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.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
The Chicago Blackhawks kick off a short two game road trip on Thursday night as they travel to Florida to take on the Panthers. The Blackhawks have lost five of their last seven games, and this takes their overall record on the season to 24-33-10. The Panthers have won four of their last five games, with their only loss in this time coming against the Maple Leafs 2-5.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 45-15-6 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Panthers are the best offensive team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and are also ranked first with 37.1 shots on goal per game. Florida has won 7 of the last 10 games against the Blackhawks including the last three. The Panthers have also won 6 of the last 7 games coming in after one day off and 41 of the last 51 home games.
The Chicago Blackhawks are 14th in the Western Conference with a 24-33-10 record. They have lost 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 5-6 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Chicago is ranked 26th in the league scoring 2.7 goals per game and 24th allowing 3.5 goals per game. The Blackhawks have lost 40 of the last 58 games as a road underdog, 5 of the last 6 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and the last 9 games after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-360)
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Blackhawks fought hard all season long but we’re unable to recover from their slow start to the year. They will end up finishing the season under the .500 mark as they currently have a record of 24-33-10 through their first 67 games of the season. The best record the Blackhawks could potentially finish with is a total win/loss record of 39-43. The Blackhawks currently find themselves in the bottom half of the Central Division standings. Chicago is currently on a two game losing streak after dropping games to Buffalo and Vegas.
On the newest episode of The Chirp with @darenmillard, Andrew Brunette talks about what the @FlaPanthers learned from last season’s playoff run and how it made them better as a team.
Listen ➡️ https://t.co/wCTYR1CpAq pic.twitter.com/rxFeq7edal
— NHL (@NHL) March 30, 2022
The Florida Panthers have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League all season long. They are positioned as one of the favorites in an Eastern Conference that is loaded with potential Stanley Cup champions. They are currently leading the Atlantic Division over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. As they come into this game with a record of 45-15-6 through their first 66 games of the season. Florida is currently on a one game winning streak after beating the Montreal Canadiens in their last game. As for the result of this game, I have the Florida Panthers picking up the victory in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-360)
Jeffery Thomas
The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off one of the worst collapses in recent memory against the Buffalo Sabres and have now allowed 11 goals in their last two games. That is really bad news for a team that now has to head to Florida to take on a Panthers team that holds the league’s highest offensive output on home ice. Florida is coming off a 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens that saw another great offensive output but caused some concerns on the defensive side of the ice. In their last six games, the Cats are allowing 3.33 goals against. The worst part is the only team from those six games that will be in the playoffs is the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Panthers should have no problem putting goals on the board in this spot against a struggling Blackhawks defense. Chicago will try their best to lock things down after a couple horrible outings but they have nothing to play for and don’t have the guys on the roster to stop this attack. But also, with the way Florida has been playing on defense, it’s easy to see Chicago getting 2-3 goals themselves so a play on the over here holds by far the most value. Give me the over, which is always a good bet in games involving the Florida Panthers.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7 (-104)
Montreal Canadiens @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM ET
The road trip continues on for the Montreal Canadiens, who on Thursday will hit the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadiens have lost four of their last five games, with their only win in this span coming against the Maple Leafs, 4-2. The Hurricanes had won two games in a row before suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Lightning last time out, 3-4, in overtime.
Marko Nadin
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 44-15-8 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 3-4 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Hurricanes are the best defensive team in the league, allowing only 2.4 goals per game and defending 88.3% of the power play situations. Carolina has won 7 of the last 10 games against Montreal including the last two. The Hurricanes have won 5 of the last 6 games against teams with a losing record under 40% and 36 of the last 51 home games.
The Montreal Canadiens are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 18-38-11 record. They have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-7 loss against the Florida Panthers. Montreal is the second-worst team in the league scoring 2.6 goals per game and allowing 3.8. Montreal has lost 27 of the last 38 games against Eastern Conference rivals, 46 of the last 66 road games and 25 of the last 34 games against teams with a winning record. The Canadiens have played over the total goals margin in 6 of the last 7 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-450)
Tony Battalio
It has been a rough season for the Montreal Canadiens after coming off of a Stanley Cup Finals appearance at the end of last season. The Canadiens come into this game with a record of 18-38-11 through their first 67 games of the season. They are looking ahead at a multi-year rebuild once this season wraps up. They are already officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs and sit in last place in the Atlantic Division at the moment, they will likely remain there throughout the rest of the regular season.
Best dressed teammate? Living with Jarvy?
