The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are four games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With eight 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 four games on today’s schedule.
San Jose Sharks @ Boston Bruins – 1.00PM EDT
The San Jose Sharks look to continue their amazing run of form on the road when they take on the Boston Bruins. The Sharks are yet to play a game on home ice, but they are also yet to lose a game, with their record currently standing at 4-0. The Bruins record currently stands at 2-1-0, and last time out they won against the Sabres, 4-1.
Denis Kirilov
The San Jose Sharks are one of the most dominant teams in this campaign in the NHL. They are 100% so far winning 4 out of 4 games. What makes this achievement even better is the fact that they beat teams like the Jets, the Senators, and the Maple Leafs. They also demolished the runners-up from last year, the Montreal Canadiens, by 5:0.
The Boston Bruins, on the other side, are off to a start of the season with mixed emotions. They recorded 2 wins against the Stars and the Sabres. However, the Bruins have already lost a game against a direct rival for the Playoffs spot, the Philadelphia Flyers. Although they were beaten, the statistics show that they were the superior team in the game with 40 shots on goal against 25 shots on goal for the Phillies. I am expecting a tight upcoming fixture that can go either way and that’s why I would rather choose another line for the game and in this case, it will be “over 5.5 goals”. Both teams displayed offensive skills of high quality and I really believe they won’t disappoint the fans in TD Garden.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 5.5
Tony Battalio
The 4-0-0 San Jose Sharks will be traveling across the country to the East Coast to take on the 2-1-0 Boston Bruins in this one. This is a particularly surprising start for San Jose as not many people thought they would be perfect after 4 games this season. The Sharks are led by Logan Couture as he has put up 3 Goals and 4 Assists for a total of 7 points. As for the Boston Bruins it has been business as usual despite having a loss through 3 games.
🎥 Tomáš Nosek on the opportunity to play on second line: “I’m grateful for every chance to get more ice time, it gives you a little more confidence, and you get the chance to play with guys like Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle, it’s a good opportunity.” pic.twitter.com/ar5qwvo8hq
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2021
Brad Marchand has carried the load for the Bruins thus far totaling 3 Goals and 2 Assists for a total of 5 points. Boston has the added advantage of home ice in this game as they look to slow the momentum of a surprising San Jose Sharks team that is looking for an impressive 5-0 start. I look for Marchand to continue his hot start and lead the Bruins to a victory over one of the last undefeated teams left in the National Hockey League.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins
Michael Lantz
The San Jose Sharks have been a pleasant surprise so far in the early stages of this 2021-22 season. They’ve started the season an impressive 4-0 and have knocked out each of the Canadian teams that have tried to stand in their way. Now they’re back in the US and facing a 2-1 Boston Bruins team.
Boston has had inconsistent defense, but their offense has been dependable for 3-4 goals a game. Forward Brad Marchand has continued to shine, as the Bruins are proving they aren’t quite done causing destruction yet. I think the Sharks get a slap back into reality at the TD Garden where I expect the Bruins to walk away with a close win.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins
Nashville Predators @ Minnesota Wild – 6.00PM EDT
The Nashville Predators end their two game road trip in Minnesota when they take on the Wild. The Predators haven’t got their season off to the start they would have hoped for, and their season record currently stands at 1-4-0. Last time out the Predators lost to the Jets, 4-6. The Wild, on the other hand, are yet to lose a game, and last time out they won against the Ducks, 4-3, in overtime.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Wild are off to a great start this season in the NHL. Their winning streak expands to 4 games after defeating the Anaheim Ducks in overtime. They came close to losing their match against the Jets, but a goal in the last minute by Joel Eriksson kept their hopes alive. However, Minnesota isn’t impressing that much so far as they are barely winning their games by a single goal difference. The 5 goals conceded by the Jets and the 3 goals conceded by the Ducks signal that the eventual defeat is near.
The Nashville Predators find themselves on quite the opposite end. They were the only team that got beaten by the rookies, the Seattle Kraken. The Predators managed to get only 1 win out of their 5 games so far and are definitely looking to improve these statistics. Although their winning percentage is so low, they were playing well in all those games. However, they didn’t manage to seize their opportunities in front of the opponent’s goal. With the Wild getting closer and closer to the inevitable defeat, I am keen on choosing the Predators as the team who will bring them their first loss for the season.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Nashville Predators
Tony Battalio
The undefeated Minnesota Wild take on a struggling Nashville Predators team looking for a huge win to jump-start their season. Minnesota is coming off a stressful game against the Anaheim Ducks last night that went deep into Overtime and took a late Minnesota winner to keep their undefeated season alive. Meanwhile, Nashville is coming off another loss, this time against the Winnipeg Jets, who themselves are struggling so far this season.
Nashville now comes into this game against the Minnesota Wild with a 1-4-0 record. Nashville is in desperate need of a win but it will absolutely not come easy against the Wild. Nashville will have to play a near-perfect, mistake-free hockey game. However, that is not something I see happening as I look for the Minnesota Wild to continue their winning streak and keep their undefeated season alive.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5
Michael Lantz
So far, the Predators have been in every game they’ve played in. Unfortunately, the end result has them at a 1-4 record. Many predicted the Predators to be a wild-card playoff team, but so far they’ve been a little less than satisfactory.
