We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move past the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. Despite this, 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!
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 five games on today’s schedule.
Winnipeg Jets @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 1.00PM ET
The first game of the day will see the Winnipeg Jets take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Winnipeg Jets are currently on a three game losing streak, after losses to the Capitals, Predators and Bruins. The Penguins, on the other hand, are currently riding a four game winning streak, which includes wins over the Sharks, Golden Knights, Senators and Blue Jackets.
Denis Kirilov
The Winnipeg Jets will head to Pittsburgh on Sunday in an attempt to get out of their bad position and put an end to their 2-game losing streak. The Jets are still in contention for the Playoffs and they will need to level up their game in order to defeat the competition. They are currently 11th in the West with 40 points out of 36 matches, but they still have a long way to go chasing the Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators in their Central Division. The Jets have been quite conservative so far, relying more on their defence to make the difference. This didn’t pay off on most occasions as most teams are experienced enough to be patient enough for a mistake from the Jets.
The Pittsburgh Penguins has been such a team as they managed to defeat Winnipeg in November, 3-1. With almost everyone back in the roster for the Penguins, the team is looking stacked and in great shape. They are coming into this fixture on a 4-game winning streak defeating the likes of the San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, Ottawa Senators, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. With Jake Guentzel, Jeff Carter and Sidney Crosby in front positions, the team is looking quite strong, occupying third place in the Metropolitan Division. They have an 18-point advantage over the 5th place of the Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning that the Penguins are getting closer and closer to making the Playoffs. In my opinion, we will see yet another low-scoring match on Sunday.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Under
Tony Battalio
The Winnipeg Jets aren’t having the best of years so far this season. They come into this game with a record of 17-14-6 through their first 37 games of the season. They will be looking to break a three game losing streak after dropping games against Washington, Boston, and Nashville, all three of the losses came on the road. Thanks to several postponements this game against the Pittsburgh Penguins will be the finale of what turned into a very lengthy eight games away from home. The extended road trip has not gone well for the Jets as they have compiled a record of 3-3-1 through the first seven games on the trip.
Here’s a 60 second recap of the #NHLJets‘ closely contested 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.#GoJetsGo | #WPGvsBOS pic.twitter.com/hiAPq3dnmv
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 23, 2022
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game off a victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, in a game where Sidney Crosby netted a hat trick, as the game ended 5-2. The victory over Columbus improved their record on the season to 25-10-5 through their first 40 games of the year. Pittsburgh will be looking to extend their winning streak to five games with a victory in this one over Winnipeg. As for the result of this game, I see exactly that happening, and I have the Pittsburgh Penguins picking up a victory at home over the Winnipeg Jets in this game on Sunday afternoon.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins
Jeffery Thomas
The Jets travel to Pittsburgh for a Sunday matinee, after a 2-3 loss in Boston on Saturday. That loss moved them to 17-14-6, which is good for 6th in the Central Division. Tired legs will surely be a factor as this will be their 3rd game in 4 days and they are sitting on a 3 game losing streak. Pittsburgh has been streaking as they come into this game in search of their 5th straight victory. They sit with 55 points with a record of 25-10-5, which is good enough for third in the Metro.
In their last game out, they defeated the Blue Jackets 5-2 as Sidney Crosby went for a hat trick. Winnipeg is 2-6 in their last 8 against teams with a winning record and that’s the exact spot they find themselves in on Sunday. The Pens are a dangerous team right now as they are 14-2 in their last 16 games and expect them to make that 15-2 when they play the Jets.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins
Ottawa Senators @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 6.00PM ET
The Ottawa Senators wrap up their three game road trip on Sunday night when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Senators are playing on back-to-back nights, and suffered a narrow loss to the Capitals, 2-3, in overtime. The Blue Jackets have been a bit inconsistent as of late, and this takes their season record to 18-19-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Ottawa Senators have been struggling a lot this season as they are currently 15th in the East with 11 wins out of 34 matches. The team is surprisingly at the bottom of the table, but could have been expected, taking into account all the troubles they had to go through in the first half of the season. They rarely managed to be at full strength as there were always some issues with injuries or with COVID-19. The Senators have lost their last two meetings in the NHL to the Buffalo Sabres at home and to the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road. Their focus will be shifted towards the upcoming season, hoping that they can do a smooth transition in the off-season.
