We are in the thick of the 2021/22 NHL season, and things are certainly heating up! Today there are heaps of games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With so many teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
How will today’s games shake out? Which teams will be in the winners circle, and who will need to bounce back after a loss? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, we are in for some great games! So sit back, relax and if you like to have a bet, then you have certainly come to the right place.
Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
New York Islanders @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
The New York Islanders wrap up their extensive road trip in Florida when they take on the Panthers. The Islanders will be looking to turn around the current three game losing streak they are on, and will be playing on back-to-back days, after losing to the Lightning on Monday night, 1-4. The Panthers are continuing to struggle in November, and like the Islanders, they lost to the Lightning last time out, in overtime, 2-3, this brings the Panthers current losing streak to four games.
Denis Kirilov
After their 1-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the New York Islanders will head to Florida in their last game for their road trip. Until now, they have only played away matches which explains the 14th place they stand in. They have 5 wins and 7 losses from the start of the season, but in their most recent games they recorded three consecutive losses without even being close to battling for the victory. They have their ambitions this season, but we can talk about this once they return home and let us see how they will perform in front of a home crowd.
The Florida Panthers is one of the best teams in the NHL at the moment, but they are also in a negative run, losing their past 4 away games. They came close to winning against the Penguins and the Lightning, but were eventually denied after penalties and overtime respectively. They consist of players like Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, who have been playing together for almost a decade already and they might evolve into something really huge this season. They have shown in their opening matches that not only can they defeat any NHL team, but they can also humiliate and destroy them. That’s why I am more enthused to go with the Panthers in this fixture. I would also recommend picking them to cover the regular spread or to cover an even higher spread.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-162)
Tony Battalio
The New York Islanders looked completely lethargic in a 1-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. It is certainly not the way they wanted the last two games of their crazy 14 game road trip to end. This latest setback now has them on a three-game losing streak as they prepare to head back to Long Island to play their long-awaited home opener this season. This loss also drops and record 5-5-2 on the year through 12 games.
🎥 Hear from Radko & Tip after today’s practice! pic.twitter.com/UE6GN4wmPQ
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) November 15, 2021
As for the Florida Panthers, following a very hot start their November struggles continue. They are also coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, although the Panthers looked a lot more impressive than the Islanders did in that game. Is this just a bump in the road for the Panthers? Or are the wheels finally falling off following the firing of their coach? As for the result of this game, both of these teams come to this one looking to snap losing streaks. When the final horn sounds I think the Florida Panthers will come out on top breaking their losing streak and starting to get their season back on track.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-162)
Michael Lantz
The time has come: the Islanders are finally at game 13 of 13 on the road to start the 2021-22 season. Going into Tuesday their 5-5-2 record is pretty admirable for a team that hasn’t played at home yet, but after a 1-4 thrashing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night, and two previous losses where they were outscored 2-9, it’s evident that the Isles need to be up at their new barn (UBS Arena) for a change of pace.
Their final opponent of this treacherous road trip won’t let them off easily, as the Florida Panthers look to overcome a massive slump. After starting the season 10-0-1, the Panthers haven’t recorded a win since they had a huge 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on November 6th. It’s hard to pick out what exactly has been bugging them, but if they want to become true contenders and not just a regular season flash in the pan, they need to turn it around quickly. A clearly fatigued Islanders team might be the perfect opponent for that. But, on the contrary the Islanders are looking to end this journey on a positive note after a couple of ugly performances. When it comes down to it, I think the Panthers come out on top. They’ll enjoy the home ice advantage and an Islanders team that, at this point, probably just wants to get home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-162)
Nashville Predators @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET
The Nashville Predators start a three game road trip in Toronto when they take on the Maple Leafs. The Predators will be looking to build on their current three game winning streak, which includes wins against the Stars, Blues and Coyotes. The Maple Leafs are also on a three game winning streak, and they have won six of their seven games so far in November, which takes their overall season record out to 10-5-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Nashville Predators will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tough game in Scotiabank Arena. The Canadian team is 7-3 at home this season and they will strive for an even higher win ratio in front of their fans. They are also coming into this match with an 8-1 run that began on October 28. The only loss came against the LA Kings in front of their home crowd, in a match where the guests’ goaltender, Jonathan Quick, saved almost everything that was sent towards him. The Maple Leafs rely much on their forward, Auston Matthews, who is still trying to find his rhythm. However, players like William Nylander, Mitchell Marner, and John Tavares successfully compensate for this with their performance.
