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.
Colorado Avalanche @ New Jersey Devils – 7.00PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche are in the middle of their three game road trip when they face off against the New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they won 5-4, against the Islanders. The Devils may be struggling a bit this year, but they did get the win over the Blues last time out, 3-2, in overtime.
Marko Nadin
The New Jersey Devils are hosting the best team in the league coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues. The Devils are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-31-5 record. The Devils allow 3.5 goals per game which ranks them 26th in the league. The last time New Jersey defeated the Avalanche was back in 2017. The Devils have lost 14 of the last 19 games against Western Conference teams and 45 of the last 61 games as underdogs. New Jersey has played over the total goals margin in 3 of the last 5 games against Western Conference teams and in 15 of the last 21 games coming in after 1 day rest.
The Colorado Avalanche have the best record in the league with 41-11-5. After losing two consecutive games to Arizona and Calgary, the Avalanche defeated the New York Islanders 5-4 in the last game. Colorado is the second-best scoring team in the league, scoring 3.9 goals per game and third with 35.4 shots on goal per game. Colorado has won the last 4 games and 7 of the last 10 games against New Jersey. The Avalanche have won 11 of the last 12 games without a day off and 9 of the last 11 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-230)
Tony Battalio
The East Coast road trip continues for the Colorado Avalanche in this one as they take on the New Jersey Devils. The trip got off to a bad start on Saturday when they lost to the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-4. It was their second loss in a row after they lost to the Arizona Coyotes last week. It was the first time the Avalanche has lost two games in a row since early November when they lost back to back games to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite the losses, the Avalanche come into this game as the best team in the National Hockey League with a record of 41-11-5 through their first 57 games of the season.
Full team effort. #NJDevils | @investorsbank pic.twitter.com/ILs8yE55fB
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 7, 2022
The New Jersey Devils have had the polar opposite season. As they come into this game with a record of 20-31-5 through their first 56 games of the season. They are sitting towards the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference standings as they are already virtually eliminated from playoff contention. The Devils are currently on a one game winning streak after picking up a win over the St. Louis Blues in overtime in their last game by a score of 3-2. As for the result of this one, I have the Colorado Avalanche breaking their losing streak and getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-230)
Jeffery Thomas
The New Jersey Devils took advantage of a struggling Blues team on Sunday and beat them 3-2 on Sunday in overtime. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for New Jersey and extended St. Louis’ losing streak out to three games. Their record now sits at 20-31-5 and they will be hosting the 41-11-5 Colorado Avalanche who got a 5-4 victory on Monday over the New York Islanders. It was a horrible beat for people who bet the Avs -1.5, as they were up 5-1 in the 3rd period before conceding three unanswered goals to end the game. But nonetheless they got the win, and padded their Central Division lead out to 14 points.
The Avalanche on the back-to-back is going to play a major part of this game. They just surrendered 4 goals to the Islanders and will now have tired legs, which often leads to porous defense. In 8 of the Devils last 10 games we have seen at least six goals scored and all I’m seeing is a recipe for a shootout. We’ve seen what Colorado’s offense can do this season and while New Jersey isn’t a great team, they are a more than capable offense so I love a play on the over here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-110)
Florida Panthers @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 7.00PM ET
The Florida Panthers wrap up their short two game road trip on Tuesday night with a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Panthers will be on the second game of their back-to-back, and in their game on Monday night they beat the Sabres, 6-1. The Penguins had their three game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Hurricanes, 2-3, in overtime.
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Penguins are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-14-9 record. The Penguins were on a three-game winning streak before losing 2-3 in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes after being 2-0 up. Pittsburgh are the fourth-best defensive team in the league with 2.6 allowed goals per game and are ranked third with 85.5 PP%. Pittsburgh has won 6 of the last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest and 17 of the last 24 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.
