad circumstances with the Devils’ roster. The Penguins have succeeded in bouncing back after a tough first couple of games this season. They are just 6 points away from the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but due to the fierce competition they are only 7th at the moment. The Penguins are coming into this fixture on a 6-game winning streak defeating the likes of the Washington Capitals and the Anaheim Ducks. The team will surely try to build on their recent performance and make the best out of the current situation. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel lead the Penguins so far as they slowly turn into a great duo in front positions.
The New Jersey Devils are still trying to find their way back to winning. They have lost their last 5 games in the NHL against the Predators, the Islanders, the Flyers, the Golden Knights, and the Red Wings. This performance had a huge negative effect on their rankings as they are now 12th in the East with just 25 points from 29 matches. They also have trouble with their defense that conceded just too many goals this year. On top of that, the Devils are quite conservative in their approach towards the opposite side on the ice. I think that this decline is something temporary as they will manage to bounce back anytime soon. However, so far, I am willing to trust the Penguins in getting the victory over a crumbling Devils’ team.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-205)
Tony Battalio
The New Jersey Devils will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one. They were beaten by the Detroit Red Wings in their game on Saturday night so they will be looking for a victory in this one. They come into this game with a record of 10-14-5 on the year. They will need a victory to snap the current four game losing streak they are on. The Devils find themselves in serious danger of falling out of the race in a competitive Eastern Conference if they can’t get things turned around quickly.
“It’s frustrating. Everything that could be going wrong, seems to be.”
Hear from Damon Severson after tonight’s 5-2 loss to Detroit. pic.twitter.com/F90Qa283k3
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 19, 2021
The Pittsburgh Penguins have put together a respectable season thus far, even after being without Sidney Crosby for the first chunk of it. They come into this game with a record of 16-8-5 on the year. Pittsburgh is currently on a six game winning streak, and they have also picked up victories in eleven of their last fourteen games dating back to the middle of November. Now they will be looking to add to their winning streak in this one. As for the result of this game, I expect that exact thing to happen as I have the Pittsburgh Penguins picking up the victory in this one on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-205)
Michael Lantz
The Pittsburgh Penguins toughed out a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday as they continue to work their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Sidney Crosby’s return has made an astronomical difference for this team, and it only seems like a matter of time before future hall-of-famer Evengi Malkin returns. The Pens are looking to continue their run against the New Jersey Devils.
After an encouraging start, the New Jersey Devils have fallen to a 10-14-5 record, including a 2-5 loss to the Detroit Red Wings last night. This team continues to look like they’re “in progress”, and they’ll have a tough time against a Penguins team on the rise. I’ll pick Pittsburgh to win in this one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-205)
Los Angeles Kings @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings end their road trip in Washington, when they take on the Capitals, who are playing just one game at home before hitting the road again. The Kings are another team that will be playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they lost to the Hurricanes, 1-5. The Capitals will be desperate to get a winning streak going tonight, and their season record currently stands at 18-5-7.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Kings meet the Washington Capitals in Capital One Arena on Sunday night. The Capitals are off to a fantastic start this season as they are currently 2nd in the East tied with 43 points at top place, occupied by the Carolina Hurricanes. Their offense has been incredible with Ovechkin leading the way for the team with his 22 goals and 25 assists. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson follow with 9 goals each, while John Carlson has contributed with 20 assists. The Capitals will be looking to secure their spot in the Playoffs as early as possible so that they can give some rest to their top players.
The Los Angeles Kings have a decent team composed of Anze Kopitar, Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, and Viktor Arvidsson. However, they have been struggling in the early stages of this campaign, sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference. They have managed to outsmart some of the top teams in the NHL recently including the Edmonton Oilers, the Minnesota Wild, and the Florida Panthers. The Kings definitely showed huge potential and it’s only a matter of time to see them seizing their opportunities. I think a win over the Capitals won’t be that big of a surprise as they have proved to be one of the toughest opponents in the League.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (+132)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings were absolutely embarrassed in their game on Saturday evening as they lost by a score of 1-5 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Now in this one they will be searching for a win in the second game of a back to back to close out the weekend. However once again it will be no easy task as they hit the road to go to the nation’s capital to play the Washington Capitals. Following the loss they come into this game with a record of 13-11-5 and they have lost two of their last three, so they will be desperate for a victory.
The Washington Capitals are arguably the best team in an Eastern Conference that is absolutely loaded with Stanley Cup contenders so far this season. It’s not hard to see why Alexander Ovechkin is turning in a Most Valuable Player award winning type of season thus far. They are currently tied for first place in a competitive Metropolitan Division that includes Carolina and the New York Rangers. They come into this game with a record of 18-5-7 on the year and I expect them to pick up win number 19 when the final horn sounds on this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (-160)
Michael Lantz
After a run of games where the Los Angeles Kings were playing on par with some of the NHL’s best teams, they were embarrassed by the Carolina Hurricanes last night 1-5. They’ll hope to rebound against another Cup-worthy opponent on Sunday in the Washington Capitals.
After a brutal 4-5 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. They bounced back nicely, utterly dominating the Winnipeg Jets, 5-2. They had five different goal scorers, including—you guessed it—Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin is now only 14 goals behind Jaromir Jagr for third all-time. After a couple games where the Caps were inconsistent, this was a nice win. But, I don’t expect the Kings to make that loss a pattern. After a tough loss, I expect them to bounce back and give the Capitals a tough time on the road. This one is ultimately hard to pick, so I’ll take the over with it being at 5.5.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
