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.
New York Islanders @ Philadelphia Flyers – 2.00PM ET
A Metropolitan Division rivalry kicks things off on Sunday in the NHL, when we see the New York Islanders take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders are playing the second leg of their back-to-back this afternoon, and in their game yesterday, they were too good for the Stars, beating them 4-2. The Flyers have lost four of their last five games, and this takes their record on the season to 19-31-11.
Marko Nadin
The Philadelphia Flyers are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 19-31-11 record which is a very disappointing season for a team that has been a contender just a couple of years ago. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 1-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Flyers are second-worst in the league scoring only 2.5 goals per game. Philadelphia has lost 18 of the last 28 home games and 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a winning record.
The New York Islanders are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-24-9 record but have a 19 point deficit to the eighth ranked Washington which makes reaching the playoffs almost impossible. The Islanders have won 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars. The Islanders score and allow 2.7 goals per game which ranks them 6th defensively and 24th offensively. The Islanders have lost 7 of the last 10 road games and 10 of the last 14 games without a day off.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 5.5
Tony Battalio
The New York Islanders are coming into this game with a record of 26-24-9 through their first 59 games of the season. They are currently in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division but they are far removed from playoff contention at this point. They will be in rebuild mode for a few more years it seems like. New York is currently on a two game winning streak after beating the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars in back to back games. Now they will be looking to make it three in a row and get two wins in two nights.
Always our Captain.
Always a Philly legend.
Always a Flyer.Thank You, @28CGiroux. pic.twitter.com/A5aUO1QIy3
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 20, 2022
The Philadelphia Flyers have also been one of the most disappointing teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 19-31-11 through 61 games of the season. They are in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division at the moment and all but officially eliminated from the playoffs. As for the result of this game between two of the worst teams in the league, I have the Islanders coming out on top.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Islanders have really found a groove as of late, winning five of their last six games. The lone loss in that span was a 3-4 shootout loss to the Capitals so a couple different bounces and they could be on a six-game winning streak. They will be on the back-to-back after a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday, where Brock Nelson scored three goals in the final frame for a rare third period hat trick. The playoffs are out of the question but it’s good to see them still competing hard and they will look to keep the good vibes rolling against a Flyers team that has lost four of their last five games.
It was a 1-3 loss on Friday to the Senators last time out for Philadelphia, as they couldn’t back up their 5-4 win over Nashville the night before. A win here would keep the Flyers out of last place in the Metropolitan Division, as they’re currently tied at 49 points with the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers will be playing their first game without their longtime captain Claude Giroux, who was shipped off to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. It marks the end of an era for the franchise and it makes this game against a hot Islanders team even tougher. Carter Hart has been playing some great hockey in net for the Flyers but it won’t be enough to get a win for the home team in this one.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders
Dallas Stars @ Washington Capitals – 5.00PM ET
The Dallas Stars wrap up their road trip on Sunday when they face off against the Washington Capitals. The Stars played the Islanders yesterday, in a game they lost 2-4, and this takes their overall season record to 33-24-3. The Capitals have won seven of their last eight games, including their last four in a row, against the Canucks, Islanders, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes.
Marko Nadin
The Washington Capitals are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-18-10 record. They have won the last 4 games, two of them in shootout including the last game against the top team in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington is 10th in the league with 3.3 scored goals and 2.8 allowed goals per game. The Capitals have won 5 of the last 6 games after a win, 4 of the last 5 against Western Conference teams and 7 of the last 9 games after one day off. Washington has played over the total goals margin in the last 7 games.
The Dallas Stars are ninth in the Western Conference with a 33-24-3 record. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-4 loss to the New York Islanders. The Stars have won 3 of the last 5 games against Washington but the Capitals have won the last two. Dallas has won 7 of the last 10 games against Eastern Conference teams and 9 of the last 13 road games. On the other hand, they have lost 10 of the last 13 games as a road underdog.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals
Tony Battalio
The Dallas Stars will be playing the second game of back to back games in this one. In the first night of their back to back they lost to the New York Islanders by a score of 2-4 on the road. Dallas is coming into this game with a record of 33-24-3 through their first 60 games on the season. They currently find themselves in a bad spot as they are in fifth in the Central Division and three points behind the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
run it back one more time pic.twitter.com/1KFWVaOaiz
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 19, 2022
The Washington Capitals have been a decent team this season. They have once again been led by one of the greatest scorers of all time in Alexander Ovechkin. They are coming into this game with a record of 35-18-10 through their first 63 games of the season. They currently find themselves sitting in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and holding onto one of the wild card spots in the Eastern Conference as the regular season is winding down. As for the result of this game, I have Washington getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals
Jeffery Thomas
The Dallas Stars will be on the second leg of a back-to-back after a 2-4 loss in New York to the Islanders. Now they will travel to the nation’s capital for a battle against the Washington Capitals who are playing some of the best hockey of their season currently. In the month of March the Caps are 7-1 and are currently on a four-game winning streak, with 3 of the wins coming in a shootout or overtime.
