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!
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.
Detroit Red Wings @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM ET
The Detroit Red Wings are on the road for one game when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes in what promises to be a very exciting game. The Red Wings broke their three game losing streak last time out, with a win against the Islanders, 2-1. The Hurricanes had their four game winning streak snapped in their last game, losing 1-2 to the Canucks.
Denis Kirilov
Despite having a lot of Covid-19 cases, the game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Detroit Red Wings will be played. The hosts from Carolina lost their last game against the Vancouver Canucks in a tight contest that finished 2:1. This ended their 4-game winning streak as they were looking to get back 1st place in the East. The team will be without Sebastiano Aho and Seth Jarvis, while Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, and Jordan Martinook are questionable for the game against the Red Wings. This is a huge shock for the Hurricanes and I think this might end unexpectedly.
The Detroit Red Wings are not that bad this season as they are 8th in the East with 31 points from 29 games. The team has had some troubles defending against the toughest opponents, but in my opinion, they have overperformed so far. Nobody has been expecting to see them in a place that guarantees them the Playoffs. They defeated the New York Islanders in their last match prior to the game with Carolina. Although the Red Wings were crushed by the Avalanche, the Blues, and the Predators recently, I think that they are capable of getting the upset in Raleigh. Having in mind all the current circumstances, I will go with a win for Detroit.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings (+180)
Tony Battalio
With a win in their last game, the Red Wings broke a three game losing streak by defeating the New York Islanders. The win brought their record to one game under the .500 mark at 14-12-3 on the year. This will only be a one game road trip for the Red Wings before they return home for two games. They will be looking to string some victories together as they have had a rough month of December. A win here could be a huge boost of momentum for them as we head towards the end of the calendar year.
There’s a lot of gaps to fill before puck drop. Here’s how the #Canes will do it. https://t.co/eQQCXG3i2m
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) December 16, 2021
The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 19-7-1 on the season. However, that is still only good enough for second place in the very competitive Metropolitan division that includes Washington and the New York Rangers. All three of those teams are separated by one point for first place. As for the result of this game I have the Carolina Hurricanes picking up the victory in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-220)
Michael Lantz
After three games where they were dominated on both sides of the puck, the Detroit Red Wings put an end to their skid, beating the New York Islanders 2-1. It also is nice having Tyler Bertuzzi back in the lineup after he missed time with COVID. The Red Wings hope to put last week’s skid in the past as they hope to have a positive result against a Carolina Hurricanes team that’s looking to close in on first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Prior to their 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, Carolina had won four games straight. During that run they scored some wins over some solid opponents including the Flames and Oilers. That being said, they’ve lost leading scorer Sebastian Aho and depth player Seth Jarvis. With Detroit’s young offense back near full-strength and Carolina suffering a big blow, I’ll pick Detroit for the upset.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Detroit Red Wings (+180)
Los Angeles Kings @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings continue their four game road trip when they take on the Florida Panthers, who play their second game in a row at home, before going on the road again. The Kings suffered a heartbreaking 2-3 overtime loss to the Lightning last time out, which brings their season record to 12-10-5. The Panthers have lost two games in a row, to the Avalanche and the Senators, which brings their season record to 18-6-4.
Denis Kirilov
The Los Angeles Kings will try to take advantage of the shock that the Panthers suffered against the Ottawa Senators. One of the best teams in the NHL at the moment, Florida, lost 2:8 to one of the worst teams in the League. That was quite bizarre and unexplainable as they lost their cool in the third quarter for which they got called for a total of 7 penalties. The team, however, is still in a great position to contest 1st place in the East as they are second, right behind the Maple Leafs. The Panthers have one of the best attacks in the NHL as they are among the small number of teams that have scored more than 100 goals already.
The Los Angeles Kings, on the other hand, are still dealing with some problems. The team from the “City of Angels” sits around the middle of the table with 29 points from 27 matches. They are quite conservative on both ends which speaks amazingly of their defense, but they will need to work on the offensive plays. The Kings won three really important games recently, as they managed to beat the Oilers, the Stars, and the Minnesota Wild. They lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in their last game, 3:2 after overtime. The team has got what it takes to defeat the toughest contenders, but I still think the Panthers will have to make sure that their fans will forget about the awful loss to the Senators as soon as possible. My pick goes in favor of the hosts.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-205)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings come into this game off of a loss to the two time defending Stanley Cup champions the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime. That loss dropped their overall record down to 12-10-5 as they have been struggling a lot recently. Now they will look to regroup with a win against one of the National Hockey League’s best teams, the Florida Panthers. They have put together a record of 3-2-1 throughout the month of December, which they will be looking to approve upon with a win in this high profile game.