After losing three straight games, the Florida Panthers won three straight games scoring 6 goals in each of the last two games. They are coming off a 6-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Florida is the best scoring team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and are also ranked first with 36.9 shots on goal per game. Florida has won 2 of the last 3 games against Pittsburgh. Florida has won 5 of the last 6 road games and 9 of the last 11 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Florida has played over the total goals margin in 6 of the last 7 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-128)
Tony Battalio
This one is going to be the best game of the Tuesday evening slate as two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference are set to face off in the Steel City. As the Florida Panthers will meet the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Florida Panthers come into this game with a record of 38-13-5 through their first 56 games of the season. They will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one as well after blasting the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 6-1 on Monday evening. The Panthers are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division and on a three game winning streak as well.
Bryan Rust is set to play in his 400th NHL game tomorrow night.
Rust: “It is cool. Every time you hit a milestone like this you kinda just look back. It has gone by pretty quick, but it has been a fun ride and I hope there is a lot more to come.” pic.twitter.com/bD0LIsbDj8
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 7, 2022
The previously mentioned Pittsburgh Penguins have put together a pretty fantastic season of their own as they look to get Sidney Crosby another Stanley Cup trophy this season. The Penguins come into this contest with a record of 34-14-9 through their first 57 games of the season. They are in third place in the Metropolitan Division and in their last game they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-3 on the road. As for the result of this game, I have the Penguins losing in this one too, as I’m going with the Florida Panthers to win on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-128)
Jeffery Thomas
The Florida Panthers will be playing their second game in as many days after demolishing the Sabres 6-1 on Monday night in Buffalo. It was Florida’s third straight win, outscoring opponents 15-3 during the span. They are starting to look a lot like the dominant Florida Panthers we saw early in the year and when they are clicking on all cylinders, there is not a team in this league that can handle them. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back home for three games after a 2-1 three game road-trip. The Pens beat the Blue Jackets and Lightning before losing to the Hurricanes 2-3 in overtime.
Pittsburgh is third in the Metro with 77 points, six back of those Hurricanes, so any hope of catching them they’ll need a streak of wins starting here. The Penguins will be the much more rested team here, on three days rest and will have the home ice advantage. Florida’s Achilles heel early in the year was road games but as of late, they’ve put together a good run of results away from home so that’s not really an edge I’d give to Pittsburgh. We know every game Florida plays, they’re going to bring the offense, and defensively I think the tired legs will leave their goalie out to dry a bit, leading to a good offensive showing for Pittsburgh as well, so we have yet another game where I like the over as the play.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-128)
New York Rangers @ Minnesota Wild – 8.00PM ET
The road trip continues on for the New York Rangers, who will play the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. The Rangers will be looking to build on their current three game winning streak, which includes wins over the Blues, Devils and Jets. The Wild have lost six of their last seven games, and this takes their overall season record to 32-19-3.
Marko Nadin
The Minnesota Wild are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 32-19-3. The Wild has lost 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 3-6 home loss to the Dallas Stars. Minnesota is the third-best offense in the league with 3.7 goals per game and is ranked 12th in the league with 32.5 shots on goal. They have won the last 5 games following a home loss of 3 or more goals and 11 of the last 12 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division. Minnesota has played over the total goals margin in the last 5 games when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
The New York Rangers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 36-15-5 record. The Rangers have won the last three games, most recently 4-1 against the Winnipeg Jets. New York are the second-best defensive team in the league allowing 2.4 goals per game and are seventh with 83.3 PP%. The Rangers have won 6 of the last 8 games against Western Conference teams and 8 of the last 11 overall. They have played under the total goals margin in 6 of the last 7 games after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 6 (-106)
Tony Battalio
Alongside the Pittsburgh and Florida game this one is going to be another great game on a Tuesday night full of them. As the New York Rangers will head west to play the Minnesota Wild in an Eastern Conference vs Western Conference matchup of two playoff teams. The New York Rangers head into this one as one of the biggest surprises of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season thus far. As they come into this game with a record of 36-15-5 through their first 56 games of the season. They currently find themselves in second place in the Metropolitan Division only six points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first.
“With the amount of responsibility I’ve been getting, you want to make the most of it. And I’m still trying to get better.”
