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.
St.Louis Blues @ Boston Bruins – 7pm ET
Two Stanley Cup Playoff teams will meet in this one as the St.Louis Blues meet the Boston Bruins. St.Louis enters this one with a record of 42-20-10. While Boston has a record of 45-22-5 as each team has played 72 games this season.
Marko Nadin
The Boston Bruins have made a huge jump lately as their playoff berth was questionable and now they are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 45-22-5 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. The Bruins are ranked second in the league with 36 shots on goal per game and are fifth allowing only 2.7 goals per game. Boston has won 6 of the last 7 home games and 18 of the last 24 overall. They have played over the total goals margin in the last 4 home games.
The St. Louis Blues are fourth in the Western Conference with a 42-20-10 record. They have won the last 5 games and are coming off a 6-1 win over the New York Islanders. The Blues are ranked fourth in the league with 3.6 goals per game and third in converting 25.8% of power play situations. St. Louis has won 6 of the last 10 games against the Bruins and 9 of the last 11 games played after 2 days rest. They have played over the total goals margin in 11 of the last 13 games underdog.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St.Louis Blues (+130)
Tony Battalio
The St.Louis Blues enter this game with a record of 42-20-10 through their first 72 games of the season. With only ten games remaining in the 2021-22 National Hockey League season the Blues find themselves in a great position. As they come into this game sitting in third place in the Central division as they have built up a 7 point lead over the Nashville Predators with a max of 20 points left to grab for either team at this point. The Blues currently find themselves on a five game winning streak.
The Boston Bruins are also in a great spot heading into the final 10 or so games of the regular season. As they come into this game with a record of 45-22-5 through their first 72 games of the season. They are currently in possession of the top Eastern Conference wild card spot and likely a few more wins away from clinching a Stanley Cup playoff spot as well. Boston comes into this game on a one game losing streak after falling to the Washington Capitals in their last contest. As for the result of this one, I think that losing streak will be extended as I’m taking the St.Louis Blues to get the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St.Louis Blues (+130)
Jeffery Thomas
The St. Louis Blues suffered a 6-5 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on April 1st and since then have not lost a game yet. The winning streak is up to five now following their 6-1 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. Justin Faulk had two goals in a 96-second span in the second period to help propel the Blues along with Jordan Binnington making 30 saves. It was a huge confidence boost for Binnington, who had gone just 0-4-1 in his last five starts before Saturday. However, he won’t be in net for the Blues on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, it will be Ville Husso who is 22-6-5 on the season. The Bruins have lost two of three following their 4-2 loss at the Washington Capitals on Sunday. That game was the conclusion of a four-game road trip that saw the Bs go 0-for-16 on the power play.
I don’t see much between these teams as far as who holds the advantage coming in. The Blues are a much better team at home than they are on the road but they are just in a groove right now and it’s a train I do not want to get in front of. Backing the Bruins at this price against St. Louis isn’t something I want to do so give me the value with the Blues to win this one outright as the dog.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: St.Louis Blues (+130)
Carolina Hurricanes @ New York Rangers – 7pm ET
Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference will face off in this game as the Carolina Hurricanes will meet the New York Rangers on Tuesday evening. Both teams come into this one with 47 victories on the season and are neck and neck in the Metropolitan division.
Marko Nadin
The New York Rangers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 47-20-6 record. They have won the last 3 games allowing a total of only 2 games in that span and are coming off a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers are second in the league converting 26.4% of the power play situations and third allowing 2.5 goals per game. The Rangers have won 6 of the last 10 games against Carolina, 6 of the last 7 games as underdogs and 24 of the last 33 home games.
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 47-18-8 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes are on top of the league with 2.4 goals allowed, 28.3 shots allowed per game and 88.4% defended power play situations. Carolina has won 4 of the last 5 games against the Rangers, 20 of the last 26 games played after 1 day of rest and 40 of the last 58 games as favourites.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-134)
Tony Battalio
This is going to be the best game of the Tuesday evening slate as two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and National Hockey League will meet in Madison Square Garden. As the Carolina Hurricanes face off with the New York Rangers in a game with tons of Metropolitan division and Stanley Cup playoff implications. The Carolina Hurricanes come into this one on top of the Metropolitan division with a record of 47-18-8 through their first 73 games of the season. They currently hold a slim to point lead over the Rangers.
