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.
Dallas Stars @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET
Both the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs are coming into this game off back-to-back losses. The Stars have lost their last two games to the Predators and Rangers. While the Maples Leafs have lost their previous two games against the Coyotes and Sabres.
Marko Nadin
The Toronto Maple Leafs are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-17-5 record. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off an unexpected 2-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The Maple Leafs are the third best-scoring team in the league with 3.7 goals per game and are on top when it comes to PP% conversions with 29.3%. Toronto has won 7 of the last 10 games against Dallas including a 3-2 road win a month ago. Toronto has won 18 of the last 25 home games and 5 of the last 6 games when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
The Dallas Stars are ninth in the Western Conference with a 32-22-3 record and only one point shy of the eighth place that leads to the playoffs. Dallas was on a four-game winning streak before losing the last two games against Nashville and New York Rangers. The Stars have won 6 of the last 8 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 8 of the last 11 road games. They have also won 5 of their last 7 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-142)
Tony Battalio
The Dallas Stars come into this game with a record of 32-22-3 through their first 57 games of the season. Dallas will be looking to break a two game losing streak in this game as they have lost back to back contests to the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators. Dallas has had a lot of ups and downs so far this season as it seems like every time they get their season track things fall apart faster than they came together. Now Dallas will be looking to rebound in this game against a tough Maple Leafs team on the road.
Final from the Hammer. #HeritageClassic | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/XfBSaTlfXq
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 13, 2022
The previously mentioned Toronto Maple Leafs are coming into this game sitting towards the top of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings. Toronto comes in this game with a record of 37-17-5 through their first 59 games of the season. Much like Dallas, Toronto is also on a two game losing streak after dropping back to back games to the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes. Toronto is currently in third place in the Atlantic Division, as they will look to get a bounce back win in this game. As for the result of this one, that is exactly what I think will happen as I have Toronto getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-142)
Jeffery Thomas
The Dallas Stars currently sit 1 point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild-card spot and will dodge a bullet in their Tuesday game against the Maple Leafs. Leafs’ star Auston Matthews was suspended 2 games for his cross-check in their Sunday loss, so he will be out for this one, and that’s a big blow to Toronto’s offense. Missing the league’s top goal scorer is going to be a problem here, especially since the Leafs have allowed at least four goals in 10 of the last 12 games.
With both teams coming in losers of their last two, it’ll be interesting to see who digs deep and gets back in the win column. Even with no Matthews in this contest, I think we see a lot of goals in this one. Both teams have been involved in some high-scoring battles, with Dallas hitting the over in 4 of 5 games this month and Toronto hitting the over in each of their last five games. Neither team can be stopped right now and also can’t stop their opponents so give me the over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-104)
Anaheim Ducks @ New York Rangers – 7.00PM ET
The Anaheim Ducks wrap up their five game road trip in New York when they face off against the Rangers on Tuesday night in the NHL. The Ducks have gone 0-4-0 so far in this trip, and this takes their overall season record to 27-25-10. The Rangers have won four of their last six games, and this includes a victory last time out over the Stars, 7-4.
Marko Nadin
The New York Rangers are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-17-5 record. The Rangers have won 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 7-4 road win over the Dallas Stars. The Rangers have won 4 of the last 5 games against the Anaheim Ducks. In the first game this season, the Rangers won 4-1 in Anaheim which was their first game against each other in almost three years. The Rangers are in pretty good shape especially at home where they have won 19 of the last 26 games.
The Anaheim Ducks are 12th in the Western Conference with a 27-25-10 record. The Ducks have lost the last four games and are coming off a 3-4 loss to the New York Islanders. The last time they defeated the Rangers was back in 2017. The Ducks have lost the last four road games, 21 of the last 28 games as road underdogs and 22 of the last 29 games when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-250)
Tony Battalio
The Anaheim Ducks have been a confusing team so far this season as they have bounced back and forth between being competitive and lengthy losing streaks. They come into this game with a record of 27-25-10 on the year, as they currently find themselves on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup playoff field. They are currently sitting in the bottom half of the Pacific Division standings at sixth, ahead of only Seattle and San Jose. They are currently on a four game losing streak.
“It just shows the mentality of the team we have.” #NoQuitInNY
Fil on resilience: https://t.co/jMfntEb6qQ
Foxy: https://t.co/y7IrMcq6Z3
Coach Gallant: https://t.co/pBiXsDza4E pic.twitter.com/Qb6h89Hwf6— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 14, 2022
The New York Rangers have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season, as they come into this game with a record of 37-17-5 through their first 59 games of the season. Not many people expected the Rangers to be this good as they had some of the longest odds at the beginning of the season to win the Stanley Cup title. Now they look like serious championship contenders. As for the result of this game, I have the New York Rangers getting the win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-250)
Jeffery Thomas
The Ducks are wrapping up a five-game road trip in Madison Square Garden against the Rangers on Tuesday and are hoping for better fortunes in this one than the previous four games of the trip. Anaheim is 0-4 with losses to the Blackhawks, Predators, Devils, and Islanders so far on the trip, and now get a date with a Rangers team that will be happy to get back on home ice after a 2-2 road trip of their own.
