Despite COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the NHL schedule, we are still lucky to have some games on today that aren’t postponed. We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move towards the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder is starting to take shape. 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.
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Buffalo Sabres – 7.00PM ET
Two Atlantic Division rivals face off against each other on Tuesday night, when the Tampa Bay Lightning hit the road and take on the Buffalo Sabres. The Lightning are currently first in the Atlantic Division, but they have only won two of their last six games. The Sabres are down in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, and they are currently on a five game losing streak.
Denis Kirilov
The Tampa Bay Lightning will have a chance at redeeming themselves against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night in the NHL. The reigning champions have been quite disappointing recently as they lost four out of their last six games. They might have recorded two dominant wins over the Columbus Blues Jackets and the Calgary Flames, but the harsh losses to the Bruins, the Rangers, and the Panthers take the upper hand. The team from Tampa continues to be 2nd in the rankings in the East with 51 points from 37 games. The Lightning will now face the Sabres who have also been struggling in recent days.
The team from Buffalo is coming into this fixture on a 5-game losing streak as they have lost some really close matches lately. The Sabres were outclassed by the Penguins, the Devils, the Islanders, the Bruins, and the Sharks as they failed to deliver in the most vital points of the meetings. They continue with their struggles in 14th place in the East with just 26 points from 34 matches. The team has had a lot of troubles with its defense this season, conceding a total of 119 goals in their net. The Sabres will try to surprise the defending champions which will surely be a huge upset, keeping in mind that they haven’t won at home since November. However, I think that the current situation within the team from Buffalo is quite bad and the best option here would be to support the Lightning to cover their spread.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (-105)
Tony Battalio
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions are coming into this game with a record of 23-9-5 on the season. They are leading the Atlantic Division at the moment, however they have struggled as of late winning only 33% of their last 6 games. That is something that they need to correct if they want to remain in the lead of one of the league’s toughest divisions. Luckily enough for the Lightning, they will be playing one of the worst teams in the league in this one, so a victory may not be too difficult to come by.
Moose. Mighty Max. Big Cat.
There was no shortage of incredible saves last month.@TheDuncanDuo | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/6Sf8j1MTMc
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 10, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres shocked the National Hockey League world when the season started. They busted out of the gate hot and looked to be much improved from last year’s league worst team. However some things are too good to be true and they quickly were sent spiralling back to reality. They are coming into this game with a record of 10-18-6, which is still much better than people expected out of them. However I don’t give them much of a chance to pick up a victory in this one, even at home. Despite the recent stretch of bad play, I still think Tampa Bay is the better team and it will show on the scoreboard on Tuesday evening in Buffalo.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-275)
Michael Lantz
The Tampa Bay Lightning finished last year, and started this one, out tough. They lost three straight games, including getting absolutely embarrassed by rivals the Florida Panthers (they lost 3-9) and a few days later they were shutout by the New York Rangers (0-4). After that shutout they seemed to recompose themselves, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-2 and the Calgary Flames 4-1. Unfortunately, on Saturday they fell back into their losing ways, fumbling the puck against the Boston Bruins and losing 2-5. They’ll look to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite being 10-18-6, the Buffalo Sabres are still sixth in the Atlantic Division, which is a nice improvement after a 2020/21 season where they were the league’s worst team. They’re seeing some promise from two of their rising talents, as center Tage Thompson and defender Rasmus Dahlin lead the team in scoring with 23 and 22 points respectively. Still, they’ve lost five games straight and if it weren’t for two terrible teams playing in their division (the Candiens and the Senators) they’d be stuck in last. I expect the Lightning to push them to a six-game skid come Tuesday
Michael’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-275)
Vancouver Canucks @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
The Vancouver Canucks kick off a five game road trip on Tuesday night, and first stop is Florida, as they will face off against the Panthers. The Canucks have won 10 of their previous 12 games, dating all the way back to November 29. The Panthers have won five out of their last six games, and this takes their season record to 23-7-5.
Denis Kirilov
The Vancouver Canucks will have a really tough task on Tuesday night as they will pay a visit to Florida. Both rosters have been simply amazing recently as the Canucks are coming in on an 8-1 run, while the Panthers have demolished teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Calgary Flames recently. On top of that, the team from Florida managed to outsmart the Carolina Hurricanes in their last meeting in the NHL. Vancouver’s streak, however, shouldn’t be disregarded as they also took out some big names including the Anaheim Ducks, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Boston Bruins.