The Columbus Blue Jackets were also disappointing this season, since they have been struggling to build momentum. The team sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with 37 points from 38 games, but they have one of the worst defences in the NHL. On average, the Blue Jackets concede nearly 4 goals per game which is a good enough reason to remove them from Playoffs contention. However, they still have a chance at going past the Regular Season, but they will need to battle it out with a lot better teams like the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, or the New York Rangers. I think they will be able to beat opponents like the Senators, but this will be their maximum. I will take the Blue Jackets on Sunday as they seem to be a bit more consistent than their rivals from Ottawa.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (-146)
Tony Battalio
The Ottawa Senators took the Washington Capitals to their limit. However the Senators ended up falling in overtime by a score of 2-3 on Saturday evening. Now they will be playing the second game of a back to back on the road in Columbus against the Blue Jackets in this one. Ottawa is having a rough year as they come into this game with a record of 11-20-3 through their first 34 games on the season. Much like the other teams that play north of the border, they will have plenty of games to make up thanks to the constant COVID postponements. In this one they will be looking to break a two game losing streak against a scrappy Columbus team.
The previously mentioned Columbus Blue Jackets come into this game off of a huge loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, after beating a fellow Pennsylvania team, the Flyers in the prior game. Now they will be looking to get right back into the winners column when they welcome the Ottawa Senators into the state capital of Ohio on Sunday. Through their first 38 games on the season the Blue Jackets have a record of 18-19-1. As for the result of this game, I have the Blue Jackets picking up the victory in this one over Ottawa at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (-146)
Jeffery Thomas
It was a spirited effort by the Senators as they gave the Capitals all they could handle even in defeat. They were up 2-0 before losing the lead and eventually the game in overtime. That loss dropped them to a record of 11-20-3, which lands them 7th in the Atlantic. The Blue Jackets will have the rest advantage, as they had Saturday off after a tough loss to the Penguins. That moved them to 18-19-1, as they are falling behind in their scrap for a playoff spot.
This is a good opportunity to get back on track for the home team in this one, as they get a team on a back to back that is not playing well. The Blue Jackets are favorites in this one and it’s only their 6th time being a favorite in a game. The shocking stat though is that they are 6-0 in those games, so it’s usually against a bottom barrel team that they know they can take care of. That’s exactly what I expect them to do, as they are also a much better team at home. Take the Blue Jackets to get a big home win in what should be a high scoring game.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (-146)
Los Angeles Kings @ New Jersey Devils – 7.00PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings kick off a six game road trip on Sunday night when they take on the New Jersey Devils. The Kings are currently on a three game losing streak, which includes losses to the Sharks, Lightning and Avalanche. The Devils are another team that is playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they surprised the Hurricanes by winning, 7-4.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Kings have been playing really well so far this season. The team, however, lost the grip in the last couple of meetings, losing three in a row. They were outclassed by some of the top teams out there including the San Jose Sharks, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Colorado Avalanche. Their fantastic winning streak in the beginning of the new year helped them climb to 2nd place in the Pacific Division. Now, they are 3rd behind the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights. This division in the West promises to be one of the most competitive ones and plenty of questions won’t be answered until the very last matches.
On the other hand, the New Jersey Devils have been struggling a lot during the first half of this campaign. They found it difficult to stop the opposition as they have conceded too many goals in their net from the beginning of the season. Their defence has been their biggest issue so far, but at the same time, their attack is not impressive as well. The team has scored a total of 115 goals for 39 matches which is less than 3 goals per game. Their 11th position in the East and the last 8th place in the Metropolitan Division tells me that they will most likely switch their focus on the upcoming campaign. That’s why I am going to choose the Los Angeles Kings as the final winner in this derby on Sunday.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-142)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings come into this game with a record of 20-16-5 through their first 41 games on the season. Los Angeles has been hanging around the .500 mark all season long as they have failed to establish any type of momentum so far this year. Now they will be looking to pick up a big road win in this one to get them back even with the .500 mark on the year. The Kings enter this one on a three game losing streak after dropping games to Colorado, Tampa Bay, and San Jose all by multiple goal margins. They will be looking to snap that streak and pick up a victory over the New Jersey Devils on the road in this one.