The losses were to respectable opponents, in the Blues and Wild, but they will not take any moral victories and will look to build on their 19-5-3 home record. The Rangers great home ice form all season coupled with Anaheim’s recent road struggles make this a pretty straightforward pick. The Ducks are also playing their fourth game in six days so there’s a fatigue factor at play. I see the Rangers grinding this one out in regulation on the back of their elite goaltending and home crowd.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – New York Rangers (-150)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Nashville Predators – 8.00PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins kick off a three game road trip on Tuesday when they hit the ice against the Nashville Predators. The Penguins will be looking to build on their current two game winning streak, which includes wins over the Golden Knights and Hurricanes. The Predators have won four of their last five, with their only loss in this time coming against the Blues, 4-7.
Marko Nadin
The Nashville Predators are sixth in the Western Conference with a 34-21-4 record. The Predators are in pretty good shape lately winning 4 of the last 5 games including an 8-0 win over San Jose and 6-2 over Minnesota. The Predators are the eight-best defensive team in the league allowing 2.8 goals per game. Nashville has won 6 of the last 7 games after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game. The Predators have won 15 of the last 21 games following a win but have lost 7 of the last 9 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 36-15-9 record. The Penguins have won the last two games against Vegas and Carolina and 3 of the last 5. Pittsburgh has won 6 of the last 10 games against Nashville and the last time these two teams played was in 2019. Pittsburgh have won 18 of the last 24 road games and 5 of the last 7 games against teams with a winning record. The Penguins have played over the total goals margin in the last 5 Tuesday games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-115)
Tony Battalio
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League so far this season. They are currently sitting in a top 2 spot in the Metropolitan Division and have been there for the majority of the regular season. The Penguins come into this game with a record of 36-15-9 through their first 60 games of the season. With only 22 games left in this year’s regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in a great position to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs if their core can remain healthy throughout the remainder of the year.
Lil’ Eddie from Minnesota traveled to Pittsburgh to watch the Penguins take on the Hurricanes on Sunday, and has been hoping for a puck since he arrived. Today, his wish was granted!
We asked him what position he plays on the ice…
“Goal scorer.”
We knew we liked this kid! pic.twitter.com/Effo2eClcu
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 14, 2022
The Nashville Predators come into this game with a record of 34-21-4 as they are ten games above .500 through their first 59 games of the season. At one point early on in the season they were on top of the Central Division for a short spell. Now they find themselves in fourth place in the division. They will look to get a big win in this game at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, as for the result of this game, I just can’t see it happening as I have the Penguins winning it on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-115)
Jeffery Thomas
These two teams will meet up for the first time in over two years on Tuesday night in Nashville, both squared away to make the postseason this year. Pittsburgh have been regulars in the playoffs, currently holding the NHL record with 15 straight appearances and the Predators aren’t too shabby themselves, making it in seven straight seasons. The Pens will come into this game sitting at 2nd place in the Metro, with their legendary center Sidney Crosby riding a nine-game point streak.
He has six goals and six assists in that span, which is ridiculous for his age (34) and they will need him to keep up the scoring surge against a Predators team that is 6-4-0 in their last ten games and trying to build on their wild card lead, which is currently five points over the Dallas Stars. Seeing this line as a pick ‘em is giving a lot of credit to the home ice advantage the Predators have maintained all year, but the Penguins are superior in many statistical categories. Pittsburgh has also been one of the best road teams this season, going an impressive 19-6-4 away from their home arena and I think their good road form continues on Tuesday in Nashville.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-115)
Colorado Avalanche @ Los Angeles Kings – 10.30PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche kick off a short two game road trip in Los Angeles on Tuesday night when they take on the Kings. The Avalanche have lost four of their last six games, but they did get the all important win last time out, 3-0, against the Flames. The Kings have been playing a lot of overtime and shootout hockey as of late, in their last six games, four of them have at least gone to overtime, with their record in this period standing at 4-1-1.
Marko Nadin
The Los Angeles Kings are fourth in the Western Conference with a 33-20-8 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Florida Panthers which got their two-game losing streak snapped. Los Angeles is third in the league with 35.3 shots on goal per game and are the best team when it comes to allowed shots on goal with 28.6 per game. The Kings have won 6 of the last 8 games following a win and 5 of the last 7 coming in as underdogs.
The Colorado Avalanche have the best record in the league with 42-13-5. The Avalanche are going through a difficult part of the season as they have lost 4 of the last 6 games. They are coming off a solid 3-0 win over the second seed in the West, Calgary Flames. The Avalanche have won the last 7 games against the Kings and 8 of the last 10. They are the second-best scoring team in the league with 3.8 goals per game and are ranked fourth in shots per goal with 35.2.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-225)
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Avalanche have been the best team in the National Hockey League for the last two months. They have taken the Central Division and Western Conference by storm and continue to pull away from the pack as they remain the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Colorado comes into this game with a league best record of 42-13-5 through their first 60 games of the season. In their last game they took down the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-0 at home in a battle of first place teams in the Western Conference.
