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.
Ottawa Senators @ Boston Bruins – 7.00PM ET
The Ottawa Senators wrap up their two game road trip with a game against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night in the NHL. The Senators snapped their three game losing streak with a win against the Red Wings, 4-1, but they have been firmly out of playoff contention for a long time. The Bruins on the other hand, hold onto the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and will look to get back on track here after dropping their last two games.
Marko Nadin
The Boston Bruins are on a share of sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 45-23-5 record. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 2-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins are allowing only 2.7 goals per game which puts them fifth in the league and are ranked second-best with 36 shots on goal per game. Boston has won 9 of the last 10 games against Ottawa, 9 of the last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents and 44 of the last 65 games played after one day rest.
The Ottawa Senators are 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 27-40-6 record. They are coming off a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings which put an end to their three-game losing streak. The Senators are ranked 26th in the league in scored goals with 2.7 per game and 23th in allowed goals per game with 3.2. They have won 4 of the last 5 games against Eastern Conference opponents but have lost 51 of the last 76 games following a win. Boston and Ottawa have played under the total goals margin in 4 of their last 5 games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-285)
Tony Battalio
The Ottawa Senators have been one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League this season. As they come into this game with a record of 27-40-6 through their first 73 games of the season. They are 19 games below the .500 mark which puts them in seventh place in the Atlantic Division as they have already been officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. They are currently on a one game winning streak after beating the Detroit Red Wings in their last game.
The Boston Bruins are coming into this game with a record of 45-23-5 through their first 73 games of the season. They are currently inside of the top four of the Atlantic Division and on the verge of locking up a playoff spot this season. The Bruins are a potential dark horse team to bring home the Stanley Cup in my opinion as they will need to get hot going into the postseason. As for the result of this game, I have them getting the victory over the Senators.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-285)
Jeffery Thomas
The Ottawa Senators will travel to Boston to take on the Bruins on Thursday night after having Wednesday off. Tuesday night saw the Sens snap their three-game losing streak by beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. The win over their division rivals gave Ottawa 60 points on the year with just nine games left.
The Boston Bruins have 95 points in the same amount of games and are currently occupying the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. It’s been almost a week since Boston has registered a win, losing 2-4 to both the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues, their last two times out so I imagine they’ll play this game with a heightened sense of urgency.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-285)
Anaheim Ducks @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7.00PM ET
The Anaheim Ducks wrap up their four game road trip tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who themselves kick off a five game homestand. The Ducks have gone 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, and they will not be making an appearance in the playoffs this season. The Lightning are yet to be officially confirmed in the playoffs, but they hold the third position in the Atlantic Division, although it is very close, so they need to ensure they keep winning.
Marko Nadin
The Tampa Bay Lightning are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-21-8 record. They have lost five of the last 6 games and are coming off a 0-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. The defending champions are ranked 11th in the league with 3.2 goals per game and 8th with 2.7 allowed goals per game. They have won 6 of the last 10 games against the Ducks. Tampa Bay has also won 16 of the last 23 games against Western Conference opponents and 40 of the last 56 games against teams with a losing record under 40%.
The Anaheim Ducks are 12th in the Western Conference with a 29-33-13 record. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-3 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. The Ducks are 24 th in the league scoring 2.7 goals per game and 13th converting 21.8% of the power play opportunities. They have lost the last 8 games played after one day rest, 8 of the last 10 road games, 6 of the last 7 games against Eastern Conference teams and 38 of the last 52 games as underdogs.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-385)
Tony Battalio
It has been a roller coaster of a season for the Anaheim Ducks as they have been very up and down all season long. Now the Ducks come into this game with a record of 29-33-13 through their first 75 games of the season. They are currently in sixth place in the Pacific Division and officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. The Ducks are currently on a two game losing streak after losing back to back games to the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions come into this game with a record of 44-21-8 through their first 73 games of the season. They will be looking to become the first team in the National Hockey League to win three straight Stanley Cups in several decades, as it hasn’t been done since the New York Islanders did it years ago. They come into this game sitting in third place as they hold a one point lead over the Boston Bruins. As for the result of this game, I have the Tampa Bay Lightning picking up the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-385)
Jeffery Thomas
The Anaheim Ducks will travel to Tampa Bay to face a frustrated Lightning team on Thursday. Tampa Bay suffered a shutout loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and it was just another bad performance in a string of bad performances over the past month or so. The current run is six losses in their last seven games and with the Ducks coming to town they have to see this as a great bounce-back opportunity. Anaheim got a pretty impressive performance out of goaltender John Gibson on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, as he faced 55 shots and stopped 52 of them in the loss.
