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.
New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils – 7.00PM ET
One of the first games of the day will see two teams from the Metropolitan Division take to the ice, when the New York Rangers face off against the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers have won four of their last five games, including their last two in a row, against the Lightning and Hurricanes. The Devils will be looking to turn around their current three game losing streak, which has dropped their record for the season down even further to 22-35-5.
Marko Nadin
The New Jersey Devils are 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 22-35-5 record with only the Montreal Canadiens having a worse record than them in the East. The Devils have lost the last three games against Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, all of them by 6-3. The Devils allow 3.6 goals per game which is the fourth-worst record in the league while they score 3 which ranked them 16th. New Jersey have lost 9 of the last 11 against conference rivals but have won 4 of their last 5 home games.
The New York Rangers are third in the Eastern Conference with a 40-18-5 record. They have won 4 of the last five games and in the last three have not allowed more than one goal. They are coming off a 2-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers have won the last 8 games against the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers are the third-best team in the league allowing only 2.5 goals per game but are ranked 18th with scoring 2.9 per game. The Rangers have won 9 of the last 13 against division rivals.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-156)
Tony Battalio
The New York Rangers have been one of the bigger surprises of the 2021-22 National Hockey League this season. They come into this game with a record of 40-18-5 through their first 63 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 19 games left to go in the regular season. They have beat two of the best teams in the league in back to back games. As they picked up a 2-0 win over Carolina and a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay, both on the road.
A special group. #NoQuitInNY pic.twitter.com/NvOrHJqLiG
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 21, 2022
The New Jersey Devils have had a rough season up until this point as they come into this game in last place in the Metropolitan Division. They have a record of 22-35-5 through their first 62 games of the season. They are all but officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs at this point and are likely looking forward to the off-season and the 2022 entry draft. They are currently on a three game losing streak that is unlikely to be broken in this one. As for the result of this New Jersey vs New York rivalry matchup, I have the Rangers getting the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-156)
Jeffery Thomas
The New York Rangers will wrap up a quick three-game road trip when they take on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. It was a 2-0 shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes in their last game out on Sunday. Backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev recorded his seventh career shutout and set a new career-high with 44 saves. It was the second win in as many days for the Rangers and now after having Monday off, they will look to keep their winning streak alive against a Devils team that they’ve already beaten twice this season.
The first meeting was way back on November 14 and was a 4-3 shootout victory, and then the two teams met again just a couple weeks ago with the Rangers pulling out the 3-1 win. Both were home games for the Rangers so now the Devils will hope to have their fortunes change as the hosts. The Devils have been a poor team all year and after making no moves at the deadline it’s clear they don’t have any plans for this franchise. Meanwhile, the Rangers added some offensive punch at the deadline and most notably a top level defensemen in Justin Braun to what was already a really good team. They are primed to make a deep postseason run and there’s nothing this Devils team can do to stop them, especially with Igor back in net.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-156)
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 7.00PM ET
Another Metropolitan Division clash on Tuesday night for your viewing pleasure, but this time we will see the Columbus Blue Jackets go up against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blue Jackets have won four of their last five games, and last time out they proved too good for the Blues, 5-4. The Penguins have also won four of their last five games, and this includes their last two games in a row against the Blues and Coyotes.
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 38-16-9 record. The Penguins have won the last two games and are coming off a 4-1 road win against the Arizona Coyotes. They have won 8 of the last 10 games against New Jersey including the last three. Six of the last ten games between these two teams have finished over 5.5 goals. Pittsburgh is ranked fourth in the league allowing only 2.6 goals per game and second defending 86.5% of the shorthanded situations.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 32-28-3 record. The Blue Jackets have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. They are allowing the most shots on goal per game in the league with 35.4 and are allowing third-worse 3.7 goals per game. The Blue Jackets have lost 8 of the last 11 games coming in after a two-day rest and 4 of the last five against conference rivals but have won 8 of the last 11 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-335)
Tony Battalio
The Columbus Blue Jackets are the most confusing team in the entire National Hockey League this season. One week they will show up wanting to be a playoff team and play some fantastic hockey, the next week they will show up looking like a bottom five team in the league. They come into this game with a record of 32-28-3 after getting a big win on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. They are double-digit points out of the second wild card spot at the moment and it will take them getting white hot for them to find their way into the postseason.
In Hextall we trust.
Hear from the Penguins GM after today’s moves ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Hlk4PM3H8t
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 21, 2022
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been great this season and look like a sleeper team to make a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Pittsburgh comes into this game with a record of 38-16-9 through their first 63 games of the season. The Penguins are currently sitting in third place of the Metropolitan Division, as they are tied with the New York Rangers, three points behind the Carolina Hurricanes. As for the result of this game, I have the Pittsburgh Penguins getting the win at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-335)
Jeffery Thomas
The Blue Jackets are continuing to overachieve a bit in a rebuilding year, winning four of their last five, but now get a huge test against a high-powered Penguins team. The CBJ have had a couple days off after beating the St. Louis Blues 5-4 on Saturday and moving their record to 32-28-3 on the season. That record is good for 67 points which puts them 18 behind their division rival Penguins who are pushing hard for the Central Division crown. The Pens are 7-2-1 in their last ten games after beating the Coyotes in Arizona on Saturday.