We highly recommend getting out of the way when @Frky91 winds up. 💣 pic.twitter.com/KC20mfk1u8
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 14, 2022
The Los Angeles Kings have had an up and down season up until this point, as they have truly failed to put together any type of sustained momentum. They come into this game with a record of 33-20-8 as they are only 5 games above the .500 mark through their first 61 games of the season. Despite the near .500 record they currently find themselves sitting in second place in the Pacific Division. However, I think they take the loss in the game as they are going up against the best team in the league this season.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-225)
Jeffery Thomas
The Colorado Avalanche got a much needed win on Sunday to put a halt to the crazy run the Calgary Flames were on and end a disappointing stretch of games they were having. Prior to the 3-0 win for the Avs, they lost 4 of 5 games so it was nice to see them put a good effort again. Now it’s all about building on that momentum when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kings. Los Angeles was also in action on Sunday and gutted out a shootout victory over the Florida Panthers, winning 3-2. They needed a late game-tying goal with the goalie pulled to force overtime in Jonathan Quick’s 700 game.
Quick will likely get the start here again on Tuesday and will be looked to for another great performance in the midst of all the injuries the Kings are dealing with. I think the Avalanche reminded us and themselves how dominant they can be and why they are still the best team in the NHL when they are fully engaged. That performance will likely spill over into this Tuesday road game against a Los Angeles team that will be short handed with Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty, and Matt Roy all out. It’s too much of an ask for the Kings to beat Florida and Colorado back to back, and they will fall short.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-225)
Florida Panthers @ San Jose Sharks – 10.30PM ET
The mammoth road trip continues on for the Florida Panthers, who will face off against the San Jose Sharks late on Tuesday night. The Panthers had their five game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Kings, 2-3, in a shootout. The Sharks have won their last two games, both over the Kings, and in their last game, they managed to shutout the Kings, winning by a score of 5-0.
Marko Nadin
The San Jose Sharks are 13th in the Western Conference with a 26-25-7 record and will most definitely miss the playoffs this season. The Sharks are coming off back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Kings with the last one being 5-0. The last time they defeated the Florida Panthers was back in 2017 and that run will last at least until the next season as Florida is playing great lately. The Sharks have lost 39 of the last 55 games against teams with a winning record over 60%. They have also lost 6 of the last 8 games after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Atlantic Division and are second in the Eastern Conference with a 40-13-6 record. The Panthers were on a five-game winning streak before losing 2-3 in a shootout to the Los Angeles Kings. Florida has won 7 of the last 8 games against San Jose including this season’s 5-4 overtime victory in January. Florida is the top scoring team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and will fill the Sharks’ net to the top. Florida has won 5 of the last 6 games on the road.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-230)
Tony Battalio
The Florida Panthers are one of the top favorites in a crowded Eastern Conference this season. They come into this game with a record of 40-13-6 through their first 59 games of the season. Even after losing their coach midway through the first month of the season, they have not let it affect them and they continue to go out on the ice each night and get results. Florida is currently on a one game losing streak after losing their last game to the Los Angeles Kings. The loss to the Kings snapped a lengthy winning streak and now they will be looking to bounce back in this one.
“We can’t control the uncontrollable and how it influences the game. We have to find a way to battle through and go through the adversity and find a way to close that game out.”@jamesoncoop‘s 5 Takeaways from #FLAvsLAK » https://t.co/9SpqS0Qj3s pic.twitter.com/D0PrCYRJt5
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 14, 2022
The San Jose Sharks showed promise at the beginning of the year. However a miserable last few months has seen them slip down to the bottom of the standings in the Pacific Division and become one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League. They come into this game with a record of 26-25-7 through their first 58 games of the season. They will be looking to get a big win in this game. However, I can’t see that happening as I have the Florida Panthers getting the win on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-230)
Jeffery Thomas
The Florida Panthers will travel to take on the San Jose Sharks after suffering their first defeat in the month of March on Sunday at the hands of the Kings by a score of 3-2. It was a rare low-scoring output from the Panthers, who hadn’t scored less than 3 goals in a game since February 1st against the Rangers. Now here on game two of their seven game road-trip they’ll look to get their offense back in form against the Sharks. Interestingly enough, the Sharks are coming off a shutout victory, so their defense will be full of confidence.
It was a 0-3 start to the month for San Jose, but after a home-and-home with their in-state rival the Los Angeles Kings, they are on a two game winning streak and feeling good. The Sharks’ efforts against the Kings in the last two games were great but in my opinion not sustainable, especially against this great Florida team. San Jose was juiced up against their division foes in those games and now against these Panthers who usually feast on inferior opponents, I see them having a tough time. Give me the Panthers in a blowout.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+112)
If you’re looking for more NHL news, information and predictions, head over to our NHL hub page for all your ice hockey needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
Watch the clock