Seabass and Shane chat over a cup of Finnish coffee ☕️
Full Interview » https://t.co/DNKDYC4oDE pic.twitter.com/ms2bPfqreh
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 30, 2022
The Carolina Hurricanes are currently in first place in the Metropolitan Division and positioned as the best team in the Eastern Conference in my opinion. Through their first 67 games of the season, they have a record of 44-15-8 and have built up a six point lead over the rest of the Metropolitan Division. They come into this game on a one game losing streak after losing to the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in overtime by a score of 3-4. As for the result of this game, I have the Carolina Hurricanes bouncing back with a victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-450)
Jeffery Thomas
The Montreal Canadiens will continue their 4-game road trip when they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes. Montreal took a bad loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday 4-7 but the fight was there. After getting down 1-4 eight minutes into the second period, the Canadiens netted three unanswered goals to tie things up at 4-4 before the end of the period. The talent gap was prevalent in the final frame however, and the Panthers were able to pull away for the 4-7 victory and now things won’t get any easier as they take on the Metropolitan Division leading Canes.
Carolina will be nice and angry following their overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, a game they led on three different occasions. They gave up a power-play goal 52 seconds into the extra period to lose and will take Wednesday to regroup and get ready for the lowly Canadiens. This is a really steep price to lay with the Carolina Hurricanes but rightfully so. The Canadiens have been one of the worst teams in the league all year while Carolina has been one of the best and we’ll see the talent gap on full display on Thursday. I think the Canes will jump out early and never let up en route to covering the spread.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -2.5 (+120)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Minnesota Wild – 8.00PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the road for two games, and they kick things off with a game against the Minnesota Wild. The Penguins will be hoping to get back on track tonight as they have lost three of their last four games, taking their record to 40-18-10. The winning streak continues on for the Wild, who have now won seven games in a row, including their last time out when they proved too good for the Flyers, 4-1.
Marko Nadin
The Minnesota Wild are third in the Western Conference with a 45-15-6 record. They have won the last 7 games and are coming off a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Wild are 4th in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and 19th allowing 3.1 goals per game. This season Minnesota defeated Pittsburgh after failing to do so in the previous two seasons. The Wild have won 4 of the last 5 games against teams with a winning record, 44 of the last 58 home games and 23 of the last 32 games against Eastern Conference teams.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-18-10 record. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 2-3 loss to the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh is ranked 9th in the league with 3.3 goals per game and 4th in the league allowing 2.6 goals per game. The Penguins have won 5 of the last 6 games against Minnesota, 13 of the last 18 games against teams from the Western Conference and 5 of the last 6 games after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (+100)
Tony Battalio
The Pittsburgh Penguins have put together a good season so far this year, as they come into this game with a record of 40-18-10 through their first 68 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division, as they have a six point lead built up between them and the Washington Capitals who are currently in fourth place. The Penguins certainly have all the talent they need to win another Stanley Cup this season, the question will be if they can remain healthy throughout the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
“You watch him conduct himself as a pro and immediately has leadership qualities.”
Coach knows 🗣 Alex Goligoski is a committed leader for the #mnwild. pic.twitter.com/asz2fWzfBs
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 31, 2022
The Minnesota Wild were the best team in the National Hockey League at one point. Now they come into this game with a record of 41-20-4 through their first 65 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Central Division at the moment, as they are 14 points out of first place, which is currently held by the Colorado Avalanche. Minnesota is currently on an impressive seven game winning streak. As for the result of this game, I have the Minnesota Wild getting their eighth straight victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-122)
Jeffery Thomas
From March 17-22 things were looking great for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They won three straight games by a combined eight goals and were looking like they were threatening to overtake the top spot in the Metro Division but since then have lost three of four. Last time out was a 2-3 loss to the New York Rangers, which was their second loss to their division rival in 5 days. A win is needed badly for the Pens but with the Minnesota Wild on tap, it will not be a cake walk. The Wild haven’t lost a game since March 13, which was seven games ago and they are one of the hottest teams in the league.
They dismissed the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 4-1 on Tuesday and now find themselves with the third-highest point total (86) in the Western Conference behind the Avalanche (100) and Flames (88). Another heavyweight bout between two teams that will be contenders for a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup. The only way we will get this matchup is in the Stanley Cup Finals which can’t be ruled out with how good both teams are. A common theme when we get these meetings is low-scoring, tightly contested games so I think this 6.5 is just a little too high. Give me the under in what should still be a must-see game for fans.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Under 6.5 (+104)
San Jose Sharks @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.00PM ET
The San Jose Sharks wrap up their quick two game road trip tonight with a game against the Colorado Avalanche. The Sharks are playing on back-to-back nights, and in their last game they lost 2-5, to the Coyotes. The Avalanche have won six of their last eight games, and this includes last time out, when they proved too good for the Flames, 2-1.
Marko Nadin
The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in the league with a 47-14-6 record. The Avalanche have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Colorado is the second-best scoring team in the league with 3.8 goals per game and are ranked 8th allowing 2.7 goals per game. Colorado has won 8 of the last 10 games against San Jose. They have also won 46 of the last 55 home games, 52 of the last 64 games against teams with a losing record and 36 of the last 52 games against Western Conference rivals.