The Florida Panthers are one of the many potential favorites in an absolutely stacked Eastern Conference. They come into this game with a record of 18-6-4 on the season. With each passing game they look to further separate themselves from the pack of favorites in the East like Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Toronto. As for the result of this game I expect them to pick up another victory and continue to stay towards the top of the league as the calendar year is closing out.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-205)
Michael Lantz
After a brilliant start to the season, the Florida Panthers have many questions if they’re trying to become Stanley Cup contenders. They’re still only in second-place in the Atlantic, but they’ve lost three of four and we’re completely embarrassed on Tuesday as they lost 8-2 to one of the league’s worst teams, the Ottawa Senators. They’ll hope to get back on track at home as they take on an L.A Kings team that’s staying alive in the Western Conference playoff race.
L.A. recently had impressive wins against the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild before losing a close battle to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. They’ll look to keep their hopes alive against the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are still struggling with some injuries, including their star forward Aleksander Barkov, and after the Panthers 8-2 loss to the Senators, the Kings have to be liking their chances. I’m not sure I’m fully confident to take this one on the road, but I’ll at least go with them to cover.
Michael’s NHL Pick: L.A. Kings +1.5 (-164)
Ottawa Senators @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7.00PM ET
The Ottawa Senators take on their Atlantic Division rivals in the Tampa Bay Lighting on Thursday night. The Senators have won two games in a row, outscoring their opponents, 12-2, in those games, which takes their season record to 9-16-1. The Lightning have only dropped one game so far this month, and that loss just happened to come at the hands of the Senators on December 11, where the Lightning lost 0-4.
Denis Kirilov
The Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning will take on each other in a pretty captivating contest in the Eastern Conference. Although the Senators have been struggling throughout the first couple of weeks in the current NHL campaign, they found their way back. The team won 5 out of its last 6 games against teams that are fighting for the top spots right now. It all began with a victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on December 2nd. Then they outsmarted the Avalanche and the Devils after regulation. On top of that, Ottawa defeated their upcoming opponent from Tampa in a pretty much one-sided affair, 4:0. The cherry on the cake was their victory over the Florida Panthers as they demolished the Southern team, 2:8. Drake Batherson had the biggest contribution for his team in this monstrous performance on Tuesday.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, on the other hand, are among the teams fighting for the top places. They bounced back after a rough start to the season and are now 3rd in the East with 40 points from 28 games. Ottawa cut their 5-game winning streak with their dominant victory, but they managed to start a new one, defeating the LA Kings at home. Tampa is a team that is playing very well in Amalie Arena as they have won their last 5 matches there. The reigning champions will surely try to defend the title with everything they have, but first, they will need to find a way to easily defeat opponents from the bottom half. However, I believe that the option for “over 6 goals” might be the best pick here as both rosters are quite aggressive and are able to put on a fantastic show on Thursday.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 6 (-110)
Tony Battalio
One of the worst teams in the National Hockey League will face off with one of the top teams in the National Hockey League in this game. As the Ottawa Senators will play the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road in Tampa Bay. Ottawa comes into this game with a record of 9-16-1 on the year. However they are showing signs of improvement as they have won their last two games and five of their last six as well. They will be looking to continue their successful run of play with a victory in this one.
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📝: https://t.co/r0A793mblH pic.twitter.com/OhRfEGShY1
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 15, 2021
The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming into this game with a record of 18-6-4. This game will be their second against the Ottawa Senators in less than a week. These two teams played on December 11th and the result was not good for the two time defending champions. They lost to Ottawa 4-0 on the road, now in this one they will have the home ice advantage. As for the result of this game I expect the opposite of the result from a handful of days ago. As I expect the Tampa Bay Lightning to pick up the win in this game at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-295)
Michael Lantz
The Ottawa Senators are coming off what is arguably their best win of the year. They defeated the Florida Panthers 8-2, and further proved that despite their record, they aren’t a team to be taken lightly. They proved that in their prior game to the Panthers, when they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0. They’ll get another crack at this Lightning team on Thursday night, as the Sens look to keep the surprising play alive.
Prior to that shutout loss against the Senators, the Lightning were starting to look like a Stanley Cup caliber team once again. The loss was an odd one against a Senators team that’s been among the worst in the league, but the Lightning bounced back, beating the L.A Kings 3-2. Now they’ll look to pay back this Senators team that shut them down on Saturday. I expect them to do so, they’ll know they can’t just skate past this team, especially after their dominant win against Florida. I think the Lightning make the right adjustments and come out on top.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-295)
Buffalo Sabres @ Minnesota Wild – 8.00PM ET
The Buffalo Sabres are in the middle of a three game road trip, and on Thursday night they face off against the Minnesota Wild. The Sabres got their first win in December last time out, when they beat the Jets, 4-2. The Wild are looking to turn things around tonight, after losing their last two games in a row, which brings their season record to 19-8-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Wild are the “wild” surprise in the NHL so far. Although they suffered two consecutive losses, they still lead the Western Conference with 39 points from 28 games. The team is fantastic on both ends, but sometimes they have troubles in defensive positions. A fresh example was the game against the Vegas Golden Knights where they conceded 6 goals. And if the Golden Knights found a way to take advantage of the power-plays, the Wild only scored once out of 6 opportunities. They have had some difficulties in attack as well and the 2:1 loss to the LA Kings suggests exactly that.
