We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move past the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. Despite this, every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, 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.
Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators – 7.00PM ET
Both the Carolina Hurricanes and the Ottawa Senators are coming off playing in the NHL last night. The Hurricanes had their four game winning streak snapped yesterday, thanks to the Maple Leafs, 3-4, in overtime. The Senators, on the other hand, managed to get the win in Monday night’s game, defeating the Devils, 4-1.
Marko Nadin
The Ottawa Senators are 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-22-4 record. They are coming off a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils which was their second win in the last three games. The Senators are 21st in the league with 2.76 goals per game and 25th with 3.38 conceded per game. Shane Pinto, Scott Sabourin and Colin White will not suit up against the Hurricanes.
The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off a 3-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Still, they are third in the Eastern Conference with a 31-9-3 record and 15-5-2 on the road. That is a much better record than the Senators have at home. Carolina is fifth in the league with 3.47 scored goals per game and with 2.33 conceded are on top of the league. They have won three of the last five against Ottawa and are huge favorites to win another one tonight.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-275)
Tony Battalio
The Carolina Hurricanes are coming off of the first leg of a back to back last night. However, it did not go well for them as they had their four game winning streak snapped by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite the loss, the Hurricanes are still in a great position as they come into this one with one of the best records in the National Hockey League. Carolina comes into this game with a record of 31-9-3 through their first 43 games of the year. They will be looking to get right back into the winners column with a victory over the Ottawa Senators on the road.
Got ourselves a point pic.twitter.com/n20f4Nlx0e
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 8, 2022
The Ottawa Senators also come into this game off of a back to back, however the Ottawa Senators picked up the victory in their game. Ottawa took down the New Jersey Devils by a score of 4-1 on Monday evening. Now the Senators will look to make it two victories in two nights as they face much better competition when they welcome in the Hurricanes on Tuesday evening. Despite the win, Ottawa is still having a rough season as they come into this game with a record of 15-22-4. As for the result of this game, I don’t look for Ottawa’s luck to last long as I have the Hurricanes picking up the win in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-275)
Jeffery Thomas
Both teams are coming off the back to back having played Monday night. For Carolina it was a tough loss in overtime to the Leafs 3-4, in a game they led in the 3rd period. They were down going into the 3rd but tied it eight seconds in, before later taking the lead, but ultimately couldn’t hold on for the win. Now they’ll stay north of the border for another Canadian road game with the Ottawa Senators, who started their post-break stretch with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. The game started slow, before the Devils got the scoring started but then the Senators tied it up 5 minutes later and never looked back.
They now sit with a record of 15-22-4 which still places them second to last in the Eastern Conference. With the Canes dropping the game Monday night, I expect them to come out firing against a weaker opponent. They’ve met twice this year and split the meetings, so Ottawa has shown they can compete with Carolina, but this should be an angry version that will not be happy blowing that lead to Toronto. There will be tired legs on both sides, so I’m expecting a low scoring affair, but one that Carolina will win in regulation and possibly on the spread as well.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Carolina Hurricanes (-165)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Boston Bruins – 7.00PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins kick off a three game road trip on Tuesday night in the NHL when they take on the Boston Bruins. The Penguins will be looking to get back on track after the All-Star break, as they are currently on a four game losing streak, with three of those four losses coming in either overtime or a shootout. The Bruins have won two of their last five games, and this takes their season record to 26-14-3.
Marko Nadin
The Boston Bruins are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 26-14-3 record but are in a pretty comfortable situation as they have nine points more than the Detroit Red Wings, who are next in the standings. The Bruins have lost three of the last five games and are coming off a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Bruins are 15-8-1 at home. Boston is eighth in the East with exactly 3 goals per game led by David Pastrnak with 22 goals. Tuuka Rask, Nick Foligno and Eric Haula are out for Boston. The last time they hosted the Penguins, Boston won 7-5.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are fifth in the East with a 27-11-8 record. They are 14-5-3 on the road and have lost their last four games after previously winning six in a row. All of the last four losses have come at home, the last one was a 3-4 loss in overtime against the Washington Capitals. Sidney Crosby has seven goals and nine assists in the last ten games for Pittsburgh. Teddy Blueger and Chad Ruhwedel will not suit up against Boston.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (+112)
Tony Battalio
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game with a record of 27-11-8 through their first 46 games on the season. The Penguins will look to start the second half of the season much different than they finished the first half of the year. As they finished up on a four game losing streak and dropped games to less than impressive teams like the Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings. The Penguins are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division as they will look to hold onto and improve their playoff positioning as the second half of the season gets underway.