Looking at the current standings, the Panthers are almost certain for the 2022 NHL Playoffs, while the Canucks will need to put in a lot more effort so that they can fight it out with teams like the Edmonton Oilers, the San Jose Sharks, and the Los Angeles Kings. Both rosters are quite short handed due to COVID-19, but I suspect that this won’t be a problem for both of them. The Canucks are really struggling in offense this season as they have only scored 89 goals. For comparison, the Panthers are coming into this fixture on a 137-106 goals difference. I think that Vancouver’s inability to take advantage of a situation will take its toll on them and the conservative style will lose against the more offensive one.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-230)
Tony Battalio
The Vancouver Canucks have put together a somewhat decent season up until this point. They are entering this game with a record of 16-15-3 on the year, as they are two games below the .500 mark through 34 games. Like the other teams that play north of the border, they were one of the most affected teams by the COVID-19 postponements, as they will have a total of seven games to make up at some point. In fact Vancouver has only played three total games since December 17 and this game on Tuesday will be their first since New Years Day. In those three games their combined record is 2-0-1, as they have wins over Anaheim and Seattle, plus an overtime loss to Los Angeles. They will be looking for a victory in this one to continue that momentum.
The Florida Panthers are one of the many top teams in a crowded Eastern Conference this season. However they may be the standout of them all, as they are the most likely team to dethrone the Tampa Bay Lightning in people’s opinions. They are coming into this game with a record of 23-7-5 which is among the best in the National Hockey League. They are currently tied for first in the Atlantic Division, with the Tampa Bay Lightning at 51 points a piece. I have them picking up another win in this game as well at home over Vancouver.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-230)
Michael Lantz
The Vancouver Canucks haven’t played since January 1, when they beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2. In their last ten games the Canucks have gone 8-1-1, and while they still sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division, they’re definitely showing some playoff potential. This has been in large thanks to new coach Bruce Boudreau, who took over for Travis Green in December. The Canucks will look to keep the wins coming against a very good Florida Panthers team.
Florida came out of the NHL’s COVID break on fire—they won four straight games against top opponents (including the Panthers and the Rangers) and were averaging six goals per game. Then on Thursday, they kept the goals coming—but also let more in, as they fell 5-6 to the Stars in overtime. Luckily, the Panthers recomposed themselves and took out the NHL’s best defensive team, and Metropolitan Division leaders the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-3. Florida are pretty dominant at home, going 18-3-0 in South Beach. While the Canucks have shown some life, I expect that to hit a quick halt, as they face one of the best teams in hockey for their first game in over a week.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+114)
Carolina Hurricanes @ Philadelphia Flyers – 7.00PM ET
*This game has since been postponed.*
The Carolina Hurricanes hit the road for one game, and on Tuesday they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The Hurricanes had their five game winning streak snapped last time out, with a loss to the Panthers, 3-4, in overtime. The Flyers are doing anything but flying at the moment, as they are currently on a five game losing streak, which drops their season record to 13-15-7.
Denis Kirilov
The Carolina Hurricanes will try to forget as soon as possible the tough and narrow loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. This defeat snapped their 5-game winning streak that began before the Christmas break. The team has been fantastic this season as they continue to be in contention for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. If we actually look at the standings on average, the Hurricanes would top the NHL with 50 points from 33 matches or 1.52 points per game. They have one of the best defensive lines in the whole League, as they have conceded the least number of goals. The Hurricanes will surely try to make use of the fact that the team is once again cleared out of the health and safety protocol.
The Flyers, however, are entering this exact tough period right now. The team has a lot of players who tested positive for COVID-19. This got the better of them as they lost their previous 5 games. Throughout these fixtures, a lot of problems have been brought up by their performance. Their offense was unable to put pressure on the opposition, while the defense has cracked on numerous occasions through the 60 minutes in each match. This decline dragged them back into 11th place in the East, as they continue to be with just 33 points. The Penguins are slowly slipping away from them and they will need to take some measures before it’s too late. I think, however, the Hurricanes will take the final victory on Tuesday as they are by far the superior team.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Tony Battalio
The Carolina Hurricanes are heading north to Philadelphia for a quick one game road trip for this one. In their last game against the Florida Panthers they were defeated, in the process of that loss it snapped a five game winning streak for Carolina. Now they will look to rebound in this game against one of the more disappointing teams in the league this season, the Philadelphia Flyers. Carolina comes into this game with a record of 24-7-2 through their first 33 games of the season. They are currently sitting in the lead in the Metropolitan Division, tied with the New York Rangers for first place with 50 points a piece. They are 4-0-0 in their last four road games as well.
