The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are so many games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With a heap of teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
What will today’s games bring? Which teams will have the ability to get the all important win on the board, and who will crack under the pressure? 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.
Detroit Red Wings @ Boston Bruins – 7.00PM EDT
The Detroit Red Wings continue their road trip when they travel to Boston to take on the Bruins. The Red Wings are in the bottom half of their Atlantic Division with 11 points, which includes a season record of 4-4-2, and in their last game they lost, 0-3, to the Canadiens. The Bruins haven’t played as many games as the Red Wings, and their record stands at 4-3-0, which puts them on eight points and third from the bottom in the Atlantic Division. In Boston’s last game, they won in a shootout, 3-2, against the Panthers.
Denis Kirilov
The Detroit Red Wings will be looking to put an end to their 3-game losing streak in an away match against the Boston Bruins. They are ahead of the Bruins on the table, but this is due to the fact that they played 3 more matches than their upcoming opponents. The Red Wings is one of the teams who is not expected to make the Playoffs, but they will do anything they can to prove the experts wrong. The youngster, Lucas Raymond, displays good movement and positioning on the ice, while Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi are forcing towards the enemy’s goal with great determination.
On the other hand, the Boston Bruins have made the impossible possible by winning against the undefeated Florida Panthers. This definitely will have a continuous positive impact on everyone within the team and they should start piling up victories anytime soon. Players like Marchand, Pastrnak, Hall, and Coyle are hungry for goals and wins as they don’t seem like the type of people who will accept a place in the middle of the table. Hence, I will pick the Boston Bruins’ spread this time, as I think the victory over the Panthers has given them enough confidence to destroy the Red Wings.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Boston Bruins -1.5 (-104)
Tony Battalio
The Boston Bruins pulled off a huge upset last time out on the ice by beating the Florida Panthers in a shootout 3-2. Despite having an aging core, they are still wanting to make a push towards another Stanley Cup title this season. They are currently 4-3 through seven games on the season. The momentum boost from the Florida win is something that could extend well into November and launch a lengthy winning streak with a favorable schedule ahead.
“If we’re not going to come and work like crazy, we’re not going to have a chance.”
🗣️: Danny DeKeyser & Coach Blashill
🤝: @meijer | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/p1d3tvyJBe— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 3, 2021
As for the Detroit Red Wings, they are in the middle of a three game losing streak and half way through a 4 game road trip that they have started 0-2-0 on. The losses do not seem to be coming to an end anytime soon while facing teams like Boston, Buffalo, Edmonton, and Washington in the near future. However there have been a few bright spots as Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin are emerging as potential superstars of the future for this Detroit Red Wings franchise.
As for the game, I still have to give the edge to the Boston Bruins as they have been playing dominant hockey as of late. Not only do I see them winning, but I also have them covering the 1.5 goal spread. Detroit may end up being a great team this season and for years to come but for now Boston should handle this one with ease.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins -1.5 (-104)
Michael Lantz
The Detroit Red Wings got off to an impressive 4-2-1 start for the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately they’ve hit some hard times in recent games. They’ve recorded three straight losses; while the first two were against expected playoff favorites in the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, they followed those losses with a 0-3 defeat to a poor Montreal Canadiens team.
Meanwhile the Boston Bruins have also been far from perfect. But, they did provide the Florida Panthers with their first loss of the year last Saturday. Yes, it was an overtime loss, but still they proved the Panthers could be beaten. Boston hopes to continue this trend, and I think they will, with a win at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins -1.5 (-104)
Washington Capitals @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM EDT
The Washington Capitals road trip comes to an end in Florida when they take on the Panthers. The Capitals have a fairly decent record and only have one loss in regular time, their record stands at 5-1-3, and in their previous game they lost, 2-3, to the Lightning. The Panthers have not lost in regular time yet, with their record standing at 8-0-1, and last time out they lost in a shootout to the Bruins, 2-3.