The Boston Bruins are trying to make one last run with their aging core of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand but it’s not exactly going like they planned yet. Despite the Bruins decent record of 26-14-3 through their first 43 games of the season, they still find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs as they sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division. They went 2-3 in their last five games before the break and finished the first half on a one game winning streak. As for the result of this game, I have the Pittsburgh Penguins picking up the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (+112)
Jeffery Thomas
This is the first time we’ll see these teams matchup this year as we get the second half of the regular season started. This is the Bruins first game since February 1, when they got a 3-2 win over the Kraken. They sit with a record of 26-14-3 and will be hoping to register consecutive wins for the first time in 3 weeks. The Bruins went into the All-Star break losers of 3 of 5, after a 10-2-0 stretch, so they will hope to get back to their winning ways in this one. The Penguins also had a slide going into the All-Star break, as they lost four straight. The most recent was a 3-4 overtime loss to the Caps on February 1st that saw them blow a 3rd period lead. Despite that slide, they still sit 3rd in the Metro with 62 points, which is only 3 back of the first place Canes.
This will be an interesting matchup of two of the best teams in the NHL, and historically in this head to head, the home team has dominated going 24-7 the last 31 meetings. That includes a 15-2 mark at home for the Bruins in their last 17 meetings against the Penguins, so this has not been a fun trip for the Pens to make in recent history. Given how the first half of the season ended for both teams you can honestly make a case for either, but I’m going to side with the historical trends and continue to fade a Pittsburgh team that hasn’t been in good form of late.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Boston Bruins (-134)
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM ET
Two teams from the Metropolitan Division will face off against each other in the NHL, when the Columbus Blue Jackets hit the ice against the Washington Capitals. The Blue Jackets have won two of their last six games, with their wins coming over the Rangers and Canadiens. The Capitals had their two game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Oilers, 3-5.
Marko Nadin
The Columbus Blue Jackets are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-22-1 record. They are 6-8-0 against the rest of the Metropolitan Division. Columbus has lost 4 of the last 6 games, most recently a 4-8 loss to the Florida Panthers. Columbus is 7th in the East and 14th overall with 3.1 goals per game. They are the second-worst team in the league with 3.67 conceded goals per game. Only the Montreal Canadiens are worse than them. Patrik Laine has six goals over the last 10 games for Columbus. Jake Bean, Eric Robinson and Alexandre Texier are all out for Columbus for the game in Washington.
The Washington Capitals have fallen to seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-13-9 record. The Capitals have lost 3 of their last 5 games. They are coming off a 3-5 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Washington ranks fourth in the East with 31.5 shots on goal per game and is 11th in the league with 3.2 goals per game. They allow 2.72 goals per game which also ranks them 11th in the NHL. Alex Ovechkin, Michal Kempny and Vitek Vanecek are out for Washington.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (-260)
Tony Battalio
The Columbus Blue Jackets started off the first half of the year on a surprising hot streak, before they started to fall off as the All-Star break approached. They will be hoping to repeat the hot start to the season as the second half of the year begins, but they will look to avoid the mini collapse they have suffered. Columbus comes into this game with a record of 20-22-1 as they are just below the .500 mark after their first 43 games of the season. They are currently on the outside looking in as they are in fifth place in the Metropolitan.
Fixin’ for some more Trey content?
