We are in the thick of the 2021/22 NHL season, and things are certainly heating up! Today there are heaps of games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With so many teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
How will today’s games shake out? Which teams will be in the winners circle, and who will need to bounce back after a loss? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for some great games! So sit back, relax 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 best five games on today’s schedule.
New Jersey Devils @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
The New Jersey Devils start a short two game road trip when they take on the Florida Panthers. The Devils have won three of their seven games so far this month, and they are currently on a two game losing streak, which takes their season record out to 7-4-3. After a shootout loss and an overtime loss, the Panthers came back in a big way last time out, winning against the Islanders, 6-1, and their season record currently sits at 11-2-3.
Denis Kirilov
The Florida Panthers got back on the right track after a convincing 6-1 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday. They have been struggling recently as they were in a 4-game losing streak ahead of this game, but Hornqvist, Montour, and Lomberg, came up clutch in their last fixture and potentially gave a start to another winning streak for them. The Panthers are surely one of the best teams in the NHL as of now as they are leading the Eastern Conference with 25 points out of 16 matches. They have scored the most goals in the League and they are looking to extend their lead on top. It’s high-time Huberdeau and Barkov team up successfully and pile up some points for the individual statistics.
Nobody puts the New Jersey Devils among the contenders for the Stanley Cup. They are 9th in the East with an equal goals difference, both scoring and conceding 42 goals in the span of 14 games. The Devils are in a 2-game losing streak ahead of their away match in Florida. They were outclassed by the Boston Bruins in their last home game, while the road trip didn’t begin in the best possible way as they lost to the New York Rangers after penalties. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Panthers a couple of days ago with a dominating result – 7-3. I think it’s time for revenge and I am going to go with Florida covering their spread in this matchup.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+126)
Tony Battalio
New Jersey kicks off a fast two game road trip in Florida on Thursday against the Panthers. The Devils come into this game with a record of 7-4-3 through their first 14 games on the season. However they also come into this game on a two game losing streak, having dropped games to the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, before their prior game with the Ottawa Senators being cancelled due to issues the Senators are experiencing at the moment. After this game, the New Jersey Devils will visit the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon.
Business trip. 😤
🛬 FLA📍🌴 pic.twitter.com/wET75ry2of— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 17, 2021
The Florida Panthers got off to one of the hottest starts in the National Hockey League this season but they have since cooled off. They have been struggling recently, but despite that they are still sitting here with a record of 11-2-3 on the season. Only time will tell if this is just a rough patch or if the wheels are falling off following the dismissal of their head coach a few weeks ago. As for the result of this game, I look for the Florida Panthers to defeat the New Jersey Devils, but I also look for the Devils to cover the 1.5 goal spread as they are the underdogs in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New Jersey Devils +1.5 (-154)
Michael Lantz
After a rough couple of games, The Florida Panthers looked like the team that started 10-0-1 on —beating the New York Islanders 6-1 on Tuesday night. Six goals from six different players sent a reminder to the rest of the league that this team has so many gifted players. Now, this team will look to get some payback against the New Jersey Devils, who embarrassed them 7-3 on November 9th. It might be the ideal time: the Devils have dropped their last two, giving up nine goals combined in both those matches.
The Devils will now travel to a hostile environment, as they head to Miami’s FLA Live Arena. They’ve only played five games on the road so far, and have had pretty good results: they’ve had one win, one loss, and three losses that went to OT/shootout. They hope their road confidence can continue against one of the league’s top teams. While youngster Jack Hughes is likely out for a few more weeks, the Devils have had other young players step up in the scoring including Pavel Zacha, Dawson Mercer, and Jesper Bratt, as they each have 11 points on the year. I think Florida takes this one, due to their amount of talent, but I’ll take the Devils to cover as they’ve played tough teams pretty close on the road.
Michael’s NHL Pick: New Jersey Devils +1.5 (-154)
New York Rangers @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET
The New York Rangers kick off their two game road trip in Toronto when they take on the Maple Leafs. The Rangers are looking to build on their four game winning streak, which includes wins over the Panthers, Blue Jackets, Devils and Canadiens. Not to be outdone, the Maple Leafs are on a four game winning streak of their own, and the wins they have are against teams like the Flyers, Flames, Sabres and Predators.
