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!
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Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
Winnipeg Jets @ New York Rangers – 7.00PM ET
The road trip continues on for the Winnipeg Jets who will face off against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. The Jets come into this clash on a two game losing streak, and while there is still a mathematical chance of them making the playoffs, it is looking very unlikely. Meanwhile the Rangers are in a very tight battle with the Hurricanes for top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Marko Nadin
The New York Rangers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 49-21-6 record. They have won 5 of the last 6 games, the last two by 4-0 against the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers are the second in the league allowing only 2.5 goals per game and 9th defending 82.1% of the power play situations. New York has won 6 of the last 10 games against Winnipeg including the last three. They have also won 5 of the last 6 games played after two days of rest and 6 of the last 8 following a win.
The Winnipeg Jets are 11th in the Western Conference with a 35-30-11 record and are still in the playoff run despite having a 9 points less than the Los Angeles Kings who are eighth. Winnipeg has lost 6 of the last 8 games and is coming off a 4-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are ranked 16th in the league with 3.1 goals per game and 20th allowing 3.2 goals per game. The Jets have won the last 5 games played on Tuesday and 8 of the last 11 games following a loss of three or more goals.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-215)
Tony Battalio
It’s been a below average year for the Winnipeg Jets this season but they are still hanging around the Stanley Cup playoff race as the season is winding down. They come into this matchup with a record of 35-30-11 through their first 76 games of the season. They are currently in sixth place of the Central Division as they trail the Dallas Stars by ten points for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. At this point I would say they are all but officially eliminated from the playoffs as they head into this game with the New York Rangers.
Speaking of the New York Rangers they have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. They come into this game having already clinched their Stanley Cup playoff spot at this point. They will enter this one with a record of 49-21-6 through their first 76 games of the season and they are tied for the lead in the Metropolitan Division but behind on tiebreakers with a game remaining against Carolina. As for the result of this game, I am taking the New York Rangers to get the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-215)
Jeffery Thomas
The Winnipeg Jets will face a tough test when they travel to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to take on the New York Rangers. This is game 3 of a four-game road trip for the Jets, who have lost the first two games to the Lightning and Panthers by a combined score of 5-13. The season is all but finished now, as the Jets can only accumulate a maximum of 12 points the rest of the way, while sitting 10 points back of the last Wild Card spot. I’ll expect them to be officially eliminated in this game against the Rangers who are coming off two straight 4-0 shutout victories.
Igor Shesterkin made 20 saves in their last game against Detroit, and earned his fifth shutout of the season. The New York Rangers are within striking distance of grabbing the division title in the Metro and a win here would keep them right on pace with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Jets are also in must-win mode but just aren’t nearly as good of a team and being on the road makes it hard to even back them to keep this one close. I’ve liked this Rangers team all year and here’s another spot I want to back them.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-215)
Florida Panthers @ New York Islanders – 7.30PM ET
The Florida Panthers wrap up their quick two game road trip with a game against the New York Islanders. The Panthers will be looking to clinch top spot in the Atlantic Division as soon as possible, and they have almost achieved this goal. The Islanders, on the other hand, will not be making the playoffs this season, and their record currently stands at 35-31-9.
Marko Nadin
The New York Islanders are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-31-9 record and have been eliminated from the playoff chase. The Islanders have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 2-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. They are ranked sixth in the league allowing 2.7 goals per game and fourth defending 84.8% of the power play situations. The Islanders have won 7 of the last 10 games against Florida. They have also won 8 of the last 9 home games and 7 of the last 9 against Eastern Conference teams.
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 54-15-6 record. They have won the last 10 games and are coming off back-to-back 6-1 wins over Detroit and Winnipeg. Florida is the best offensive team in the league scoring 4.2 goals per game on 37.7 shots on goals per game. The Panthers have won 43 of the last 52 games against teams with a losing record, 9 of the last 11 games against Metropolitan Division rivals and 17 of the last 22 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-205)
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers are one of the top teams in the National Hockey League this season. They come into this game on the verge of capturing the Atlantic Division title as they hold an eight point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs with six games left. Florida comes into this one with a record of 54-15-6 through their first 76 games of the season which is the best mark in the Eastern Conference and second best in the entire National Hockey League. They are currently on a massive ten game winning streak as they seem to be getting hot at the perfect time in preparation for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The New York Islanders have a rough season as they were expected to be one of the more competitive teams in the National Hockey League. They kind of got an unfair shake as they had to start the season on a lengthy road trip as their new arena was being built. They come into this game with a record of 35-31-9 through their first 75 games of the season. They are currently in fifth place of the Metropolitan Division as they are already eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. As for the result of this game, I’m taking the Florida Panthers to get the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-205)
Jeffery Thomas
The Florida Panthers will travel to New York to take on the Islanders on Tuesday after a 6-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon. That win was number 10 in a row for Florida, who is still unbeaten in the month of April. Despite this run they are still 2 points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the most points in the league. They do have the most goals in the league this season though, with 314, which is also a franchise record. The New York Islanders continued their run of alternating wins and losses which has been going on for the past eight games.
