Free NHL Picks Today for Thursday, March 17th, 2022

Free NHL Picks Today for Thursday, March 17th, 2022
Thu 17th March 2022

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 @ New York Rangers – 7.00PM ET

It’s the Battle of New York when we see the New York Islanders face off against the New York Rangers. The Islanders are not having the season they would have hoped for, as they are sitting with a record of 24-24-9. The Rangers, on the other hand, are sitting quite pretty, and they have also won their last two games. 

Marko Nadin

The New York City rivals will face each other on Thursday night. The Rangers have a much better season than the Islanders as they stand fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 38-17-5 record. The Rangers are coming off back-to-back wins over Dallas and Anaheim and will add another one in the winning column. The Rangers are the third best defensive team in the league allowing only 2.6 goals per game and will probably hold the Islanders to no more than 1 in this game. 

The Islanders are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-24-9 record but are almost 20 points behind the place that leads in the playoffs. The Islanders are coming off a shootout loss to the Washington Capitals after winning the previous three games. They have won 4 of the last 5 games against the city rival but this time around they are major underdogs. They have won only 5 of the last 27 games as underdogs and only 2 of the last 14 games on the road as underdog.

Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-142)

Tony Battalio

The New York Islanders come into this game as one of the most mediocre teams in the National Hockey League this season. In this one they will take on their New York City rivals the New York Rangers. They will be looking for a morale boosting win as they are already virtually eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Islanders are coming into this game with a record of 24-24-9 through their first 57 games of the season. They are sitting in sixth in the Metropolitan Division. 


As for the previously mentioned New York Rangers, they come into this game as one of the most surprising teams in the National Hockey League this season. They currently have a record of 38-17-5 through their first 60 games of the season. They currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 22 games left in the regular season and are a potential dark horse team to win the Stanley Cup trophy. As for the result of this game, I have them getting the victory over the New York Islanders.

Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-142)

Jeffery Thomas

Nice in-state rivalry game on tap for Thursday night when the New York Islanders visit the New York Rangers. The Islanders have a 24-24-9 record on the season, which puts them at 6th place in the Metropolitan Division with 57 points. Last game out for them was on Tuesday, a 3-4 shootout loss in Washington to the Capitals. The Rangers are in 2nd place in the Metro and were also in action on Tuesday night, taking down the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 4-3. 

It was the second straight win for the Rangers, who beat the Dallas Stars 7-4 three nights before. When you look at it, the Rangers have been playing much better hockey than the Islanders lately. Couple that with the fact that the Rangers are at home where they have been dominant, especially with Igor netminding, and this is a straightforward pick for me. I love the Rangers in this spot.

Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-142)

Carolina Hurricanes @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET

The Carolina Hurricanes wrap up their short two game road trip tonight with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Penguins, 2-4. The Maple Leafs have won three of their last five games, including last time out when they beat the Stars, 4-0.

Marko Nadin

This is a matchup between two teams that may face each other in the playoffs this season. Carolina has failed from the top of the Eastern Conference and now is second with a 41-13-5 record. They are coming off a 2-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the previous 4 games. The Hurricanes have won 3 of the last 5 games against Toronto. They are the best team in the league when it comes to goals allowed with 2.4 per game and with defending power plays with 89.4 PP%.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 38-17-5 record and the main reason for that is Auston Matthews who leads the league in goals scored. Toronto put an end to a two-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars. The Maple Leafs are third in the league with 3.7 goals per game and are first in power play conversion with 29.4%. Seven of the last 10 games and 5 of the last 6 between these two teams have finished over the total goal margin.

Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (+110)

Tony Battalio

This is going to be one of the best games of the week as the Carolina Hurricanes are wrapping up a road trip north of the border against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Carolina Hurricanes come into this game as one of top favorites to win the Eastern Conference and the Stanley Cup Finals as well. The Hurricanes come into this game with a record of 41-13-5 through their first 59 games on the season. They will be looking to get a big win over another top team in the league in this one. 


The Toronto Maple Leafs come into this game with a record of 38-17-5 through their first 60 games of the season. Between them, the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames this may be the year Canada finally brings the Stanley Cup home to the great white north. The Maple Leafs have been in good form as of late as they have won three of their last five games coming into this one. They currently find themselves in third place in the Atlantic Division. As for the result of this game, I have the Maple Leafs getting the win over Carolina. 

Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-102)

Jeffery Thomas

The Carolina Hurricanes got a few days off after their Sunday matchup with the Penguins that they lost by a score of 2-4. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Metropolitan Division leading Canes and was just their second loss in regulation in the last twelve games (9-2-1). Carolina didn’t even get on the board in that contest until the 3rd period, cutting the lead to 1-2 four minutes into the final frame. Sidney Crosby then added an empty net goal that was quickly answered to get the game to 2-3, before Zach Aston-Reese scored another empty netter to put the game away. Carolina will now wrap up a quick two-game stint on the road on Thursday when they travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. 