The San Jose Sharks are sixth in the Pacific Division and 12th in the Western Conference with a 29-29-8 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 2-5 loss to the Arizona Coyotes. San Jose is ranked 28th in the league scoring only 2.6 goals per game and are ranked 20th allowing 3.1 goals per game. The Sharks have lost 15 of the last 22 games overall, 22 of the last 29 games playing without a day off and 8 of the last 10 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-365)
Tony Battalio
The San Jose Sharks will be playing the second game of a back-to-back in this one. In their game on Wednesday evening they faced off with another one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League, the Arizona Coyotes. In the battle of bottom feeding teams, the San Jose Sharks ended up losing to the Coyotes by multiple goals. The loss drops the Sharks record to 29-29-8 through their first 66 games of the season. They are sitting towards the bottom of the standings in the Pacific Division.
That makes 100 points on the season, baby!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/nGCnkTe52x
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 30, 2022
The Colorado Avalanche were the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup trophy. After a slow start to the season, doubt started to creep in on that prediction. However, the Avalanche have turned up the heat as of late and for the past couple of months they have been the best team in the National Hockey League. They come into this game with San Jose with a record of 47-14-6 through their first 67 games of the season. They are running away with the Central Division and have built up a 14 point cushion with only 15 games left in the regular season. As for the result of this game, I have the Colorado Avalanche getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-365)
Jeffery Thomas
The Colorado Avalanche are hoping that Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames is the boost they need to get things back rolling heading into the final month of the season. It’s been alternating wins and losses for the last four games for the Avs, and that’s not the inconsistency that we’ve seen this year from the team with the highest point total in the NHL. One thing that has been consistently good for Colorado though is the power play, which was 2 for 3 in the Calgary game and has gone 15 for 36 (41.7%) in the last twelve games.
The San Jose Sharks lost to the Arizona Coyotes 2-5 on Wednesday and will not have much time to regroup from the loss, having a game the next night. With the Sharks coming in on the back-to-back against a great team like Colorado, it’s not a good spot. San Jose is just 7-22 on the second leg of a back-to-back in the last 29 occasions and they will do battle with an Avalanche team that has won 46 of their last 55 home games. The pick here is easy and the game should not be close.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (-140)
Los Angeles Kings @ Calgary Flames – 9.00PM ET
In one of the last games on Thursday in the NHL, we will see the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames, both from the Pacific Division face off. The Kings are playing two nights in a row, and in their game yesterday they lost in a shootout to the Oilers, 3-4. The Flames have split their last eight games, and this takes their season record to 40-18-8.
Marko Nadin
The Calgary Flames are second in the Western Conference with a 40-18-8 record and are 12 points behind the leading Colorado Avalanche. Calgary has won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 1-2 loss to Colorado. They are sixth-best team in the league scoring 3.5 goals per game and are ranked fifth allowing only 29.2 shots on goal per game. Calgary has won 14 of the last 18 games against Western Conference rivals, 10 of the last 12 games playing after one day off and 17 of the last 22 home games.
The Los Angeles Kings are second in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference with a 36-23-10 record. They have won 2 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 3-4 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings are ranked on top of the league, allowing 29.6 shots on goal per game and ninth allowing 2.8 goals per game. Los Angeles has won 3 of the last 5 games against Calgary, 9 of the last 12 road games and the last 5 games playing without a day off.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-320)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings are playing the second game of a back-to-back in this one against the Calgary Flames. On Wednesday night in their first game of the back-to-back, they faced off with another top Canadian team, when they took on the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings and Oilers had a great back and forth contest that ended with a shootout loss for the Los Angeles Kings. Now they will have to win this one to gain some ground on the Flames as the loss keeps them seven points out of first.
Frick. @GEICO | #BundlingMadeEasy pic.twitter.com/jQR9G9nf7I
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 31, 2022
The Calgary Flames have been one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League over the second half of the season. As they raced past this same Los Angeles Kings team and the Vegas Golden Knights to claim first place in the Pacific Division. They come into this game with a record of 40-18-8 through their first 66 games of the season. The Flames currently have a seven point lead over the Los Angeles Kings. As for the result of this game, I have the Calgary Flames getting a huge win in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-320)
Jeffery Thomas
Calgary will continue their long six-game home stand when they host the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames are coming off a 1-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in what was a playoff style game. No scoring was done until 9 minutes into the second period when Calgary took a 1-0 lead. They weren’t able to generate much after that unfortunately and will be looking for a big bounce-back game against the Kings who lost 3-4 to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday in a shootout.
The Calgary Flames have seen their fair share of high-scoring games, with four of their last five going over the 6-goal mark. The Kings will have tired legs and have seen their last six games go over that same 6-goal mark, so I think it’s a pretty safe bet to take the over here as both teams’ offenses are clicking.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (+104)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