He gave them a chance though, but it was yet another loss and the Ducks are now 2-12-4 in their last 18 contests. The Lightning weren’t able to generate many offensive chances against the Dallas defense on Tuesday but will have a much better time doing so in this game against the Ducks. Anaheim has one of the softest defenses in the league and Tampa’s elite scorers will be able to dictate play and put up a healthy amount of goals. Give me the Bolts to win this one comfortably.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-134)
New York Islanders @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 7.00PM ET
It’s game two of the back-to-back between these two teams, and boy wasn’t the first one a doozy. It was in fact the New York Islanders that got the win over their Metropolitan Division rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-4, in a shootout. The Islanders don’t have anything to play for in terms of the playoffs, whereas the Penguins hold the third and final spot that leads into the playoffs for the Metropolitan Division.
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Penguins are seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 42-22-11 record. They have lost 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 4-5 shootout loss to the New York Islanders in their first of two games in three days. The Penguins are ranked 10th in the league scoring 3.3 goals per game and 6th allowing 2.7 goals per game. Pittsburgh have won 5 of the last 6 games after allowing 5 or more goals in the previous game, 63 of the last 94 home games but have lost the last 4 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
The New York Islanders are 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 34-29-9 record but they have a 15 points deficit to the Washington Capitals who sit in the last place that leads to the playoffs. The Islanders have won 6 of the last 8 games. They are ranked 4th in the league allowing only 2.7 goals per game and defending 84.8% of the power play situations. The Islanders have won 4 of the last 5 games against Pittsburgh, the last 6 against Eastern Conference opponents and 7 of the last 9 games played after one day of rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The New York Islanders have been a huge disappointment this season. As they come into this game with a record of 34-29-9 through their first 72 games of the season. They currently sit in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division but are way out of the playoff picture and close to being officially eliminated. They haven’t looked that impressive in their brand new arena either as they only have a 19-17 record. They have been even worse on the road this season as they have a road record of 15-21.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been great this season and are a dark horse team to win the 2021-22 Stanley Cup. The Penguins are coming into this contest with a record of 42-22-11 as they are 9 games above .500 through their first 75 games of the season. They are currently in third place of the Metropolitan Division and close to clinching a Stanley Cup playoff spot. As for the result of this game, I have the Pittsburgh Penguins getting the victory over the New York Islanders.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-162)
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins will play the second half of their home-and-home series on Thursday night. This one will be a road game for Islanders, who took the first game 5-4 in shootout fashion, and in doing so spoiled what could have been a playoff-clinching night for the Penguins. Now the hosting Penguins will get another shot to clinch and break out of this nasty run of losing that they have been in. They have gone just 3-6-2 in their last 11 games and have now opened up the opportunity of possibly falling down into a Wild Card spot.
The Penguins are not a team that can be trusted at the moment. They are playing tight and I don’t know if it’s because they’re feeling the pressure of the playoffs coming up or what but they just have not been sharp lately. The Islanders on the other hand have been playing much better hockey and won’t be scared of Pittsburgh after just beating them. I’m seeing pretty good value in backing the Isles again to at least keep this one close on the road.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Islanders +1.5 (-194)
Edmonton Oilers @ Nashville Predators – 8.00PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers hit the road on Thursday night and travel to Nashville for a game against the Predators. The Oilers currently hold the second position that leads into the playoffs in the Pacific Division, while the Predators hold the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference, so they will be hoping for a lot of wins to ensure they continue to hold onto that spot.
Marko Nadin
The Nashville Predators are sixth in the Western Conference with a 42-26-5 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 1-0 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. The Predators are ranked 12th in the league scoring 3.2 goals per game and allowing 2.8 goals per game and are also 7th in the league scoring on 24.1% of the power play situations. Nashville has won 7 of the last 10 games against Western Conference teams and 5 of the last 6 games played after one day of rest.