Denis Kirilov
The Washington Capitals against the Florida Panthers will be the main event on Thursday night in the NHL. Both teams are looking great from the start of the season as Florida is 1st, while Washington is 4th in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers suffered their first loss against the Boston Bruins in their previous game, which might have a greater impact than expected. The Capitals have also suffered their first loss in regular time for the season in their previous match against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Alexander Ovechkin versus Jonathan Huberdeau will be the main matchup in this game. The Russian has scored 9 goals and has given 6 assists in 9 matches, while the Canadian has once again proven his playmaking skills by scoring 3 goals and adding 8 assists. Both teams are capable of winning the Stanley Cup in June, but there is likely to be many twists and turns before then. So far, I am willing to trust one of the greatest forwards the NHL has even seen, Alexander Ovechkin, and I think that he will be the main factor for Florida’s first loss at home tomorrow.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (+125)
Tony Battalio
This will be the best game of the Thursday night slate and potentially can go down as one of the best regular season games of the 2021-22 season. This game can easily be summed up in two names, Alexander Ovechkin and Johnathon Huberdeau. However, the game will not just come down to their performances, as both teams have plenty of supporting pieces that makes them each dominant in their own ways.
Washington comes into this game at 5-1-3, having finally dropped a game in regular time after nearly 3 weeks of the season. The Capitals are entering the final game of this road trip where they have gone 0-1-0 in a short 2 game vacation away from the nation’s capital. As for the Florida Panthers, they have raced out to an impressive 8-0-1, having yet to lose in regulation, even after losing their head coach last week.
As for the game, it could easily go either way so my pick in this one is a bit of an unorthodox one, as I am picking a prop bet instead of an outcome. My pick for this game is that there will be an Overtime in this matchup.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Overtime – Yes (+320)
Michael Lantz
The Washington Capitals are continuing to show they can still hang with the Eastern Conference’s best squads. But after starting the season fairly hot, they’ve cooled off a bit in consistency. In their last five they’ve beaten the Coyotes and Senators, but have lost to the Lightning, Red Wings, and Flames. They’ll look to give the Florida Panthers their first legitimate loss of the year.
The Florida Panthers have faced back-to-back OT games. They slipped by the Red Wings last Friday, but followed that with a S/O loss to the Bruins. It was the Panthers first loss of any kind for the year, but it did happen last Saturday and after nearly a week of rest they’ll be looking to bounce back against an offensive heavy Capitals team. With the game being played in Miami, I’ll take the Panthers to pull off a close one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-150)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM EDT
The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the road for two games, and first up they travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. The Lightning are currently on a three game winning streak, with their record standing at 5-3-1, and in their previous game they won against the Capitals, 3-2. The Maple Leafs have a bit of everything so far this season, with their record standing at 5-4-1, and in their previous game they won, 4-0, against the Golden Knights.
Denis Kirilov
The current NHL Champions from Tampa Bay had a bumpy ride in their first matches for the new season. They lost 4 out of 6 games, but eventually ended up with 3 consecutive wins ahead of this match. Defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins away from home turned out to be a very crucial win as it was followed by victories over the Coyotes and the Capitals. The Lightning are slowly getting into their rhythm and are probably hoping to reach their peak right before the Playoffs.
The Maple Leafs are another hidden contender for the Stanley Cup Trophy, but it will definitely be pretty hard to surpass some of the teams in the Eastern Conference. They should be hoping to make a good run in the Regular Season which will place them higher in the end and give them a surmountable opponent in the spring. They are also coming into this match on a 3-game winning streak and they won’t be sitting back while watching the Lightning score goal after goal in their net. I expect a tough battle between two teams with huge potential and I will choose the fairest outcome there is – a tie.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tie (+320)
Tony Battalio
It feels like it has to be said every time the Tampa Bay Lightning hit the ice: they do not look like the team that has won back to back Stanley Cup trophies. However, after a very slow start, they have reeled off a three game winning streak and look to be regaining the form that won them two straight championships. These wins have not come against any slouches either, as they have beaten the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, along with the NHL’s doormat, the Arizona Coyotes.