Denis Kirilov
Both teams played against each other precisely a month ago in Toronto. Back then, the Rangers managed to upset the Maple Leafs after Artemi Panarin scored the winning goal in the overtime. The game finished 1-1 in regular time and if we look at the statistics of the match, we can state that Toronto could have easily won the game. They had 41 shots on goal compared to 23 for the Rangers and they won 76% of the faceoffs in the game. However, I think they might have learned from their lesson as the Maple Leafs are on an 8-1 run at the moment.
The New York Rangers used this victory over the Maple Leafs as a trampoline for future success. They went on an 8-4 run after this game and they are also entering tomorrow’s fixture in high mood after winning their last 4 matches. Their defense is performing miracles until now and they most certainly hope to keep things that way. Toronto is also not a team who frequently scores beyond 4-5 goals in Scotiabank Arena, so I will give it a go with the option for “under goals” in their second meeting for the season.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-105)
Tony Battalio
The New York Rangers are set to kick off a one game road trip north of the border on Thursday night in Toronto, what was originally intended to be a two game trip turned into this lone matchup after their game against the Ottawa Senators was postponed due to ongoing issues with the Senators. New York comes into this game with a record of 10-3-3 as they have got off to a decent start this season. They also come into this game on a four game winning streak, racking up wins against Florida, Columbus, New Jersey, and Montreal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs come into this game with a record of 11-5-1 as they also have got off to a great start this year and look to be a possible Stanley Cup contender. The Maple Leafs come into this game with a four game winning streak of their own, having picked up victories over Nashville, Buffalo, Calgary and Philadelphia. This game is going to be one of the most competitive games of the entire Thursday slate and when the final horn sounds I look for the Maple Leafs to come out on top with a big home victory over the New York Rangers.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-184)
Michael Lantz
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of, if not the, hottest team in hockey. They’ve won nine of ten and despite an off defensive night here and there have looked pretty complete on both sides of the puck. They’ve also got some outstanding goalkeeping from Jack Campbell who is entering himself into the Vezina conversation. The Maple Leafs look to keep the good times going against a New York Rangers team that’s hot as well, coming off of a four-game win streak.
Part of the reason for this recent run is that the Rangers are finally getting some good games from Artemi Panarin. The former Hart Trophy finalist, started off really slow, but he’s picked it up as of late, scoring five points in those last four wins. This should be a must-watch matchup, even though I think Toronto has a good chance to squeeze another out, I’ll take a Rangers team that’s becoming more dangerous, to cover.
Michael’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers +1.5 (-180)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Philadelphia Flyers – 7.00PM ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning play in Philadelphia for their only road game before returning home again, while the Flyers are in the middle of a three game homestand. The Lightning are looking to build on their two game winning streak, which includes wins against the Panthers and Islanders. The Flyers inconsistency continues on in November, they haven’t been able to string together two wins in a row, but on the other side, they haven’t had two losses in a row either.
Denis Kirilov
The Tampa Bay Lightning will have a tough visit to Philadelphia on Thursday night. However, it seems that the reigning NHL champions found their form as they haven’t lost a game in regular time for a really long time. October 26 was the last time this happened and Tampa is not looking to go back to these days anytime soon. They defeated some of the best teams in the League during this period including the Washington Capitals, the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the New York Islanders who have only played away games until now. The Lightning also came close to victories against Toronto and Carolina, but were eventually denied after clutch plays in the overtime.