The Edmonton Oilers are 5th in the Western Conference with a 42-26-6 record. After winning 6 straight games, they have lost the last two and are coming off a 1-5 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The Oilers are ranked third in the league scoring on 25.1% of the power play situations and seventh in the league with 3.4 goals per game. They have won the last 5 games against the Predators, the last 4 games after allowing 5 or more goals in the previous game and 6 of the last 8 games against Western Conference opponents.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-102)
Tony Battalio
This one should be a good one as the Edmonton Oilers are set to take on the Nashville Predators. The Edmonton Oilers come into this game in a great position to make a deep playoff run after having a slow start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. As they come into this game with a record of 42-26-6 through their first 74 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Pacific Division and they are 9 points out of first place which is currently held by the Calgary Flames.
The Nashville Predators are coming into this game with a record of 42-26-5 through their first 73 games of the season. They come into this game sitting in fourth place in the Central Division at the moment. The Predators were on top of the Central Division earlier in the season and now they hold onto the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They are currently on a one game winning streak after beating the San Jose Sharks in their last game. As for the result of this one however, I think Edmonton gets the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-102)
Jeffery Thomas
The Edmonton Oilers were rolling, winning six straight but have now lost two in a row following losses to the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. The 1-5 loss to the Wild was one that stung and was a rare defensive meltdown, as they had only allowed 6 total goals in the four previous games. The Nashville Predators come in holding the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Their 1-0 overtime win over the San Jose sharks on Tuesday was the opener of a five-game homestand and also snapped a two-game losing streak they were on.
Both teams have been playing some streaky hockey of late so it’s hard to get a gauge on which squad will bring their A game but I do know that both teams come in having played 4 straight games that have hit the under. It’s surprising for two teams that can be known to have some offensive firepower but the offense has just stalled lately and it should continue on Thursday when they match up.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Under 6 (+100)
Vegas Golden Knights @ Calgary Flames – 9.00PM ET
The Vegas Golden Knights are in the middle of their three game road trip when they take on their Pacific Division rivals, the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. The Golden Knights are sitting three points back from the Stars for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Division. The Flames are yet to be officially confirmed for a spot in the playoffs, but they currently hold the top spot in the Pacific Division.
Marko Nadin
The Calgary Flames are second in the Western Conference with a 45-19-9 record. They have won the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Flames are ranked 6th in the league scoring 3.5 goals per game and second allowing 2.5 goals per game. The Flames have won 20 of the last 27 games against Western Conference opponents, 13 of the last 17 games played after one day of rest and 18 of the last 25 home games. They have played over the total goals margin in 5 of the last 7 games against teams with a winning record.
The Vegas Golden Knights are 9th in the Western Conference with a 40-29-5 record and are three points behind the Los Angeles Kings who are in the last spot that leads to the playoffs. The Golden Knights have lost 2 of the last 3 games and are coming off a 4-5 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Vegas is ranked 14th in the league with 3.2 goals per game and 16th allowing 3 goals per game. They have won 4 of the last 5 games against the Flames, 5 of the last 6 games against teams with a winning record and 5 of the last 7 games as underdogs.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (+130)
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights have had one of the biggest collapses in recent memory. As they have gone from a likely Stanley Cup playoff team all the way down to fourth place in the division. As they will likely be out of the playoffs after the second half of the season they have had. They went from holding onto the division lead to now having a 40-29-5 through their first 74 games of the season. The Vegas Golden Knights are currently on a one game losing streak after losing their last game to the Vancouver Canucks in overtime.
The Calgary Flames are coming into this game as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 45-19-9 through their first 73 games of the season. The Flames are a serious contender to win the Stanley Cup this season. They come into this game on a five game winning streak at the moment. As for the result of this game, I have the Calgary Flames getting the victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-156)
Jeffery Thomas
The Vegas Golden Knights come into this game in desperate need of points as they continue to chase the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars for a playoff spot. Vegas only has eight games remaining and are three points back so every game is vital, starting with the Thursday encounter with the Calgary Flames. The Flames are on a four-game winning streak and can actually clinch a playoff spot with a win over on Thursday. They hold a 9-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for the division crown and are very unlikely to lose that lead.
Vegas could be catching Calgary at a good time as the Flames may be just coasting to the division title while the knights are fighting for their playoff lives. That desperation level could just be enough to get this road win as they just have so much more motivation these days and know they can’t afford to let any point slip away. I’m going to back Vegas to dig deep and keep themselves in the race with a huge 2 points.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (+130)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