All systems go 🚀#LeafsForever | @LGCanada pic.twitter.com/qYaksJwdV4
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 3, 2021
As for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they too have had a slow start to the season but are starting to find form as well and sit at 5-4-1 through nine games on the 2021-22 season. Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning, they are also on a three game win streak as they got off to a good start on their current 5 game homestand by beating the Detroit Red Wings and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The two previous games at home have not been close either, as they won by a combined score of 9-4. In this game, I can see it going either way as both teams are potential Stanley Cup contenders. In my opinion, Tampa Bay is going to win this one by 1 goal in a close hard fought matchup.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (+112)
Michael Lantz
After an unconvincing start, the defending back-to-back champion Tampa Bay Lightning are on a roll. They’ve won three straight and that’s been thanks to a great scoring spree from Alex Killorn. On Thursday, they visit Toronto for a showdown against the Maple Leafs.
Speaking of a team that’s on a roll, the Maple Leafs have also won three straight, this includes a 4-0 win on Tuesday against a Vegas Golden Knights team that was on a roll themselves.
In that game, Auston Matthews showed why he was one of the world’s best, racking up two goals, which Maple Leafs fans hope is just the beginning of another excellent season. That being said, I look for Tampa Bay to continue their run of wins, especially with a big task of beating Toronto on the road. I’ll pick Tampa straight up.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (+112)
Dallas Stars @ Calgary Flames – 9.00PM EDT
The Dallas Stars are in the middle of their road trip when they take on the Calgary Flames. The Stars have been slightly struggling so far this season, with a record of 3-4-2, and in their last game they lost in a shootout to the Jets, 3-4. The Flames are having a great season so far, they are currently sitting second in the Pacific Division, with a record of 6-1-2, and in their previous game they lost in overtime to the Predators, 2-3.
Denis Kirilov
The Dallas Stars travel to Canada in an attempt to put an end to their 4-game losing streak against one of the best teams in the NHL, the Calgary Flames. Calgary has lost just once in regular time and this achievement put them in 2nd place in the Western Conference. The Stars are still trying to get their first win in regular time as they are 0-9 in this aspect from the start of the season. They have forced overtime in 5 out of 9 games from the start of the season, which makes them a slippery opponent.
The Calgary Flames were in a 6-game winning streak before suffering a loss against the Nashville Predators in their previous match. They were dominant against teams like the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindholm, Gaudreau, and Mangiapane are looking strong and Jakob Markstrom is performing miracles on goal with his 94.71% saves. The Flames have 3 consecutive losses to the Dallas Stars in their head-to-head matches, and I think this streak should end tomorrow in Scotiabank Saddledome. I am picking the Calgary Flames as the winner of this game.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-152)
Tony Battalio
The Calgary Flames are still one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League (no pun intended), even after having their six game winning streak snapped by Nashville. They still railed off wins against teams like the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers over the course of that winning streak. Now, they will look to start another streak against a slumping Dallas Stars team at home in Canada.
As for the previously mentioned Dallas Stars, things started to fall apart when Columbus came to town and dominated them. They will need to find a quick fix if they want to keep their head above water and stay alive in the playoff race over the course of this season.
As for the game, unfortunately for the Dallas Stars, I do not see that happening as the Calgary Flames are playing near unbeatable hockey at the moment. This is a game that Calgary should dominate from the opening puck drop. I am taking the Calgary Flames with the 1.5 goal spread in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (+180)
Michael Lantz
After going on a six game win streak, where they were dominant on both sides of the puck, the Calgary Flames were brought back to earth with a 2-3 loss to a streaky Nashville Predators squad. Still Calgary looks to pick the wins back up when a struggling Dallas Stars team comes to town.