Flyers forwards Kevin Hayes and Morgan Frost meet with the media from the @FlyersTCenter. https://t.co/Oip0DInq0X
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 10, 2022
As previously mentioned, the Philadelphia Flyers are one of the most disappointing teams in the National Hockey League this season. Through their first 35 games they are 9 games below the .500 mark as they come into this game with a record of 13-15-7 on the season. The Flyers are currently in sixth place of the Metropolitan Division and have lost their last five games as well, their last win was against the Seattle Kraken back in late December. They will be looking for a huge momentum boosting win in this one. However I don’t see it happening as I have the Carolina Hurricanes picking up the road victory in this one, in somewhat easy fashion.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Michael Lantz
The Carolina Hurricanes continue to lead the Metropolitan Division by a hair over the New York Rangers. But as the Rangers continue to play great hockey, the Hurricanes margin for error is hitting a low. After a tough 3-4 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday, the NHL’s best defensive team will look to bounce back against a Philadelphia Flyers team that sits in sixth place right now in the Metropolitan Division.
After a rough late November/ early December, the Philadelphia Flyers showed a glimmer of hope after firing coach Alain Vigneault, winning five of six games before the league went on COVID pause. Since the teams returned to play, the Flyers have unfortunately looked like themselves from late November/ early December, as they’ve lost five games in a row and are struggling to find offense. When a team that’s struggling to find offense plays the best defensive team in hockey, it probably won’t be pretty. I’ll take the ‘Canes.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes
Colorado Avalanche @ Nashville Predators – 8.00PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche (third in the Central Division) will face off against the Nashville Predators (first in the Central Division) on Tuesday night. The Avalanche are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won, 4-3, over the Kraken. The Predators are currently on a four game winning streak, with wins over the Blackhawks, Golden Knights, Kings and Coyotes.
Denis Kirilov
The top favorites to win the 2022 Stanley Cup, the Colorado Avalanche, will pay a visit to Nashville on Tuesday. They will face the Predators who are one of the most pleasant surprises this season. The hosts top the Western Conference with 48 points from 36 matches as they are coming into this fixture on a 4-game winning streak. The team has been well-structured in defense, allowing only 95 goals so far. The Predators have been the best performing team on the road, but when it comes to games at Bridgestone Arena, they seem to struggle a bit more.
The Colorado Avalanche have also been in great form recently. They won 5 out of 5 games since the Christmas break. Defeating the likes of the Anaheim Ducks, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have surely given them enough confidence to take on the Nashville Predators. The Avalanche are the top-scoring team in the League with 139 goals scored for 32 games. Their attack has been simply marvellous since December as they are looking to overtake the top spot in the West in January. I think that the Avalanche are the better team with the greater depth. Hence, I will trust them to take the victory home.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-140)
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Avalanche are coming into this game with a record of 22-8-2 on the season through their first 32 games. The Avalanche are finally starting to play like the preseason Stanley Cup favorites they were chosen to be before the season began. Colorado is currently sitting in third place of a very crowded Central Division, as their opponent in this one is the team leading the division. A win here would be huge as it would allow them to gain some ground on the Nashville Predators. Not only that but they would be winning their sixth straight game and avenging their last loss to Nashville.
The previously mentioned Nashville Predators are coming into this game off of a win over the National Hockey League’s worst team, the Arizona Coyotes. Nashville comes into this game on top of the Central Division after a fantastic month of December. They are currently 23–11-2 on the season. The Predators are also on a four game winning streak that they will be looking to extend as well. As for the result of this game, I see them doing exactly that, as I have the Nashville Predators picking up a huge victory at home in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+116)
Michael Lantz
This game should be a lot of fun: the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators face off in a battle between two of the Western Conference’s titans. The Avalanche are the NHL’s deadliest offense; even without Gabriel Landeskog (COVID protocol), they were able to rack up four goals against their former goalie Philipp Grubauer and the Seattle Kraken on Monday night. That pushed the Avalanche to their fifth straight win, with their last loss being against…the Nashville Predators. The Predators were able to contain the Avalanche’s offense in their last matchup, and ignite a little offense themselves, winning 5-2. They hope for a repeat Tuesday night, especially with Landeskog out for the Avs.