Flying across time zones basically makes us time travelers right, @Delta? ✈️ #KingsOfTheSky pic.twitter.com/OF6S1cCoQP
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 22, 2022
The previously mentioned New Jersey Devils are coming off of a huge win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. It was a game the Devils controlled the entire way as they cruised their way to a 7-4 victory over one of the top teams in the National Hockey League. Despite the win, the Devils still aren’t having the best season as they come into this game with a record of 15-19-5 through their first 39 games of the season. However, as for the result of this game I have the New Jersey Devils picking up a victory in this game as well.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New Jersey Devils (+116)
Jeffery Thomas
The Devils are coming in on a back to back after getting a big win at home against the powerhouse Carolina Hurricanes. A late scratch of Carolina’s goalie, Anderson, gave New Jersey a runway to put up 7 on Jack LaFontaine, who was making his NHL debut. The Kings will try to get back in the win column, as their loss to the Avs on Thursday made their losing streak 3. They still sit 3rd in the Pacific Division and will see this as a great opportunity for 2 points.
A lot of people are going to look at the result from the Devils on Saturday and think that’s a step in the right direction but like I mentioned that was against a rookie goalie. The Kings are a much better team and will have competent goaltending with Jonathan Quick in front of the net. The Devils also have given up 8 goals in their last 2 games and with tired legs they will probably allow another 4 in this one. Take the Kings to pull out a victory in this one as I see a 4-2 win for them.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-142)
Florida Panthers @ Seattle Kraken – 9.00PM ET
The Florida Panthers are on the road again on Sunday night when they travel to Seattle to take on the Kraken, who are in the middle of a six game homestand. The Panthers have won six of their last seven games, and this takes their season record to 28-8-5. The Kraken have won two of their last three games, which includes wins over the Blackhawks and Sharks.
Denis Kirilov
The Florida Panthers have been the most dominant team in the NHL throughout the last couple of weeks. The team has been simply merciless in most games, defeating the Oilers and the Dallas Stars by 6 goals and scoring 9 goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the way for the team with 15 goals and an NHL-high 40 assists. On top of that, a total of 7 players have already surpassed the 10-goal mark as Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Duclair, and Sam Bennett share the top spot with 17 goals.
The rookies from Seattle have been struggling a lot this year. They managed to make things right with two straight wins over the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks, thus stopping a 9-game losing streak. However, in their last match, they were whitewashed by the St. Louis Blues in Climate Pledge Arena, 0-5. The team lacks discipline in defensive positions and is quite uncreative up front. I think that they will have a lot of troubles against the high-flying Panthers who are ready to bite hard on Sunday. My pick here goes in favour of the guest from Florida, as I expect to see them cover the spread in the end.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+108)
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers are one of the best teams in the National Hockey League so far this season. They are also one of the top favorites to dethrone the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. They come into this game against the newest NHL franchise with a record of 28-8-5 through their first 41 games on the season. Outside of a rare loss to the Calgary Flames, the Panthers have been red hot as of late winning five of their previous six games. They are currently in first place of the Atlantic Division and will be looking to extend their lead with a huge win on the road in this game.