The Philadelphia Flyers are a hidden favorite for the Stanley Cup Finals this year. They certainly have the capacity and the potential to reach deep in the Playoffs, but first of all, they will need to get past the regular season. Their performances are suffering huge fluctuations recently as one day they defeat the Carolina Hurricanes on the road and the other they lost to the Dallas Stars granting them their first win in regular time for the season. In my opinion, Tampa is the more balanced team both in offense and in defense and I don’t see how Philly will deny all of the Lightning’s forwards including Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, and Anthony Cirelli. I am vouching for the Lightning in this game.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-137)
Tony Battalio
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions are still not playing up to the expectations bestowed on them prior to the 2021-22 season, as they look to be the first team to three-peat in decades. Tampa Bay comes into this game with a record of 8-3-3, they have also won their last two games having picked up victories over the New York Islanders and the Florida Panthers. This will be their first game of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Cam do attitude. #CGYvsPHI | @JagermeisterUSA pic.twitter.com/Xu0UOwfcsw
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 17, 2021
The previously mentioned Philadelphia Flyers come into this matchup with Tampa Bay, sporting a record of 8-4-2 on the year as they have been somewhat of a mixed bag so far this season. In their last game they defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 in a game that went to overtime. As for the result of this game, I look for it to be a back and forth contest that goes all the way down to the final horn and potentially extends into overtime and a shootout. When the game does come to an end, I have the Philadelphia Flyers walking away with a huge home victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+114)
Michael Lantz
The Tampa Bay Lightning must have heard everyone questioning their early season play because they’ve won six of their last eight, with both losses being 1-2 overtime defeats against great teams (Hurricanes & Maple Leafs). Considering Nikita Kucherov is out, you’d have to imagine those games would be different if he were in.
They now travel to Philadelphia to take on a Flyers team that’s inconsistent, but fully capable of beating big-time opponents. The Flyers have wins against the Oilers, Capitals, Hurricanes, and Flames this year as they make the Lightning their next target. Philly have won four of their last five by the score 2-1; so their defense has been worth applauding for keeping them alive in the Metropolitan Division race. This includes solid performances from blue liners Justin Braun and Ivan Provorov. While the Lightning seem to be getting closer to dominance, I think they’ll hit a minor road block against a gritty Flyers team.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+114)
Winnipeg Jets @ Edmonton Oilers – 9.00PM ET
The Winnipeg Jets are on the road for two games, and their first stop is against the Edmonton Oilers. The Jets have won three games in a row, including a 5-2 win against the Oilers in their last game. Can the Oilers get revenge in this game? The Oilers are seeing a bit of inconsistent play at the moment, but they still have a very solid season record, at 11-4-0.
Denis Kirilov
The Edmonton Oilers are eager to take their revenge against the Winnipeg Jets after their 2-5 loss a couple of days ago. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid will try to contest the 1st place of the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference. The Oilers are 2nd by a single point behind the Ducks and a point above their upcoming opponents, the Winnipeg Jets. Their offense is their biggest advantage at this point, helping the team score 61 goals in 15 matches. Edmonton’s expectations for this year are set high as they feel they are able to beat every single team in the NHL.
The Winning Jets are looking to make it 2-0 against the Oilers this year, but this visit to Edmonton won’t be as easy as their previous meeting in Winnipeg. Andrew Copp and Pierre-Luc Dubois will try to match McDavid and Draisaitl’s performance, while at the same time they will hope that the defense will do their job properly and won’t let many goals in the match. However, I think that the better team among these two is the Edmonton Oilers and they will take what’s theirs in this game. I might go with just their victory, but giving them a chance to cover their spread gives me more value as well.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (+164)
Tony Battalio
This matchup is a battle between two of the better Canadian teams in the National Hockey League. They have played once already this season and that game ended in a surprising 5-2 victory for the Winnipeg Jets over the Edmonton Oilers just a few days ago. This game on Thursday night is their second consecutive game against the Oilers. Winnipeg comes into round 2 of this matchup with a record of 9-3-3 having won their last three games, picking up wins over San Jose, Los Angeles and Edmonton, all at home. The Jets did a fantastic job of keeping Connor McDavid off the scoresheet in their matchup the other night, if they can manage to accomplish that feat again they could easily walk out of Edmonton with another victory.