Captain Alex Ovechkin also scored his 767th goal during this streak, to become the third all-time goalscorer in NHL history. This is a classic case of two teams heading in different directions and I will back the red-hit Capitals here at home. The Capitals are looking to just strengthen their hold on that second wild card spot in the East and with how bad the form of the Stars has been, it’s hard to see them coming in on the road and stealing this victory.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals
New York Rangers @ Carolina Hurricanes – 6.00PM ET
Another Metropolitan Division rivalry on Sunday when the New York Rangers travel to Carolina and face off against the Hurricanes. The Rangers are another team that are playing on back-to-back nights, and in their last game they beat the Lightning, 2-1. The Hurricanes will be looking to get back on track in this game, as they have lost three games in a row for only the second time this season.
Marko Nadin
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 41-14-6 record, two points behind the leading Florida Panthers. They have lost three straight games tying their longest losing streak of the season. The Hurricanes are coming off a 3-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals. Carolina is the best defensive team in the league allowing only 2.4 goals per game and defending 89.1% of the power play situations. They have won 21 of the 29 games following one day rest and 4 of the last 5 games played on Sunday. Carolina has won the last 4 games against the Rangers.
The New York Rangers are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 39-18-5 record. They have won 3 of the last 4 games, most recently 2-1 against the defending champions Tampa Bay Lightning. The Rangers are ranked third in the league with 2.5 allowed goals per game and second in the league in converting power play situations with 26.6%. The Rangers have won 22 of the last 29 games against conference rivals and 9 of the last 11 games played on Sunday.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Tony Battalio
The New York Rangers have been one of the surprising teams of the season and they have a real chance to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs if they remain healthy. They come into this game with a record of 39-18-5 through their first 62 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division, five points behind the leading Carolina Hurricanes, who just so happen to be their opponents in this one. A win would go a long way to get them back in the conversation for the division title.
Jarvy 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/pZns7gdEjY
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 19, 2022
The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the top teams in the National Hockey League this season. They are one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference to unseat the Tampa Bay Lightning as well. With each passing game, they are closing in on a Metropolitan Division championship. If this team can remain healthy throughout the rest of the regular season then I think they will end up winning the Eastern Conference this season. As for the result of this one, I have Carolina getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Jeffery Thomas
It’s an all Metro Division battle here when the third-place New York Rangers take on the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes will look to end their three-game losing streak and there’s no better spot for them to do so against the Rangers who will be on the back-to-back with their backup goalie Aleksandar Georgiev netminding. Meanwhile, Carolina will have Frederick Anderson in net who has been lights out at home, going 8-0-1 in his last nine home starts with a 0.936 save percentage.
It’s already very easy to fade the Rangers when Igor isn’t in net for them and it becomes an even easier decision against a team as good as the Canes. We’ve had this exact goalie matchup earlier in the year, and it was a 6-3 win for Carolina and there’s nothing to tell us things will be different this time.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Winnipeg Jets @ Chicago Blackhawks – 7.00PM ET
The Winnipeg Jets are on the road for just one game when they travel to Chicago and face off against the Blackhawks, who themselves have one game at home before hitting the road again. The Jets have won four of their last six games, and this takes their record on the season to 28-24-10. The Blackhawks are playing two nights in a row, and in their game yesterday they were beaten by the Wild, 1-3.
Marko Nadin
The Chicago Blackhawks are 14th in the Western Conference with a 22-31-9 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 1-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The Blackhawks are one of the worst offensive teams in the league scoring 2.6 goals per game which ranks them 28th on 28.5 shots on goal per game, 31st in the league. Chicago has lost 19 of the last 27 against conference rivals and 10 of the last 13 home games. They have played over the total goal margin in the last 5 games against teams with a losing record.
The Winnipeg Jets are 11th in the Western Conference with a 28-24-10 record and are 6 points behind the last spot that leads in the playoffs. The Jets have won 4 of the last 6 games but are coming off a 2-4 home loss to the Boston Bruins. Winnipeg has won 7 of the last 10 games against Chicago. They have also won 6 of the last 7 games as road favorites, 6 of the last 8 games playing after one day rest and 8 of the last 11 Sunday games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets
Tony Battalio
Both of these teams have had rough seasons this year as they are likely just hoping for it to end. Winnipeg comes into this game with a record of 28-24-10 through their first 62 games of the season. Despite their below .500 performance, they are still in a position to make the playoffs somehow. They are currently sitting in sixth place in the Central Division and only find themselves outside of the second wild card spot by six points. If they can get hot at the end of the season, they have a shot to make it into the postseason.