It was a 2-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday their last time out, and this loss officially eliminated the Isles from postseason contention. The Islanders just aren’t a team that is capable of competing with Florida, even at home and now with them being eliminated from the postseason officially, it’s hard to see them getting up for this one. The Panthers are still looking to lock up the division and haven’t lost all month, Tuesday won’t be where they start.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-205)
Calgary Flames @ Nashville Predators – 8.00PM ET
A very important Western Conference clash for both these teams. The Calgary Flames will be looking to extend their lead as the number one team in the Pacific Division, to try to clinch top seed for the playoffs. Meanwhile the Predators are fighting for their playoff lives at the moment, as they currently hold the second Wild Card spot.
Marko Nadin
The Nashville Predators are seventh in the Western Conference with a 43-28-5 record. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 3-8 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Predators are 12th in the league scoring 3.2 goals per game and are ranked 7th converting 23.8% of the power play situations. The Predators have won the last 3 games against the Flames. They have also won 37 of the last 55 home games and 19 of the last 26 played on a Tuesday.
The Calgary Flames are second in the Western Conference with a 47-20-9 record. They have won 7 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Flames are sixth in the league scoring 3.6 goals per game and third with 2.5 allowed goals per game. The Flames have won the last 5 road games, 17 of the last 22 road games as favorites and 6 of the last 8 games played without a day off. They have played over the total goals margin in 3 of the last 4 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-128)
Tony Battalio
This one is going to have a ton of playoff implications for both the Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators. The Calgary Flames will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one after facing off with the Chicago Blackhawks in game one on Monday evening. Following that game they come into one with a record of 47-20-9 through their first 76 games of the season. Calgary are closing in on becoming champions of the Pacific Division as they hold a nine point lead over Edmonton Oilers with six games left for both teams.
The Nashville Predators are coming into this one with a record of 43-28-5 through their first 76 games of the season. With only five games remaining in the regular season, Nashville finds themselves in fifth place in the Central Division and holding onto one of the Wild Card spots in the Western Conference. Nashville lost their last game to the St. Louis Blues and it wasn’t even close, as the Predators lost that one by a score of 3-8. Now they will be looking to bounce back in this one against one of the top teams in the league. As for the result of this one, I’m going with Nashville as they will be well rested and playing at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+106)
Jeffery Thomas
The Nashville Predators are still searching for some consistency ahead of the playoffs that start in a few weeks, as they host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The Preds are just 4-4-1 in the month of April following their 3-8 loss at home to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. The score was tied at 1 at the end of the first period before Nashville allowed 7 goals in the second period. The Predators have now lost two of three and are tied with the Dallas Stars for the top Wild Card spot in the packed Western Conference. The Calgary Flames will be on the back-to-back after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Monday night in Chicago.
The Flames are 6-2 in their last 8 games on no rest and are now 6-0 in their last six road games after their win on Monday. Both teams are dealing with compact schedules coming into this game and the Preds have not fared well in those situations like Calgary has, and that isn’t good news for them in this game. The Flames also are just the better team right now and coming down the stretch, it’s mainly been the teams that are the favorite that have been winning, and I think that will be the case in this matchup.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-128)
Ottawa Senators @ Vancouver Canucks – 10.00PM ET
Both teams are playing on back-to-back nights in the NHL, the Ottawa Senators have just come off a game against the Kraken, while the Canucks were up against the Stars yesterday. The Senators have been well out of playoff contention for a while now and they have one of the worst records in the league. The Canucks still have a chance for one of the Western Conference Wild Card spots, but it will certainly be a tall task.