Pittsburgh made a huge move on Monday ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring forward Rickard Rakell from the Ducks. He will fall right in line on this already very talented offensive unit and give them the push they need to compete for the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh will be able to generate plenty of offense in this contest so I’m loving a play on their team total as the moneyline price is just too steep and the CBJ have allowed 3.6 goals a game in the last ten games.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins Team Total – Over 4.5 (+128)
St. Louis Blues @ Washington Capitals – 7.00PM ET
The St. Louis Blues wrap up their short two game road trip with a game in Washington against the Capitals, who themselves wrap up a short two game homestand. The Blues will be looking to get back on track in this game, as they have lost three in a row, with all three being lost by just one goal. The Capitals had their four game winning streak snapped last time out, courtesy of the Stars, 2-3.
Marko Nadin
The Washington Capitals are 8th in the Eastern Conference with a 35-19-10 record. They were on a four-game winning streak which got snapped in the last game losing 2-3 against the Dallas Stars. Washington is ranked among the top 10 teams in the league both in scored and allowed goals per game with 3.3 on the offensive and 2.8 on the defensive end. The Capitals have won 6 of the last 10 games against the Blues. They have also won 7 of the last 10 games playing after 1 day rest, but have lost 7 of the last 10 home games.
The St. Louis Blues are fifth in the Western Conference with a 34-18-9 record. They have lost the last three games, most recently 4-5 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. St. Louis is ranked fifth in the league with 3.5 goals per game on only 30.6 shots on goal per game which ranks them 18th in the league. The Blues have won 8 of the last 10 games playing after 2 days rest and 9 of the last 13 games against teams with a winning record. The Blues have played over the total goals margin in 5 of the last 6 games as a road underdog.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (+128)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues are singing the blues at the moment. As they have lost three straight games by the smallest of margins. Now they will take on the Washington Capitals in what is starting to feel like a must win game for the Blues as the regular season winds down. The Blues come into this game with a record of 34-18-9 through their first 61 games of the season. The Blues currently find themselves in third place in the Central Division.
Here’s a look at what Nick Leddy can do 👀 pic.twitter.com/GJREHAwX1c
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 21, 2022
The Washington Capitals are in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division at the moment. Despite being outside of the top three in the divisional playoff race, they hold onto one of the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference as they have built up a 13 point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Led by Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals are a dark horse team in the East to make a deep playoff run. As for the result of this game, I have Washington getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (-154)
Jeffery Thomas
The St. Louis Blues have to be very frustrated coming into this road game on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. They are on a three-game losing streak with all three of the victories being by one goal. The playoffs are still in the cards for St. Louis but they will still like to get some positive results heading down the stretch run, but that will be tough against this Capitals team. Washington has won seven of the nine games in the month of March and have a stranglehold on that second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
They’ll be looking for a rebound performance though, as their last time out was a 2-3 loss to the Dallas Stars at home on Sunday. This will be a tough matchup for the Caps because of how good the Blues are in spurts, but that’s the problem right now for them is not consistent. When a team has as much talent as the Blues do, they won’t stay struggling forever but I don’t think this is the spot for them to get on track against a Caps team that is playing much better hockey.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (-154)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning kick off a four game road trip tonight when they face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Lightning have lost four of their last six games, and this takes their season record to 39-16-6. The Hurricanes have lost four games in a row, which is their worst losing streak for the entire season, as they have been beaten by the Penguins, Maple Leafs, Capitals and Rangers.
Marko Nadin
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 41-15-6 record. They have lost the last 4 games which is their longest losing streak of the season and are coming off a 0-2 loss to the New York Rangers. The Hurricanes are the best defensive team in the league allowing 2.4 goals per game on 28.9 shots on goal and are also ranked first in defending power play situations with 89.2%. Carolina has won 14 of the last 18 games playing after one day rest and 15 of the last 22 games played on Tuesday, but have lost the last 4 games against conference rivals.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 39-16-6 record. The defending champions have lost 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 1-2 loss to the New York Rangers. The Lightning have won 6 of the last 10 games against Carolina. They are ranked 8th in the league with 3.3 goals per game and 10th in the league allowing 2.8 goals per game. Tampa Bay has won 24 of the last 35 games against the division rivals but have lost the last 4 against the conference rivals.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 6 (-120)
Tony Battalio
This is going to be the best game on the Tuesday slate as two top teams in the National Hockey League and the Eastern Conference will meet in a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup. As the two time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Carolina Hurricanes on the road. The Tampa Bay Lightning are having a tremendous season as they come into this game with a record of 39-16-6 through their first 61 games. They are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division behind the Florida Panthers.