A lot of us (me included) keep waiting for this Stars team to breakout and go on a big winning streak. They’ll need their offense to pick it up if they have any dreams of making the playoffs. Their defense has been adequate, but the Stars blue liners will have their hands full with a potent Flames offense. I know the Stars haven’t had much of an offense, but when I see the over being +106 for 5.5, I’m not sure I can pass up those odds!
Michael’s NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (+106)
St. Louis Blues @ San Jose Sharks – 10.30PM EDT
The St Louis Blues continue on the road when they take on the San Jose Sharks. The Blues have a season record of 6-1-1, and are playing on back to back days, after losing to the Kings, 2-3, in a shootout. The Sharks have a reasonable record of 6-3-0, and in their previous game they won against the Sabres, 5-3.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues are headed off to San Jose on Thursday night in a game that promises to be entertaining, dynamic, and crazy. The Sharks are struggling with many injured and missing players. They lost 7 members due to COVID-19 protocol, which didn’t affect their performance against the Jets and the Sabres. However, the St. Louis Blues are a team that is a bit better than the aforementioned ones. The missing players include Andrew Cogliano, Jonathan Dahlen, Matt Nieto, Erik Karlsson, Jake Middleton, Radim Simek, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. In addition to this, they won’t be able to use the service of Evander Kane, Nikolai Knyzhov, and Kevin Labanc.
The St. Louis Blues are 6-1-1 from the start of the season, as they lost in their last match against the Los Angeles Kings after penalty shoot-out. They are performing well under pressure and even without their captain, Ryan O’Reilly, they managed to put in a good fight against the Colorado Avalanche. Keeping in mind that the whole squad that is missing for the Sharks and the fact that the Blues aren’t a low-tier team, I think the match will be one-sided from the very beginning. I am picking a win for the St. Louis Blues, although I would also suggest it is worthwhile looking at the spread for the Blues as well.
Denis’ NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-140)
Tony Battalio
It took not only overtime but a shootout for the St. Louis Blues to fall to the Los Angeles Kings on the road on Wednesday night/ Thursday morning. Even with the loss, the Blues hold a 6-1-1 record on the season as they prepare to travel to San Jose to play the Sharks.
Back to backs in the National Hockey League are always tough, but they are even worse when they involve travel and games end much later than intended, especially with a loss. St. Louis is hoping to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss by beating a really good San Jose team.
Congrats @ryan_merkley on your first NHL goal 🤩👏 pic.twitter.com/WTiGWQb3Nx
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) November 3, 2021
As for the previously mentioned San Jose Sharks, they are currently 6-3-0 and have been putting together an impressive season of their own. Even without 3 of their best players, they could find a way to win this game on Thursday evening at home. Following this one and a game on Saturday that will end a five game homestand, they head out on the road for a five game road trip which includes two stops in Canada. November will prove to be very important for San Jose, as it is a meat grinder of a schedule that will show us just how good this team really is.
As for the game, I have San Jose coming away with a close, late victory at home. When you factor in the road trip and the Blues exhaustion from the game with the Los Angeles Kings, it creates the perfect recipe for an upset. However, I do not think San Jose covers the 1.5 goal spread as St. Louis is still too talented of a team so the moneyline is the safer bet in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: San Jose Sharks (+116)
Michael Lantz
The San Jose Sharks have been hit with a flurry of injuries and COVID cautions. They’re expected to be short handed against a St. Louis Blues team that are starting to show signs of struggle themselves.
The Blues got off to a hot start on the season, starting 5-0. They lost a close one against the Colorado Avalanche which holds no shame. But, the Blues followed that performance with a slight win over an abysmal Blackhawks team 1-0, and then an unfortunate loss against the much inferior Los Angeles Kings in a shootout. If St. Louis wants to get back to their early season ways, a win against an injured, but resilient San Jose Sharks team may just be the key.
Michael’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-140)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