More Mika: https://t.co/9hQQXUpqXA
Lindy: https://t.co/2KxpoORQrr
Key: https://t.co/GnTnyGqAk7
Coach: https://t.co/JKgGdyRyhQ pic.twitter.com/sl4i5PWlNP— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 7, 2022
The Minnesota Wild were at one point the top team in the league this season. However, that feels like forever ago after the rise of the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames in the last few months. Now Minnesota comes into this game with a still respectable record of 32-19-3 through their first 54 games of the season. They are currently in third place of the Central Division but likely out of the division title race as Colorado holds a 20 point lead over them with 28 games to go. As for the result of this one, I don’t see it going favorable for them either as I am taking the New York Rangers to get the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+125)
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Wild will continue to try and shake this funk that they are in. They have lost 8 of their last 10 games and now find themselves third in the Central Division with 67 points, only one point ahead of the 5th place Nashville Predators. They will carry the -14 goal differential that they have into this game against the New York Rangers, who have the best goalie in the league at the moment. They are perfect in the three games in the month of March, and Igor Shesterkin has practically locked up the Vezina trophy after three straight solid wins over the Blues, Devils, and Jets.
Minnesota will likely possess a lot of the puck, given how New York tends to play but with their strong defense and goaltending, a lot of possession doesn’t always lead to offensive production for opponents. The Wild seem to just be broken right now and there’s no way you can confidently pick them playing against a team as good as the Rangers are. Even on the road in a hostile environment, I like the Rangers here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (+125)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Winnipeg Jets – 8.00PM ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in game two of their six game road trip, and tonight they will hit the ice against the Winnipeg Jets. The Lightning have won seven of their last eight games, with their only loss in this time coming at the hands of the Penguins, 1-5. The Jets have lost their last two in a row, to the Stars and Rangers.
Marko Nadin
The Winnipeg Jets are sixth in the Central Division and 12th in the Western Conference with a 24-22-10 record. The Jets have lost 6 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 1-4 loss to the New York Rangers. The Jets score and allow exactly 3 goals per game and are 11th in the league with 33.1 shots on goal. Winnipeg has won 5 of the last 6 games following a loss of 3 or more goals but have lost 21 of the last 29 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Winnipeg has played over the total goals margin in 4 of the last 5 games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are third in the Eastern Conference with a 37-12-6 record and only 3 points deficit behind the leading Carolina Hurricanes. The defending champions have won 7 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Lightning are ranked 7th with 3.5 goals per game and 8th with 2.7 allowed goals per game. They have won 6 of the last 10 games against Winnipeg. The Lightning have won the last 4 road games and 5 of the last 6 following a win.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-170)
Tony Battalio
The two time defending Stanley Cup champions head north of the border for this matchup to play the Winnipeg Jets. The Lightning have their sights set on a three peat this season and if they get hot again, they will bring the Stanley Cup home for the third season in a row. Tampa Bay comes into this game with a record of 37-12-6 through their first 55 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division as they trail the Florida Panthers by a single point heading into the final stretch of the season.
Scoring in his second game back, while also hitting 1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ NHL goals in one photo 📸
For more #NHLJets photos ▶️ https://t.co/AiBHvE2q87!#GoJetsGo | @AccessStorageCA pic.twitter.com/K1Bk1DuN8t
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 7, 2022
The Winnipeg Jets are having a rough season up until this point. They come into this game with a record of 24-22-10 through their first 56 games of the season. As they are sitting in the bottom half of the standings in the Central Division. They are 19 points out of third place in the division but only six points out of the wildcard race which still gives them hope for the playoffs. As for the result of this game however, I don’t think they will get the win even with being at home, and I have the defending champs bringing home the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-170)
Jeffery Thomas
The Tampa Bay Lightning got caught up in an old-fashioned shootout on Sunday night in Chicago, taking down the Blackhawks 6-3. It was a slow start for the Bolts, who trailed at two different points in the early stages, taking a 3-2 lead going into the second intermission. Then coming out for the third period, the Lightning scored 3 goals in 32 seconds to open it up and make sure there was no chance for a comeback. It was a crucial win for the Atlantic Division race lead, which keeps going back and forth between Tampa and Florida. Florida’s win on Monday while the Lightning were off, gave them back the 1 point lead. The Jets aren’t in any type of race at the moment, unless they go on an insane run of wins, as they are eight points back of the second wild card.