On the other hand the Wild are off to a 4-0 start. They defeated an up-and-coming Anaheim Ducks team 4-3 to continue their silent run and become one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Minnesota has been getting big games from players across all their lines and defense. Due to the constant struggle from Nashville, I think Minnesota will come out with a 5-0 record, but not before getting a good fight from a Nashville team dying to not trend downward. Still, while back at their home rink I expect the Wild to win comfortably.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5
Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks – 7.00PM EDT
The Detroit Red Wings continue their road trip when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Red wings have had a bit of a mixed bag of results so far this season, with their record currently standing at 2-2-1, and last time out they lost to the Candiens, 1-6. The Blackhawks have already played five games so far this season, but are still yet to win a game, last time out they lost, 1-4, to the Canucks.
Denis Kirilov
This is a game between two teams who will need to work hard if they would want a shot at the Playoffs. The Blackhawks have already recorded 5 straight losses since the beginning of the season and with a 9:21 goals difference, things aren’t looking bright for them. On top of that, they are struggling with injuries as Caleb Jones, Wyatt Kalynuk, and Mike Hardman are out of the coach’s plans for the upcoming games. Two of their key players, Patrick Kane and Ryan Carpenter, are also questionable for the match against Detroit.
On the other hand, the Detroit Red Wings are entering into this game after a 6:1 loss from the Montreal Canadiens. They have shown signs of strength in their first three games when they played at the same level as the current NHL Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then they clinched 2 wins against easier opponents like the Vancouver Canucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dylan Larkin, Marc Staal, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Vladislav Namestnikov are ready to lead their team towards their 3rd win for the season. Having in mind the worsened situation in Chicago, I would recommend picking the Detroit Red Wings’ moneyline option.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings
Tony Battalio
Detroit is coming off of a tough loss to the winless Montreal Canadiens, in a game that was not close at any point. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks have not played since Thursday. The last time on the ice for the Blackhawks did not go well either as they fell to the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 4-1. It may not get much better for the Chicago Blackhawks as they could be without superstar Patrick Kane for an unknown amount of time as well.
All about Kaner 🎬 #1Kane pic.twitter.com/Vx5Mr6g9q3
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 22, 2021
This is a game pitting two struggling teams against each other, and both teams badly need to get another notch in the win column to build up some type of momentum. This will almost certainly be a back and forth game, one that is a high-scoring offensive shootout. Due to the home-ice advantage, I like the Chicago Blackhawks in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Chicago Blackhawks
Michael Lantz
In a battle between two of America’s most cherished hockey franchises, Chicago and Detroit will go head to head in a Sunday showdown. Chicago made some key offseason acquisitions which gave their fans hope they could be a big contender. Instead they’ve struggled mightily, and Detroit have been a major surprise in the NHL, well at least through three games.
The Red Wings started 2-0-1, with the OT loss coming to last year’s Stanley Cup champs the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since that hot start things haven’t gone so well. The pinnacle of this happened on Saturday night where the Wings lost to the lowly Candiends 6-1. The Red Wings weren’t expected to be any good, so this recent streak of losses was expected, but they did show flashes of brilliance earlier on. The Blackhawks are an unappealing 0-4-1 ,and are due for a big win. Expect them to cover the spread with ease.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings cover
New York Islanders @ Vegas Golden Knights – 10.00PM EDT
The New York Islanders continue their hefty road trip, and this time they travel to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. The Islanders are playing back to back, and last time out they won against the Coyotes, 3-0. The Golden Knights haven’t got off to the start they would have hoped for, and last time out, they lost to the Oilers, 3-5.
Denis Kirilov
The New York Islanders travel to Nevada to face off the Vegas Golden Knights in what promises to be a very exciting game. Both teams are struggling in the start of the season as the level on which they perform doesn’t really match their hopes for the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights have only beaten the Seattle Kraken and it wasn’t even an easy win with the deciding goal being scored in the 4th Quarter. Then, they went on a 3-game losing streak scoring just 6 goals and conceding 14 goals.
The New York Islanders are also not impressing both the experts and their fans as they have only managed to beat teams from the bottom of the table like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Arizona Coyotes. They were blown out against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers. Although key players like Alec Martinez, Max Pacioretty, and Alex Tuch will miss the game for the Golden Knights, I still believe that they can satisfy their fans with a win.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights
Tony Battalio
This matchup is yet another situation where both these teams are much better than their records reflect. It is also yet another game where they can both desperately use a moral and momentum-boosting win early on in this 2021-22 National Hockey League season. The last time out for the Las Vegas Golden Knights they were defeated by the unbeaten Edmonton Oilers in a 5-3 scoreline.
As for the New York Islanders, they had a lay-up game against the Arizona Coyotes. They won that game easily and dominated Arizona much like everyone else who has faced the Coyotes has done so far this season. As for this game, I believe the home-ice advantage and the extra rest are what will put the Las Vegas Golden Knights over the top.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights
Michael Lantz
A few weeks ago this would’ve been a potential Stanley Cup matchup. The Vegas Golden Knights started out with a win against the expansion Kraken, but have looked heavily flawed since the 2nd period of this game. Their opponent: the New York Islanders. After back-to-back years of losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the conference finals, the Isles were heavily predicted to make the Cup after years of paying their due.
So far, they haven’t looked so hot. Yes, they beat a terrible Coyotes squad, but before that game, they were 1-2-1, which while not terrible, it certainly isn’t the ideal start for a team that’s supposed to contend for Lord Stanley’s Cup. But sometimes the lowest of wins can contribute to greater things. I want to say that New York has turned it around, but I think Vegas, who have been off to a subpar start and are looking to be a major threat again, therefore will thrive off that insane Vegas energy.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