Before the 2021-22 National Hockey League season started not many people thought the New York Rangers would finish towards the top of the league. Even fewer people would have expected that they would head into the playoffs with a real chance to lift the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. As they come into this one with a record of 47-20-8 and could tie the Carolina Hurricanes for the Metropolitan division lead if they win this game in regulation. As for the result of this one, that is exactly what I expect as I have the New York Rangers getting the victory in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+112)
Jeffery Thomas
The Carolina Hurricanes will travel to New York to take on the Rangers on Tuesday in hopes to win consecutive games for the first time since March 26 and 28. A 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday was their last result on the back of Jordan Staal’s first hat trick in over a decade. It was the first hat trick for a Hurricanes player all season and he’ll look to stay hot against a Rangers team that has won three straight games. All three of the wins have come by at least two goals, so they are hiring their stride at the right time, with only nine games left. The 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday clinched a playoff berth for New York and moved their home record to 24-7-4 on the season.
The Rangers and Hurricanes have met twice this season but interestingly enough, Igor was not in net for either matchup. The Rangers were still able to get a shutout win in one of those contests and with the confidence they’ve built up recently they’re a scary team to face. The Rangers are still alive to get first place and two points here would give them 102 to match the Canes. I like a motivated Rangers team to defend home-ice and keep their hot streak going against their division rivals.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+112)
Edmonton Oilers @ Minnesota Wild – 8pm ET
Two darkhorse Stanley Cup winning teams will face off in this game as the Edmonton Oilers meet the Minnesota Wild. Edmonton enters this game with a record of 42-25-6 while Minnesota has a record of 44-21-6.
Marko Nadin
The Minnesota Wild are third in the Western Conference with a 44-21-6 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings after being 3-0 down. The Wild are fifth in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and 11th with 32.7 shots on goal per game. The Wild have won the last 5 games against the Oilers, 5 of the last 7 games against Western Conference opponents and 10 of the last 13 games overall.
The Edmonton Oilers are fifth in the Western Conference with a 42-25-6 record. The Oilers are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche which snapped their six-game winning streak. Edmonton is ranked seventh in the league with 3.4 goals per game and fourth with 25.5% of power play conversions. The Oilers have won 5 of the last 6 games played after 2 days of rest and 7 of the last 10 games coming after scoring 2 or less goals in the previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-146)
Tony Battalio
Despite a slow start to the season the Edmonton Oilers are now a very serious Stanley Cup trophy contender as the playoffs are fast approaching. The Oilers come into this game with a record of 42-25-6 through their first 73 games of the season. With nine games remaining in the regular season the Oilers currently find themselves in second place in the Pacific division as they are seven points off of the leader the Calgary Flames. They are currently on a one game losing streak after dropping their last game.
The Minnesota Wild are coming into this game with a record of 44-22-6 through their first 72 games of the season. They also find themselves in second place in their respective divisions. However, Minnesota isn’t going to win the Central this season unless the Colorado Avalanche have a monumental collapse. The Wild are currently on a one game winning streak after picking up a victory in their last game. As for the result of this one I think they will stretch the streak to two and pick up a victory over Edmonton.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-146)
Jeffery Thomas
The Edmonton Oilers will travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday in a battle of second place teams. The Oilers suffered a 2-1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday that snapped their six-game winning streak. That wasn’t the only streak that snapped, as the loss also snapped a nine-game winning streak at home and Connor McDavid’s 15-game points streak ended as well. The Wild were last in action on Sunday, when they defeated the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 6-3. They had to rally from an early three-goal deficit to get the home win, and moved to 8-0-1 in their last nine home contests. It’ll be interesting to see if the Oilers can hand Minnesota their first regulation moss since March 13.
I think you can make a case for either team in this game but the trends here all point to Minnesota who are very strong at home. That lines up perfectly with the Oilers not being a strong road team and in fact, Edmonton is 0-5 in their last five games as a road underdog. I like the Wild to keep that trend going and get yet another impressive home victory on Tuesday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-146)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Dallas Stars – 9:30pm ET
The two time defending champions will hit the road to big D to play the Dallas Stars in this game. As both teams look to grab some late season momentum as they look towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the last ten or so games of the regular season.