Being on a two-game losing streak definitely won’t help their cause, losing to both the Stars and Rangers at home. Now they get another home game against a playoff team that is hungry and well rested, so will they finally be up for the test? The Tampa Bay Lightning are just the far better team and it’s just hard to trust this Winnipeg team even at home. The Lightning just have so much experience and guys that are accustomed to winning on this roster, and it’s hard to see them not coming away victorious here. Every win they’ve had since the All-Star break has been in regulation so we can get a little more value too if we take that method.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Tampa Bay Lightning (-110)
Washington Capitals @ Calgary Flames – 9.00PM ET
The final game in the NHL for Tuesday night will see the Washington Capitals take on the Calgary Flames. The Capitals will be hoping to build their current winning streak to three games with a win over the Flames here. The Flames are playing two nights in a row, and in their game against the Oilers last time out they won, 3-1.
Marko Nadin
The Calgary Flames are second in the Western Conference with a 34-14-7 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Calgary is ranked second in the league with 35.7 shots on goal per game and sixth with 3.5 scored goals. The Flames have won the last 7 games against teams with a winning record and 12 of the last 13 home games. They have also won 9 of the last 12 games without a day off and 17 of the last 22 games overall.
The Washington Capitals are 8th in the Eastern Conference with a 30-18-9 record, 10 points ahead of the 9th Columbus Blue Jackets. After losing three straight games, the Capitals won the last two, 4-0 against Carolina and 5-2 against Seattle. The Capitals have won 4 of the last 5 games against Calgary. Washington ranks 7th in the league allowing 2.7 goals per game and is ranked third in the league with 28.9 shots on goal per game. Washington has won 4 of the last 5 games after a two-day rest. They have also won 5 of their last 7 road games and 7 of the last 10 Tuesday games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Washington Capitals (+110)
Tony Battalio
The Calgary Flames went down to the wire with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday evening before a late goal moved the score to 3-1 in favor of Calgary. The win moved Calgary’s record to 34-14-7 on the season as their lead in the Pacific Division increased with the victory. They are now four points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights heading into Tuesday, they also put another huge dent into the Edmonton Oilers playoff hopes as well. Calgary is now on a two game winning streak.
Hear from #Flames head coach Darryl Sutter after the 3-1 win over the Oilers. pic.twitter.com/EqOIYIQ80N
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 8, 2022
The Washington Capitals are putting together a half decent season. They still should be playing better than they are in my opinion. They come into this game with a record of 30-18-9 through their first 57 games of the season. Washington is currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division but they do hold onto the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference as they have a ten point lead built up over the Columbus Blue Jackets. As for the result of this game however, I have the Calgary Flames getting another victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames (-132)
Jeffery Thomas
After a rough month of February, the Washington Capitals have kind of just snuck under a lot of people’s radar as far as dangerous playoff teams. They’ve only played 2 games this month so they have been forgotten about a bit, but both of those games were tallied in the win column and important points for the Caps who are holding down the second wild card spot. On Saturday, they earned their 30th win on the year, with a 5-2 win over the Kraken and will travel to Calgary for a game with the red-hot Flames, who took down the Oilers 3-1 on Monday. Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves in the win, which was their 13th in 15 games.
Their reward for that run is sole possession of the 1st place spot in the Pacific Division and the Caps will look to cool them off on Tuesday. It’s going to be tough for the Capitals to keep their winning streak alive against this Flames squad that has suddenly forgotten how to lose games. How the game ends up going as far as the winner is a tough call, but the trends point us to another shootout on Tuesday night in Calgary. The Flames are 4-0-2 to the over in their last six games on no rest and Washington combined for 9 goals in their last two games, so with all the talent on each team’s offense I don’t see a problem getting this over.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6 (-122)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