Check out @Wally9191‘s Prospect Report ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SuuEZZ2IAF
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 7, 2022
The Washington Capitals come into this game with a record of 25-13-9 as they are just above the .500 mark on the season. Alexander Ovechkin has been playing great so far this year and when he plays well, the Washington Capitals usually do too. They are currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, one spot ahead of their opponents in this one. Washington is on a one game losing streak after falling to the Edmonton Oilers in their game before the All-Star break. As for the result of this game however, I have the Capitals getting back into the winners column with a win over the Blue Jackets at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (-260)
Jeffery Thomas
With the Capitals struggling a bit going into the All-Star break, a trip to Columbus is exactly what they need to get things turned around. They’ve already beat Columbus two straight times, and they’re hopeful to have their captain Alex Ovechkin back for this one to avoid a season-high fourth consecutive home loss. They currently sit at fourth place in the Metro Division but are still very much still in the playoff picture, so a big two points here can get things rolling down the stretch run. The fifth place team in the Metro is their opponent for Tuesday, the Blue Jackets, though they are 18 points behind Washington.
The Blue Jackets have gone 8-16-1 since November 2nd but have two straight wins on the road over the Canadiens and Flyers. This is a Capitals spot all the way, with or without Ovechkin. They are by far the better team and have dominated the head to head. They’ve also won 13 of their last 18 bouts against Eastern Conference foes and 6 of 8 from Metro opponents. The Blue Jackets have given up the most goals this season (158) and with the Caps offensive weapons, they should have a field day in front of the net to cruise to a nice home victory out of the break.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Washington Capitals (-160)
Minnesota Wild @ Winnipeg Jets – 8.00PM ET
The Minnesota Wild have one final game in their road trip to play after the All-Star break, and on Tuesday night they take on the Winnipeg Jets. The Wild are currently on a six game winning streak, which includes wins over the Blackhawks (thrice), Canadiens, Rangers and Islanders. The Jets have lost seven of their last eight games, and this drops their season record to 18-17-7.
Marko Nadin
The Minnesota Wild are third in the Western Conference with a 28-10-3 record. They have won their last six games and have only two losses in 2022. Minnesota is third in the league averaging 3.8 goals per game, led by Kirill Kaprizov with 19. Mats Zuccarello has six goals and 11 assists over the last 10 games for Minnesota. The Wild are 9-0-1 in the last 10 games, averaging 4.4 goals and 93.9 save percentage. Matt Dumba, Nick Bjugstad and Marcus Foligno are all listed as day-to-day. In their last meeting on November 26, Minnesota won 7-1 against Winnipeg.
The Winnipeg Jets are 13th in the West with a 18-17-7 record. They have lost 6 of the last 7 games, most recently 1-3 in Philadelphia. Winnipeg ranks ninth in the Western Conference averaging 4.8 assists per game. Kyle Connor leads the Jets with 45 points, scoring 25 goals and adding 20 assists. Dominic Toninato will not suit up for Winnipeg against Minnesota. Winnipeg has lost the last three games against the Wild.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-156)
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Wild come into this game with a record of 28-10-3 through their first 41 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Central Division. They finished the first half of the season on fire, as they ended the first half winning six games in a row and nine of their final ten games. They will be looking to keep that momentum rolling as the second half of the year starts. They arguably have the best goaltender in the league in Cam Talbot, so as long as his play is stellar, this team is a serious Stanley Cup threat.
The Winnipeg Jets come into this game with a record of 18-17-7 through their first 42 games of the season. The Jets have had an up and down year and have failed to establish any type of momentum up until this point. The Jets are currently in sixth place in the Central Division as well. They finished the first half of the season on a one game losing streak as well as losing four of their last five games before the break. As for the result of this game, I don’t see it getting much better for the Jets as I have them losing this one to the Minnesota Wild at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-156)
Jeffery Thomas
The Wild are a team that I’m sure wasn’t too fond of the break and wanted to just keep playing as they were getting hot, riding a 6 game winning streak. Not only that, but they are also on a 10 game points streak. Their last win was a 5-0 victory over the Blackhawks where Cam Talbot made 30 saves for his first shutout of the season. They will face off against a sputtering Jets team that entered the break on a 1-5-2 stretch. Sitting at 18-17-7 and in 6th place in the Central Division, they are currently 6 points out of a playoff spot, so this should be a motivated bunch.