The Edmonton Oilers come into this game, having struggled as of late after a very fast start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. They have dropped three of their last five games including disappointing losses to Detroit and Buffalo, including the game against Winnipeg. Despite the recent struggles, they still come into this game with an 11-4 record for the season and still look like a major contender for the Stanley Cup Trophy. As for the result of this game, I see a reverse of their previous match up happening, the Oilers are a tough team to beat twice in a season, and it is much tougher to do it twice in row, so I expect the Oilers to avenge their loss on the road and pick up a victory at home in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-152)
Michael Lantz
The Oilers and Jets face off for the second time in two days. Tuesday night’s game in Winnipeg was a success for the home team, as the Jets used a three goal second period to down the Oilers and advance to a 9-3-3 record, making them a major player in the Western Conference. Kyle Conner recorded a goal for the fourth straight game as he continues to ascend to the top of the scoring list. Now the Jets look to make it two straight against one of the league’s deadliest offenses.
Speaking of scoring lists, Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl continues to top it with 33 points on the year. Sitting right behind him is last year’s Hart Winner Conor McDavid with 29. These two are going to be impossible to stop, but if teams can take one out of the Jets playbook and attack early on a downtime suspect defense, then the Oilers could be looking at another early playoff exit. That being said, I think they’ll take advantage of this matchup being at home where they’ve only lost one game this season.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-152)
Carolina Hurricanes @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM ET
Will the Carolina Hurricanes be the team to give the Anaheim Ducks their first loss in November? The Hurricanes play their second of a six game road trip and are currently on a two game winning streak, which includes wins over the Blues and Golden Knights. The Ducks’ roll continues, and in their last game they got an overtime victory against the Capitals, 3-2, which takes their season record to 10-4-3.
Denis Kirilov
This will be a battle between the two Conferences in the NHL. The leader in the West, the Anaheim Ducks, will face the second-placed in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes. The Ducks are the pleasant surprise so far this season as they are yet to lose a game in November. They are 7-0 this month and with their victory over Montreal in the last match for October, the Ducks are entering into this fixture with an 8-game winning streak. Their defense made the difference in this run, as they have only once conceded more than 2 goals. In this particular case, against the Seattle Kraken, the game finished 7-4 in favor of the Ducks.
The Carolina Hurricanes started off the season in the perfect way, winning 9 out of 9 games without a single overtime. Then, they lost to the Panthers in the battle of the East and took another loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at home. The Hurricanes still managed to make up for this disappointing result by defeating the St. Louis Blues and the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of their meeting with the Anaheim Ducks. For me, they are the better team at the moment and they will further prove this with a win tomorrow. Aho, DeAngelo, and Svechnikov give us an impression that they can’t be stopped right now and they will continue to bully the whole NHL.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-164)
Tony Battalio
Carolina was one of the hottest teams to start the 2021-22 National Hockey League season and now they will continue their road trip by playing the team that is currently the hottest team in the National Hockey League in the month of November. Carolina comes into this game with a two game winning streak, having defeated the St. Louis Blues and Las Vegas Golden Knights. They have a record of 12-2 on the year as both of their losses have come in the month of November.
Antti was 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑 in his first game back 👊 pic.twitter.com/f34HSXUICh
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 17, 2021
The Anaheim Ducks come into this game as the hottest team in the NHL throughout the month of November. They are currently on an impressive win streak of eight games. They have been racking up victories left and right, as they have seemingly recovered from a very slow start to the season. They come into this game with a record of 10-4-3 and I do not expect the winning to stop anytime soon. I think the Anaheim Ducks will come away from this game with another huge home win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks (+136)
Michael Lantz
The Anaheim Ducks continue to surprise, as they now sit at 10-4-3 on the season while continuing to threaten the biggest teams in the Pacific Division. Their 3-2 overtime win against the Capitals on Tuesday gave them eight straight victories; now they look to continue that run against a big test in the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carolina started the season 9-0-0 before losing 2-5 to the Florida Panthers on November 6th. Since then they’ve won three of four with their only loss being a 1-2 overtime defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their defense has been solid since the Florida game and I look for them to give the Ducks a hard time. It’s hard for me to go against such a hot team playing at home, but I think the Hurricanes pull off a close one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-164)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