The Seattle Kraken are not having the inaugural season they were hoping for. Halfway through their first season, Seattle comes into this game with a record of 12-24-4 through their first 40 games on the year. They are currently sitting in last place of the Pacific Division and next to dead last in the Western Conference, ahead of only the Arizona Coyotes. Seattle is currently on a one game losing streak that they will be looking to break in this game. However, I can’t see that happening as I have the Florida Panthers picking up the easy victory in this game on the road and covering the spread in the process.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+108)
Jeffery Thomas
The Comeback Cats did it again on Saturday night with another win after trailing in the 3rd period. They pulled out the shootout win over the Canucks, which moved their record to 8-1-1 in January. The offense continues to produce as well, as they’ve scored 3 or more goals in 8 of those 10 during that span. The exact opposite is the case for the Kraken as they’ve now dropped 8 of their last 10, following their 0-5 loss to the Blues on Friday. Their offense is in bad form, having scored 2 or less in 6 of those 10. Their first season in the NHL isn’t going well as they are 12-24-4, which lands them dead last in the Pacific Division.
This game is such an uneven matchup and will be dominated by Florida. The Panthers are top 2 in the league in goals per game and shots per game, while the Kraken rank 29th in goals against per game. Even though it is a road game for Florida, we are not going to overthink this one. They will win this one comfortably so take them to win on the puck line.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+108)
St. Louis Blues @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM ET
The final game on Sunday night’s slate will see the St. Louis Blues take on the Vancouver Canucks. The Blues have won five of their last six games, and their only loss came at the hands of the Maple Leafs, 5-6. The Canucks have won two of their last three games, and this takes their season record to 18-18-4.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks come up against each other on Sunday night in the NHL. The two teams share quite a different fate at the moment. The Blues are currently 2nd in the Western Conference with 53 points from 40 matches, while the Canucks are struggling in 12th place with 40 points from the same number of games. Moreover, the team from St. Louis has nobody in the “injury list”, while the Canucks have plenty of players sidelined due to COVID-19 and some who are with minor injuries.
Vancouver has been off to a fantastic ending to 2021 as they won 7 games in a row. The team, however, didn’t manage to transfer this performance into the new year, as they were forced to play against the strongest opponents in the NHL including the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Washington Capitals. They have actually managed to pick up two crucial victories over the Capitals and the Predators. On the other hand, the Blues have been dominant recently winning 7 out of their last 9 matches in the NHL. That’s why I think they will be able to come on top against the Canucks who are surely tired after their tough schedule in January.
Denis’ NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-156)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues come into this game with a record of 24-11-5 through their first 40 games of the season. They were at one time on top of the Central Division earlier on in the season, but now they find themselves sitting in second place of the division as the season nears the halfway mark for many teams. The Blues are currently on a two game winning streak after picking up victories over Seattle and Nashville. They will be looking to make it three straight with a victory in the one against the Vancouver Canucks in the second game of their road trip.
“I definitely feel more confident out there, more me.”
🗣 Elias Pettersson talks with the media after Saturday’s optional skate pic.twitter.com/GvI9CyTmyg
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) January 22, 2022
The Vancouver Canucks are having a better season than many people expected. However, it is still not as great as they hoped it would be. As they come into this game with a record of 18-18-4 through their first 40 games of the season. They are 2-3 in their last five games and currently on a one game losing streak after losing to the Florida Panthers in their last game. As for the result of this game, I have Vancouver losing another game as I have the St. Louis Blues picking up the victory in this one on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-156)
Jeffery Thomas
We have another streaking team in this one as the St. Louis Blues come in winners of 6 of their last 7. Their last game was a 5-0 thrashing for the lowly Kraken. In that contest, goalie Ville Husso stopped 27 shots and 5 different players scored goals. The Canucks come in after a shootout loss to the Panthers Friday night, but it was a tremendous goaltending effort. They held arguably the best offense in the league to no goals late into the 3rd before giving up the equalizing goal and eventually falling in the shootout. That goaltending effort was wasted by a putrid offensive performance, which they’ve become accustomed to this year. The Canucks rank 28th goals per game, and 31st in shooting percentage.
There’s a few notable trends that help make the pick in this game a lot easier. The Blues have won their last 6 against the Western Conference, 5-1 in their last 6 against the Pacific Division, and 5-1 in the game after scoring 5 or more goals. That all points to a Blues victory in this one on top of the Canucks being 2-4 in their last 6. The Canucks are a scrappy team that can keep it close but in the end the Blues are the better team and will pull this one out.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-156)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