Motivation won’t be enough though, they’ll have to get their offense going, as they’ve scored 2 or fewer goals in five of their last seven. The Wild are one of the hottest teams in the league, scoring 29 goals during their six game winning streak and looking to keep things going. They’ve already won the first two matchups against the Jets this year, and with how these two teams are playing right now there’s no reason that I think that will change in this game. Lastly, the Jets have lost 4 of their last 5 home games, so that trend will continue Tuesday night as the Wild steal a win on road ice north of the border.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-156)
Vegas Golden Knights @ Edmonton Oilers – 9.00PM ET
Another inter-division rivalry kicks off on Tuesday in the NHL when the Vegas Golden Knights travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers. The Golden Knights will be looking to build on their current two game winning streak, which includes wins over the Lightning and Sabres. The Oilers are hoping the All-Star break doesn’t slow down their momentum, as they have won five of their last six games.
Marko Nadin
The Vegas Golden Knights are fifth in the Western Conference with a 24-16-7 record. They have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Vegas leads the Western Conference with seven shorthanded goals. The Golden Knights are the eighth-best offense in the league with 3.35 goals per game and are 19th in the NHL with 2.96 conceded goals per game. Vegas won the last game in Edmonton, 3-2 in overtime. Zach Whitecloud, Nicolas Hague, Chandler Stephenson and Dylan Coghlan are all out for the game in Edmonton.
The Edmonton Oilers are 9th in the Western Conference with a 23-16-3 record. They have won 5 of the last 6 games, previously losing 7 straight. The Oilers are coming off a 5-3 win against the Washington Capitals. Edmonton is fifth in the Western Conference and ninth overall averaging 3.3 goals per game. Leon Draisaitl leads the team with 32. Edmonton allows 3.29 goals per game which ranks them 22nd in the league. Kyle Turris is out for the Oilers. Edmonton has won the last two and three of the last five against Vegas.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-111)
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights ended the first half of the season in first place in the Pacific Division. However, the Pacific Division is arguably the weakest division in the National Hockey League. Vegas comes into this game with a record of 27-16-3 through their first 46 games on the season. They ended the first half of the year on a two game winning streak with wins over the Buffalo Sabres, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Now Vegas will be looking to extend that winning streak against a white hot Edmonton Oilers team.
Going Hamm for Petro 😉 pic.twitter.com/vsfgGFkQcf
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 7, 2022
The Edmonton Oilers seem to have found their stride again. After hitting a massive slump midway through the season they have finally started to pick up some momentum again. They come into this game with a record of 23-16-3 through their first 42 games of the season. They ended the first half of the year winning four of their last five games. As they come into this game in fifth place of the Pacific Division. As for the result of this game, I have the Oilers picking up another victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-111)
Jeffery Thomas
We get a battle of two Pacific Division rivals in this one as the Edmonton Oilers host the Knights Tuesday night. The Oilers broke out of a 2-12-1 stretch to rattle off five wins in six games going into the break, so they are running high on confidence. They will go as far as their talented offensive duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will take them, but their defensive unit still needs work if they want to be a true contender. Vegas fought the injury bug hard in the first half of the year, but still managed to stay in first place in the Pacific. Thankfully, coming out of the break they will receive some key pieces back in the lineup, most importantly Max Pacioretty.
He has 12 goals and 23 points in 19 games, and will be a welcome sight for Knights fans. This will be a fun matchup of two skilled offensive teams. Edmonton has averaged 4.16 goals over their last 6 and Vegas sits 8th in the league on the year with 3.35 goals a game. With a very uptempo playing style, the Knights are very susceptible to easy goals for the opposition, which shows in the numbers with them giving up the 14th most goals on the year. I think both teams keep up their offensive output and both defenses will struggle a bit, so the play in this one for me is the over, as I see this one being 4-3 or 5-3 either way.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-104)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