The Leafs have been pretty off and on so far in March, but we’re able to put together a great performance in their 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Goalie Erik Kallgren got his first NHL start with their top two goalies out and recorded the shutout. Toronto was also without superstar Auston Matthews for this game, so it was a spot where they had to rely on their depth and guys to step up, and that’s exactly what they did. It was the Leafs’ 38th victory of the year and they now sit 1 point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs could be starting to turn things around but that will come to a halt on Thursday against these Carolina Hurricanes. Kallgren had a great debut but there’s no way he will be able to sustain that against one of the league’s best teams, so I’m backing the Canes to get this road victory.

Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-118)

Nashville Predators @ Philadelphia Flyers – 7.00PM ET

The Nashville Predators are on the road for just one game tonight, when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The Predators have won five of their last six games, with their only loss in this time coming against the Blues 4-7. The Flyers will be hoping to put an end to their three game losing streak which has taken their overall season record to 18-30-11.

Marko Nadin

The Philadelphia Flyers are having their most disappointing season in a while and even though they made a coaching change during the season, things didn’t move in the right direction. The Flyers are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 18-30-11 record. They are on a three-game losing streak, failing to the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout in their last game. The Flyers are the second-worst team in the league scoring only 2.5 goals per game and are also third-worst with 13.5 PP%. 

The Nashville Predators are fifth in the Western Conference with a 35-21-4 record. They have won the last two games and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nashville has won 4 of the last 5 games against the Flyers and the same scenario will happen again today. The Predators have won 15 of the last 20 games after allowing no more than 2 goals in the previous game. The Predators have also won 40 of the last 54 games against teams with a losing record and 5 of the last 7 games as a road favorite.

Marko’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-172)

Tony Battalio

The Nashville Predators have done a great job of being consistent so far this season. They come into this game with a record of 35-21-4 through their first 60 games of the season. They have spent time on top of the Central Division at one point earlier in the season, but now they find themselves in fourth place, and they are currently on a two game winning streak. They have picked up back to back wins over Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild by big margins. Now they will be looking to get a third straight win over the Philadelphia Flyers. 


The Philadelphia Flyers have been underwhelming this season as they are already virtually eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs at this point. They come into this game with a record of 18-30-11 through their first 59 games of the season. They are in last place in the Metropolitan Division and they will likely remain there throughout the rest of the regular season. As for the result of this game, I have Nashville getting the win one over the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-172)

Jeffery Thomas

The Nashville Predators have been very dangerous lately, winning six of their last seven games and will hope to spoil the night of Flyers’ captain Claude Giroux who will be playing in his 1000th career game. The Preds last game was a very impressive 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins where their captain Roman Josi recorded three assists. Josi now has a career-best 52 assists on the season and his points streak sits at seven games (3 goals, 13 assists). He will look to extend said streak in Philadelphia on Thursday against a Flyers team that is winless in their last three games (0-2-1). 

They have been off since Sunday when the Montreal Canadiens beat them 3-4 in overtime. A goal with less than a minute left in regulation forced the overtime period and ultimately led Philadelphia to their 11th OT loss on the year. This is probably the easiest pick on the board for the Thursday slate. The Predators have been rolling offensively away from home, scoring 23 goals in their last four road games and a similar effort should be expected against this bad Flyers team. I like Nashville to get this one wrapped up in regulation to extend their great run of hockey lately. 

Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Nashville Predators (-110)

Pittsburgh Penguins @ St. Louis Blues – 8.00PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the middle of their three game road trip when they travel to St. Louis and go toe-to-toe with the Blues. The Penguins have had a tough go of it as of late, as they faced some top opponents, including the Lightning, Hurricanes (twice) and Panthers, their record on the season currently stands at 36-16-9. The Blues have lost five of their last seven games and last time out they went down to the Jets, 3-4, in overtime.

Marko Nadin

The St. Louis Blues are third in the Western Conference with a 34-17-8 record and are only 3 points behind the Calgary Flames who are second. The Blues have lost 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 3-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets. They are ranked fifth in the league with 3.5 goals per game and third with 26.3 PP%. St. Louis has won 4 of the last 5 games against a team with a winning record and 17 of the last 23 home games. They have played over the total goal margin in 6 of the last 7 games as an underdog.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 36-16-9 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games, most recently 1-4 to the Nashville Predators. The Penguins are among top 5 teams in goals allowed and PP% on the defensive end. They have won 20 of the last 27 games as road favorites, 14 of the last 19 road games in general and 11 of the last 16 games against teams from the Western Conference.

Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-104)

Tony Battalio

The Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues are going to put on a showcase on Thursday evening when they take the ice. Both of these teams have been very good this year and are certainly dark horses to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their respective conferences. Pittsburgh comes into this game with a record of 36-16-9 through their first 61 games of the season. They currently find themselves in third place in the Metropolitan Division. 


The St. Louis Blues are coming into this game with a record of 34-17-8 through their first 59 games of the season. They have been consistent throughout the season and currently find themselves in second place in the Central Division at the moment. They likely won’t win the division since the Colorado Avalanche have all but pulled away but they should at least end up in the playoffs this season. As for the result of this one, I have the Blues getting the victory over Pittsburgh. 

Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-106)

Jeffery Thomas

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play game 2 of a quick three-game road trip on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The Pens will hope for a better result in this contest than their Tuesday battle in Nashville where they fell 1-4 to the Predators. Jake Guentzel scored the lone goal at the 14:00 mark in the second period to tie the game up at 1-1 but Pittsburgh wasn’t able to generate anything else offensively, firing off 11 more shots than the Preds but still losing handily. With the Rangers winning that same night, tying Pittsburgh with 81 points, and having a game in hand, it moved the Penguins down to 3rd in the Metropolitan Division. 

The Blues have been off since a 3-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. That’s been a tough head to head matchup for St. Louis recently, dropping 10 of their last 12 home games against the Jets. Now, losers of five of the last seven games overall the Blues will try to turn the tide when they host the Penguins. We are really splitting hairs trying to pick a side in this one when in reality the play is on the total. Penguins’ games are averaging 6 goals in the month of March and for the Blues their games are averaging 6.7 so I’m seeing another high-scoring bout when these teams meet up on Thursday night. 

Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-104)

Florida Panthers @ Vegas Golden Knights – 10.30PM ET

The final game on an action packed night in the NHL will see the Florida Panthers head over to Vegas and face off against the Golden Knights. The Panthers have won six of their last seven games, and this includes wins over the Senators, Red Wings, Sabres, Penguins, Flyers and Sharks. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights have lost their last five games in a row, and this drops their season record to 32-26-4.

Marko Nadin

The Florida Panthers are still on a West Coast road trip and how successful they have been so far speaks to the fact that they are back on the top of the Eastern Conference with a 41-13-6 record. Florida has won 6 of the last 7 games and is coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. The Panthers are the best scoring team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and are also on top when it comes to shots on goal. Florida has won the last 4 games after allowing no more than 2 goals in the previous game.

The Vegas Golden Knights are not having a good season based on their standards since they are eighth in the Western Conference and will have to fight for a playoff spot by the end of the season. Vegas has lost five straight games and they face off against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Still, the Golden Knights will sooner or later find their game and will be once again capable of defeating any team in the league.

Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-142)

Tony Battalio

The Florida Panthers are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference right now. They come into this game with a record of 41-13-6 through their first 60 games of the season. They are my personal favorites to win the Eastern Conference but not the Stanley Cup. They are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division. Florida has won four out of their last five games on the season as well, as they are on a great run of form at the moment. 


The Vegas Golden Knights spent most of the season on top of the Pacific Division up until they were surpassed by the Calgary Flames. It has seemingly been downhill from there as they now find themselves in fourth place in the Pacific Division and on the outside looking in for the playoffs. They come into this game with a record of 32-26-4 as they are barely above .500 heading into the final stretch of the season. As for the result of this game, I have the Florida Panthers getting the win in this one.

Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-142)

Jeffery Thomas

The first two games of this Florida Panthers road trip have both been tightly contested. After a 2-3 shootout loss in Los Angeles to the Kings, Florida bounced back to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in overtime. Frank Vatrano was the hero, tying the game early in the third period and then scoring the winner in overtime, giving the Cats their sixth win in seven games. It was also the Panthers’ seventh win this season when trailing after two periods and the only the second time the Sharks have lost when leading after two (both to the Panthers). The Vegas Knights are in a real bad stretch, losing five straight games and have only had the lead in one of those games. 

A 3-7 result on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets was their most recent effort and this losing streak now has them barely clinging on to a spot in the postseason. The Stars, Canucks, Jets, and Ducks are all hot on their heels, within 3 points of the Knights for that second wild-card spot, so they’ll need to start stacking up points again. I’m honestly surprised we are getting this price for the Florida Panthers with how bad the Knights have been struggling. The injuries just keep piling up for Vegas and their depth has taken a massive hit. The Panthers will have a field day in this game and I honestly like their team total over as well. Give me the Florida Panthers easily here. 

Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-142)

If you’re looking for more NHL news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your ice hockey needs!

*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.

SportsTips covers all the latest betting, odds, picks & predictions news when it comes to major American sports like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL. If you want to stay up to date with the latest information, SportsTips has you covered!