.@TBLightning GM Julien BriseBois discusses the acquisition of Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul. #NHLTonight | #NHLTradeDeadline pic.twitter.com/65bdAJHPF5
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 21, 2022
The Carolina Hurricanes currently find themselves in first place in the Metropolitan Division as they have a three point lead over the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina comes into this matchup with a record of 41-15-6 through their first 62 games of the season. With only 20 games left in the regular season, the Metropolitan Division is the Hurricanes division to lose. As for the result of this game, I have the Hurricanes getting the victory at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-125)
Jeffery Thomas
A matchup of two Eastern Conference powerhouses when the Carolina Hurricanes host the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Lightning on Tuesday night. Neither team is playing their best hockey right now however so it’ll be an interesting matchup. The Bolts are just 5-5 in their last ten games, which is uncharacteristic of them, after a 1-2 loss to the Rangers. The Hurricanes are just 4-4-2 in their last ten, after also losing to the Rangers in their last time out, but by the score of 0-2.
That actually was the fourth consecutive loss for Carolina, but for a team that has shown us all year how good they are, it should be expected that they go on a run here soon. Even though both projected goalies are elite, I think the offenses here are just as good. Carolina is one of the best teams at creating goal-scoring chances and average 3.34 goals a game on the season, while Tampa Bay sits at an average of 3.36. This sets up as a great game with shootout potential so give me the over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-102)
San Jose Sharks @ Calgary Flames – 9.00PM ET
The San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames, both from the Pacific Division, will face off against each other on Tuesday night in the NHL. The Sharks managed to put an end to their losing streak in their last game, which was a win over the Coyotes, 4-2. The Flames have been alternating wins and losses for the last five games, and this takes their season record to 38-16-8.
Marko Nadin
The Calgary Flames are second in the Western Conference with a 38-16-8 record. The Flames have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. They are ranked 6th in the league with 3.4 goals per game and second in the league with 35.9 shots on goal per game. The Flames have won 7 of the last 8 games playing after a two-day rest and 15 of the last 18 games overall. They have played over the total goals margin in 6 of the last 9 when their opponent allowed 2 goals or less in their previous game and in 5 of the last 7 games coming in after two-day rest.
The San Jose Sharks are 13th in the Western Conference with a 27-27-8 record. The Sharks defeated Arizona 4-2 in the last game after three straight losses. The Sharks have won 7 of the last 10 games against the Calgary Flames. Three of the last five games between these two have ended under 5.5 goals. San Jose is among the five-worst teams in the league, scoring 2.6 goals per game on 29 shots per game. They have lost 10 of the last 14 games against Western Conference teams and 7 of the last 8 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-345)
Tony Battalio
The San Jose Sharks had a somewhat decent start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. Until a lengthy losing streak towards the midway point of the year has left them in the basement of the league standings and already looking forward to next year. The Sharks come into this game with a record of 27-27-8 through their first 62 games of the season. San Jose is currently in seventh place in the Pacific Division.
“Ryan was a guy we liked a lot. I think he fits the style we play,”#Flames GM Brad Treliving on the Ryan Carpenter acquisition. pic.twitter.com/tIpu6D660y
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 22, 2022
The Calgary Flames have been the hottest team in the National Hockey League over the course of the last couple of months. They stormed their way into first place in the Pacific Division and now hold an eight point lead over the second place Los Angeles Kings. Through their first 62 games of the season, Calgary has a record of 38-16-8. They have quickly become one of the top favorites to bring home the Stanley Cup back to its native Canada. As for the result of this game, I have the Flames picking up the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-345)
Jeffery Thomas
The Calgary Flames will be kicking off a six-game homestand when they host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. With the trade deadline now in the rear-view mirror, the Flames can now head into the stretch run of the season feeling good about themselves. They have positioned themselves as legit contenders and will be looking to make their first serious playoff run in nearly 20 years. Since winning the Stanley Cup back in 2004, Calgary has just won two playoff series and this team they have now is their best bet to get back to some playoff success. The Sharks on the other hand, have improved this season but are still not in playoff contention.
They also weren’t sellers at the deadline so it seems they’ll just play the year out, move forward with their core and hope to continue to improve. A 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes has their record at 4-4-2 over the last ten. Surprisingly, the Sharks hold a 2-0-0 record over the Flames this season, despite being the far worse team. The Flames tend to sometimes have lapses against inferior teams, much like their 0-1 loss last Friday at home to the Buffalo Sabres. However, given the point of the season we are at and that they’ve already lost twice to San Jose, I’ll expect a fully focused Calgary team to protect home ice and get their revenge in a big win.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (-128)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