The Buffalo Sabres, on the other hand, are in the bottom of the table in the East. They are 13th with 22 points from 28 games, which puts them in a really tight spot heading into Christmas. The team entered a 7-game losing streak, but with their win over the Jets in their last match, they managed to put an end to it. However, their performance this year suggests that it will be close to a miracle if they somehow clinch a spot in the Playoffs. In my opinion, the Minnesota Wild is by far the better team and they will take the win with ease.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (-118)
Tony Battalio
This is yet another case of a top team in the National Hockey League playing one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League on Thursday evening. In this one the Buffalo Sabres will be taking on the Minnesota Wild. Buffalo will be playing the second game of their three game road trip in this game. They come into this game with a record of 9-15-4 on the year. They got off to a surprisingly hot start but that has since fizzled away as the season has progressed. However in their last game they did break a seven game losing streak.
The Minnesota Wild are the top team in the National Hockey League at the moment. They come into this game a full ten games above the .500 mark with a record of 19–8-1 on the season. However they have lost their last two games, so they will be looking to break the short losing streak in this one. When the final horn sounds on this matchup I expect them to do exactly that. As I have the Minnesota Wild picking up the victory in this game over Buffalo at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-315)
Michael Lantz
On paper this is one of the more lopsided matchups you’ll see as the 9-15-4 Sabres visit the best team in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild. Despite sitting at sixth in the Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres got a big win against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, where Rasmus Dahlin continues to be one of the team’s bright spots this season. They’ll try to carry that momentum over to their game against the Wild.
After eight straight wins, the Minnesota Wild have a couple of tough games. First, they were blanked 2-1 by the L.A. Kings and then they were overpowered by the Vegas Golden Knights 6-4. After such a big winning streak, the team might be a little burned out after their win streak, but a loss against this Sabres team would definitely cause additional concern. With this one being at home, I’ll still go with the conference leading squad in the Wild, even after the Sabres got a big win earlier in the week.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (-118)
Colorado Avalanche @ Nashville Predators – 8.00PM ET
Two Central Division rivals face off against each other on Thursday night, when the Colorado Avalanche hit the road and play the Nashville Predators. The Avalanche are looking to build on their current five game winning streak, which takes their season record to 17-7-2. The Predators also have a five game winning streak, which they obviously don’t want to break, and their season record sits at 17-10-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators are two of the best performing teams recently. Both of them are heading into this match on a 5-game winning streak. The Avalanche seem to be a bit more dominant, but the Predators have their strengths as well. Colorado has been merciless in some of the games as they defeated the Flyers (5:7), the Rangers (3:7), and the Red Wings (7:3). They have broken some NHL records for most times to score 7 goals as they are looking to further build on this performance. Their main goal is the Stanley Cup and it will be of vital importance to make a smooth transition from the regular season into the Playoffs.
The Nashville Predators are surprisingly 6th in the West with 35 points from 28 games. They are battling for the top spots at the moment as this happened mainly due to their performance in December. They beat all the teams from New York and the Red Wings in away matches, while their streak started off with a narrow win over the Montreal Canadiens. The team relies much on its defense as it’s not really often that their opponent manages to go past Nashville’s goalkeeper on plenty of occasions. However, I think that the Avalanche fully deserve the top spot in the West and they will soon get it. My pick goes in Colorado’s favor.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-170)
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Avalanche were one of the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup trophy and dethrone the two time champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. However early on in the year they haven’t exactly played up to those expectations that were set for them. Slowly but surely it has improved but they are still not at the level they want to be. They come into this game with a record of 17-7-2 on the year. They are currently on a five game winning streak and will be looking to extend it with a win here.
📍 Nashville, but thinking of home#WallpaperWednesday #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/JHDLE51c6G
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 15, 2021
The Nashville Predators have been an up and down team all season long. They come into this game with a record of 17-10-1. However they have gotten on a bit of a hot streak as prior to their last game being postponed they had won five in a row as well. In this game one of these teams’ hot streaks will be snapped and I expect it to be Nashville’s. As I look for the Colorado Avalanche to pick up the victory on the road in this hard fought competitive game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-170)
Michael Lantz
This one should be a lot of fun: the Nashville Predators are currently fourth in the Central Division; clinging onto their playoff hopes. The Colorado Avalanche are finally looking like the Stanley Cup team many expected them to be before the season started. The Predators are currently on a five-game win streak which has helped get them into their current position, after a so-so start. They’re coming off a gritty 1-0 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. They’ll look to bring this win streak back to Nashville, in a can’t-miss matchup against one of the NHL’s hottest teams.
Colorado also had their last win against the Rangers, as they took care of business, winning 4-2. They previously had three straight games where they scored seven goals, and are getting contributions beyond the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Players like Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky have stepped up big. I think this one will be tight, but I gotta go with this Avalanche team that finally looks like they’re putting it together after an uneven start.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-170)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