Marko Nadin
The Vancouver Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 38-28-10 record and can still reach the playoffs. They have won the last 6 games and are coming off a 6-2 win over the Dallas Stars. The Canucks are 8th in the league converting 23.8% of the power play situations and 29th scoring 2.9 goals per game. They have won 7 of the last 10 games against the Senators. Vancouver has won 9 of the last 11 games against teams with a losing record under 40% and 13 of the last 18 games as favorites.
The Ottawa Senators are 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 28-41-7 record. They have lost 5 of the last 7 games and are coming off a 2-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Ottawa is ranked 26th in the league scoring 2.7 goals per game and 23rd allowing 3.2. The Senators have lost 43 of the last 64 games against Western Conference opponents and 11 of the last 16 games as underdogs. They have played under the total goals margin in 20 of the last 31 games as underdogs.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-250)
Tony Battalio
The Ottawa Senators will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one after facing off with the Seattle Kraken on Monday night. They have had a rough season as they are in seventh place in the Atlantic Division at the moment. They come into this game with a record of 28-41-7 through their first 76 games of the season. They have been one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League this season and it doesn’t look like it’ll be any different in future seasons.
The Vancouver Canucks are also playing the second game of a back to back in this one after facing off with the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Vancouver is fighting to get themselves into the Stanley Cup playoffs with a last gasp effort to close out the season. As they come into this game with a record of 38-28-10 after their 6-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. As for the result of this game, I have the Vancouver Canucks getting another victory over the Ottawa Senators.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-250)
Jeffery Thomas
The Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators will both be on the back-to-back after having games on Monday night. This will be just the second meeting between these two teams with the Canucks winning 6-2 way back in December. Both teams were well below .500 back then but the Canucks have made some strides.
The team from Vancouver have got themselves a few points out of playoff contention but it appears to be too little too late. Although 2 more points on Tuesday would do wonders for their chances, so I’m expecting a focused group that will defend home ice and get 2 points against this inferior Senators team.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vancouver Canucks (-250)
Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings are on the road for just one game when they travel to Anaheim to face off against the Ducks. The Kings are currently in third spot in the Pacific Division, but they are certainly not safe and if they lose the third spot, they will most likely not have a good enough record for one of the Wild Card spots in the Western Conference. The Ducks have managed to put an end to their three game losing streak with a win last time out, but they will not be making an appearance in the playoffs this season.
Marko Nadin
The Anaheim Ducks are 12th in the Western Conference with a 30-33-14 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 6-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ducks are 22nd in the league with 2.8 goals per game and 3.2 allowed goals per game. Anaheim has won 3 of the last 5 games against Los Angeles. They have lost 36 of the last 53 games against Western Conference teams, 47 of the last 57 games against teams with a winning record and 7 of the last 8 home games.
The Los Angeles Kings are eighth in the Western Conference with a 40-27-10 record. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 2-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Kings are ranked 21st in the league scoring 2.8 goals per game and 12th allowing 2.9 goals per game. The Kings have won 7 of the last 8 road games as favorites, 17 of the last 22 games against teams with a losing record and 7 of the last 10 games played after 2 days of rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-178)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings are in the dead heat of a playoff race in the Western Conference as the season’s final few weeks are approaching. As the Kings are coming into this one with a record of 40-27-10 through their first 77 games of the season. With only five games remaining in the regular season the Los Angeles Kings currently find themselves in third place of the Pacific Division. They have built up a three point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for the third spot, which is huge because if they were outside of the top three they wouldn’t be leading the Wild Card race.
The Anaheim Ducks have had a rough season as they come into this one after having a roller coaster of a season that has been full of winning and losing streaks alike. They come into this matchup with a record of 30-33-14 through their first 77 games of the season. They are currently in sixth place in the Pacific Division at the moment as they have already officially been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. As for the result of this one, I am taking the Los Angeles Kings to pick up the victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-178)
Jeffery Thomas
The Los Angeles Kings will travel to take on the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday after getting one step closer to a playoff spot with their win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. It has been three years since the Kings were in the postseason but they now have a three point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights and have their final 5 games of the year against teams outside of the playoff picture.
That of course includes this game against the Anaheim Ducks who are also coming off a win over the Blue Jackets, beating Columbus the day after the Kings did. If the Vegas Golden Knights win on Monday, they would pull to within one point of the Kings for third place in the Pacific and I’d imagine that would give them all the incentive to go out and get these 2 points on Tuesday. The Ducks aren’t a team that is winning many games these days and the motivated Kings should be able to take care of business in this one.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-178)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