Marko Nadin
The Dallas Stars are seventh in the Western Conference with a 41-27-4 record. The Stars have lost 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. They are ranked 19th in the league scoring 2.9 goals per game and 16th allowing 3 goals per game. The Stars have won 21 of the last 30 games and 5 of the last 7 games against Atlantic Division rivals. The Stars have played over the total goals margin in 4 of the last 5 games as home underdogs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are fifth in the Eastrn Conference with a 44-20-8 record. The defending champions are coming off a 5-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres putting an end to a four-game losing streak. Tampa Bay is ranked 9th in the league scoring 3.3 goals per game and 8th allowing 2.8 goals per game. The Lightning have won 8 of the last 10 games against the Stars. They have also won 9 of the last 13 games coming off a win, 4 of the last 5 games against Central DIvision opponents but have lost 9 of the last 10 games against a team with a winning record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-146)
Tony Battalio
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions come into this one sitting in third place in the Atlantic division. They currently have a record of 44-20-8 through their first 72 games of the season. They are on the verge of locking up a Stanley Cup playoff spot as they look to win their third straight Stanley Cup trophy and be the first team to three peat in decades. They are currently on a one game win streak after picking up a victory over the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-0 on Sunday.
The Dallas Stars come into this game with a record of 41-27-4 through their first 72 games of the season. They currently find themselves sitting in fifth place in the Central division. As they currently hold onto the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. They are currently on a one game winning streak after picking up a victory in their last game over the Chicago Blackhawks. As for the result of this game I have the Tampa Bay Lightning picking up the victory over the Dallas Stars.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-146)
Jeffery Thomas
2020 Stanley Cup Finals rematch when the Tampa Bay Lightning travel to Dallas to take on the Stars. The Lightning snapped a four-game losing streak with their 5-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. The win helped Tampa avoid their first five-game skid since March 2-10 of 2014 and helped them stay in the top three of the Atlantic Division. The Dallas Stars also snapped a losing streak with their win last time out over the Chicago Blackhawks. The win helped strengthen their place in the wild-card and gave them a clean season sweep over the Blackhawks (3-0-0).
Neither team has been playing all that convincing hockey lately and it makes it a tough game to pick. I like Stars at home as they have a 22-10-2 home record this year and it’s not often you get them at home as an underdog. The Lightning haven’t been able to beat anybody besides the horrible Buffalo Sabres lately so I’m comfortable picking against them here and backing the Stars at home.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (+122)
Las Vegas Golden Knights @ Vancouver Canucks – 10pm ET
This game between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks will have huge playoff implications. As both teams are neck and neck in the Western Conference wild card standings coming down the final stretch of the regular season.
Marko Nadin
The Vancouver Canucks are 11th in the Western Conference with a 40-29-4 record. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks are ranked 9th in the league allowing 2.9 goals per game and 20th with 2.9 goals per game. The Canucks have won the last 6 games coming after 2 days of rest, but have lost 7 of the last 10 games against teams with a winning record. They have played over the total goals margin in 5 of the last 6 games as underdogs.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights are 9th in the Western Conference with a 40-29-4 record and are two points behind the LA Kings who sits in the last spot that leads to the playoffs. The Golden Knights have won 6 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 6-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. They have won 6 of the last 10 games against Vancouver and 6 of the last 7 games against teams from the Western Conference.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Las Vegas Golden Knights (-142)
Tony Battalio
The Las Vegas Golden Knights have had one of the biggest free falls in recent memory and it will likely cost them a spot in the playoffs this season. As they went from first all the way to fourth in the Pacific division after leading the division for the majority of the regular season. Now they come into this game with a record of 40-29-4 through their first 73 games of the season. They are on a one game winning streak at the moment as they look to get back into the playoff picture with nine games left in the regular season.
The Vancouver Canucks are absolutely in a must win situation if they want to keep their already faint Stanley Cup playoff hopes alive. As the Canucks are of the most improved teams in the National Hockey League this season. However, it is still likely that they will fall short of the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. They come into this game with a record of 35-28-10 through their first 73 games of the season. As they are six points out of third place and six points out of the second wild card spot. As for the result of this one however, I have the Canucks getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (+118)
Jeffery Thomas
The Las Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks will meet once again for a battle with major playoff implications. This is the third time these two have met in the past 9 days with the Canucks going 1-0-1 in the first two contests. These two points in this game are crucial as Vegas is still ahead of them in the Western Conference by 4 points and is one of the two teams they need to jump to make the postseason. Both teams are currently out but are still within striking distance so expect a very close battle and a playoff type atmosphere. The two matchups they’ve just had, only gave us a combined total of 11 goals averaging out to 5.5, so with the total being set at 6 I think it’s pretty safe to go with the under here. Offense will be hard to come by in this hard-hitting battle.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Under 6 Goals (-110)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