The Preds currently sit in first place in the Central Division, as they’re currently in the midst of a four-game win streak. Nashville has been getting great performances from a group of players who, while veterans, are far from being over the hill. Players like defender Roman Josi, and centers Mikael Granlund, and Matt Duchene have all scored 30+ points on the year, while Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg are just behind them at 29. The Predators have numerous options that can strike fear in defenses, and while the Avalanche have the league’s best attack, they struggled against this Predators team in Nashville just about a month ago, in a game where the Avs were missing Landeskog. While it might not be 5-2 again, I’ll once again go with the Preds to take care of business on their home ice.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+116)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Vegas Golden Knights – 10.00PM ET
The Toronto Maple Leafs kick off their road trip on Tuesday night when they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Maple Leafs have won four of their last five games, and their season record currently stands at 22-8-3. The Golden Knights have been a tad inconsistent as of late, winning three of their last six games, which takes their season record to 23-14-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Vegas Golden Knights will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in one of the most intriguing matches for Tuesday in the NHL. Both teams are big contenders for the Stanley Cup, following some great performance from December. The Maple Leafs remain a bit behind the top 3 in the East as they are currently in 6th position with 47 points from 33 games. Auston Matthews and William Nylander have been doing an amazing job for the team, while their defense led by Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin has also been fantastic throughout the first half of the campaign. The Maple Leafs, however, suffered a tough 4-5 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in their last meeting and they will now be double-motivated to take home the victory.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been struggling to live up to the high expectations in the first days of 2022. They lost three out of their last four matches in the NHL, being defeated by the Winning Jets, the Nashville Predators, and the Chicago Blackhawks. All of these losses came in T-Mobile Arena, but there was also a convincing 5-1 win over the Rangers in-between these fixtures. They have literally been the better team on the ice in each single one of these occasions, but most of the time, luck wasn’t on their side. I think that the upcoming game against the Maple Leafs will give us a better insight on the situation within the Golden Knights. The information we have as of now is not enough for me to pick a winner, but I will go with the option for “over goals” as I expect to see an offensive-looking game with lots of opportunities on both ends.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 6 (-105)
Tony Battalio
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hitting the road to Las Vegas to kick off their road trip. They will be hoping that the old saying “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” isn’t true, as they will continue to look to ride a huge wave of momentum entering this one. The Maple Leafs have been victorious in four of their last five games, with their only loss in that span coming to the Colorado Avalanche in overtime in their last game, Toronto is coming into this one in third place in the Atlantic Division and with a record of 22-8-3, which shows just how competitive the Atlantic is this season. This is why every point they can pick up on this trip is equally, if not more important as their first 47 this season.
💻 DeBoer: I like where we’re at. It’s not perfect. Not every night looks fantastic and not every period looks great, but we’re definitely heading in the right direction. pic.twitter.com/roUodY6t6d
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 10, 2022
The Vegas Golden Knights are coming into this game on a slight skid having only won three of their last six games. They are currently sitting in first place in the Pacific Division and have a record of 23-14-1 on the year. They will be looking to get back on track to keep their lead over the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames, who still have five games in hand thanks to the COVID postponements. However, as for the result of this game I have the Toronto Maple Leafs picking up the victory over Las Vegas on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-108)
Michael Lantz
After winning seven of eight games in December to propel them to the top of the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights have been a bit unpredictable in the new year. They fell to the Jets and Predators, but bounced back by beating one of the NHL’s top teams (the New York Rangers) 5-1. Unfortunately they came up stale on Saturday, losing to the 12-18-5 Chicago Blackhawks 1-2. They’ll hope to recompose themselves as they face a very good Toronto Maple Leafs team that has a Vezina front-runner (Jack Campbell) in front of the net.
Unfortunately, when the Maple Leafs went up against the NHL’s top offense (the Colorado Avalanche) on Saturday and lost 4-5 in overtime. Now they’ll face a Vegas team that’s also top five in the NHL in scoring. The Maple Leafs will hope to have a better outcome this time, against a lethal offense, but it won’t be easy playing on the road. Still, with a top defense and power play being in Toronto’s favour, it might be too hard for me to pick against them.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-108)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