“Yeah definitely frustrating. … It would have been nice for us to get the kill for [Brenden Dillon], and unfortunately that was the difference tonight”
Adam Lowry on a narrow loss to the Bruins, Nikolaj Ehlers on his penalty shot, and more.
WATCH 🔽 pic.twitter.com/SdZxgMQy9w
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 19, 2022
The Chicago Blackhawks had an absolutely miserable start to the season. They never quite recovered from that start either. Now they come into this game with a record of 22-31-9 through their first 62 games of the season. They find themselves in seventh place in the Central Division ahead of only the Arizona Coyotes. I’ll give the Blackhawks credit however, they fought hard to try and get themselves back into the playoff conversation, but they just couldn’t string enough wins together. As for the result of this one, I have the Winnipeg Jets getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets
Jeffery Thomas
The Winnipeg Jets were off on Saturday after a loss to the Boston Bruins on Friday by a score of 2-4. The loss pushed their record to 28-24-10 on the year and puts the Jets in a rough spot as far as getting in the postseason. They are 6 points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card spot and will need to string together a long stretch of wins to have serious aspirations for a playoff run. Now a trip to Chicago for a game against the Blackhawks awaits them on Sunday.
The Blackhawks have lost three of their last four games after a 1-3 loss to the Wild and will have the tough task of traveling back home for the second leg of this back-to-back. The Winnipeg Jets have won 9 of their last 12 meetings against the Blackhawks and are the team with much more to play for in this matchup. You’d imagine they see a spot like this against a struggling team as a great time to rack up “free” points, so I think Winnipeg is the way to go here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets
Buffalo Sabres @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM ET
We wrap things up in the NHL for this Sunday when the Buffalo Sabres hit the ice against the Vancouver Canucks. The Sabres have won three of their last four games, with their only loss in this time coming against the Oilers, 1-6. The Canucks will be playing two nights in a row, and in their game yesterday against the Flames, they lost 2-5.
Marko Nadin
The Buffalo Sabres have been playing very well lately which is pretty surprising since they are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-3-8 record. The Sabres have won 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 1-0 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. Buffalo allows 3.5 goals per game which is the sixth-worst record in the league. Buffalo has lost 7 of the last 10 games against conference rivals and 17 of the last 25 against teams with a losing record. They have played over the total goals margin in 7 of the last 10 games playing after one day rest.
The Vancouver Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 30-25-7 record. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-5 loss to the Calgary Flames. The Canucks are scoring and allowing 2.8 goals per game which ranks them 13th defensively and 20th offensively. Vancouver has won 7 of the last 8 games against teams with a losing record under 40% and 10 of the last 13 games as favorites.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks
Tony Battalio
The Buffalo Sabres started the year somewhat hot which sent shockwaves throughout the National Hockey League. However, rather quickly they slipped back down the standings until they hit the bottom which is where they are expected to be. They are likely going to be starting from square one in the rebuilding process as they traded their star Jack Eichel to Vegas earlier this season. Buffalo comes into this game with a record of 21-33-8 through their first 62 games of the season.
VICTORY SATURDAY‼️#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/7ILIA5PPns
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 19, 2022
The Vancouver Canucks are coming into this game with a record of 30-26-7 through their first 63 games of the season. They have been playing better as of late, as they look to make a final run towards the postseason with less than 20 games remaining in their regular season. This will be the second game of a back to back for the Canucks. On Saturday evening, Vancouver was defeated by the Calgary Flames by a score of 2-5 at home. As for the result of this game, I have Vancouver getting the victory over Buffalo.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks
Jeffery Thomas
It’s been a very odd month of March for the 21-33-8 Buffalo Sabres. Every game that they have played this month has been against teams that are in playoff position, but despite that have amassed a respectable 5-3-0 record. The hosting Vancouver Canucks have been just as impressive this month with a 4-3-1 record but will be on the back-to-back after a blowout loss to the Flames on Saturday. The loss was a blow to their playoff chances but they aren’t dead yet, as they sit 5 points back of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
It’s just the second meeting of the season for these teams with the Sabres leading the series 1-0. That game was Buffalo’s third game of the season way back on October 19 and was a 5-2 victory for the home Sabres. That moved their record to 3-0 on the season and a lot has changed since then as Buffalo is now 12 games under .500. They have however been playing much better hockey and getting them as underdogs here looks like pretty good value and I don’t see them losing this one by more than a goal.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Buffalo Sabres +1.5
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