This season opening for the Nashville Predators can be considered to have been quite better than what the analysts have anticipated. They are 6th in the Western Conference and they are looking to get into the top 3 with a win tonight. The Predators won their last 3 matches defeating the likes of the Dallas Stars, the St. Louis Blues, and the Arizona Coyotes. If we go deeper into analyzing their performance so far, we can clearly see that they didn’t have an easy schedule; they had to play against Carolina, Edmonton, Minnesota, San Jose, Calgary, St. Louis, Los Angeles. Most of these games were eventually won by the Predators which further supports their high-level performance until now. They have been just once demolished by 3 goals by the Oilers and everything else was either a narrow loss or a victory for them. I think this might continue against the Maple Leafs and I will go with the Predators here.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+168)
Tony Battalio
Nashville kicks off a two game road trip north of the border in Toronto, while possessing a three game winning streak that they will be looking to continue. After this game against Toronto they will make a stop in Montreal, as their game against the Ottawa Senators was canceled. The Predators currently have a record of 9-5-1, which has been fueled by an impressive November where they have gone 5-1-1 through seven games. They have seemingly recovered from their slow start, and they are beginning to look like a potential playoff team by season’s end.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently 10-5-1 and come into this game with a three game winning streak of their own. Much like the Nashville Predators, the Maple Leafs own slow start to the year has been turned around thanks to an impressive November. Through the seven games Toronto has played this month they hold a record of 6-1-0. This game against Nashville is the start of a three game homestand for the Maple Leafs as well.
As for the results of this game, it may be hard to call due to the fact that both teams are playing really impressive hockey at the moment. However, when the final horn sounds I believe the Toronto Maple Leafs will leave with a huge home win, after a close competitive game through three periods and potentially overtime.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-205)
Michael Lantz
After a rock start, the Toronto Maple Leafs have evolved into one of the NHL’s top teams. They won five-in-a-row from October 27th to November 6th—got handled by the Kings on November 8th—and now are back on a three-game win streak. As they go for four straight, so will their opponent, the Nashville Predators. After an inconsistent start to the season, it seems Nashville has finally found their footing. While Roman Josi has been great on both sides of the puck, the team needed some offensive players to step up and start taking control of the point total. In comes Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund, who are now co-leaders with Josi in points scored.
The Preds will hope to keep the offense coming against a Maple Leafs team that is feeling it right now. Toronto is being led by John Tavares who has tallied 15 points on the year, and has taken a bit of the pressure off of star Auston Matthews to be the go-to guy every game. This game is a tough one to pick as the two teams are both on rolls right now. On paper you’d think the Maple Leafs would be the obvious choice, especially because they’re at home. But, the Predators can play spoilers, I’m not sure if they’ll take the cake, but I’ll at least pick them to cover.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators +1.5 (-154)
Edmonton Oilers @ Winnipeg Jets – 8.00PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets will play each other in back-to-back games, and Tuesday night will be the first game. The Oilers are coming into this game off a win against the Blues, 5-4, and their season record currently stands at 11-3-0. The Jets have won two games in a row, against the Sharks and Kings, which brings their season record to 8-3-3.
Denis Kirilov
Two of the best performing teams in the NHL will face each other on Tuesday. The Edmonton Oilers lead the Western Conference with 11 wins out of 14 matches. They can also show off with a great goals difference scoring 59 goals and conceding just 42 goals. Their duo in front position, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid proves to be one of the deadliest combinations in the NHL at the moment. The German has 31 points to his name (15 goals and 16 assists), while the Canadian adds even more value to the team with his 27 points (10 goals and 17 assists). When both of them are on the ice, their opponents should be really cautious with the transition from defense to offense, because they can punish every single mistake throughout the game.
The Winnipeg Jets are 5th in the West with 19 points out of 14 games; just 3 points short of the Oilers. They were off to a 0-2 start to the season which brought some concerns for the coach and staff, but they wiped off these uncertainties with an 8-3 run prior to this game. However, I wouldn’t say they have defeated a lot of strong teams. For instance, they managed to come on top of the Sharks when they were forced to play with many AHL players. Moreover, the victory over the Kings was achieved with 6 players missing on the side of the LA team. Some of the other wins were against teams who are a bit more mediocre like the Blackhawks and the Stars. It will surely be a tough call here, but I will go with the Edmonton Oilers, as I see them as the more complex team that has enough potential to fight for the Stanley Cup.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-110)
Tony Battalio
Tuesday night’s contest between the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets will be the first game of a two game stretch between the two teams. Both teams are putting together decent seasons as we are about a full month into the new season now and there are several teams who have also separated themselves from the pack as well. The Edmonton Oilers fell to the Buffalo Sabres a couple games ago but immediately bounced back with a huge victory over St. Louis. That win over the Blues brought their overall record to 11-3-0 on the year. As long as Connor McDavid is healthy and playing, the Oilers are a Stanley Cup contender this season.
Hands up 🙌 #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/9xrXlT4ilB
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 16, 2021
As for the Winnipeg Jets, they are currently 8-3-3 on the year. They come into this tough matchup on a two game winning streak, having defeated San Jose and Los Angeles. If they can keep McDavid contained, they have a real shot to win this one. However, some things are easier said than done and that’s why I am going with the Edmonton Oilers in this one. While Winnipeg is a good team, Edmonton is just way too talented and playing too good at the moment to be stopped.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-110)
Michael Lantz
It feels like the Winnipeg Jets have quietly built an 8-3-3 record to start the season. The Manitoba team is riding high off of consecutive victories including a clutch come from behind win against the Kings on Saturday night. In that showdown they stepped up big time, scoring a goal in the third period to tie and then in OT to win. Now they’ll face the NHL’s premier offensive club in the Edmonton Oilers at home, in hopes of slowing down the scoring for Conor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl & Co.
Speaking of Draisaitl and McDavid, they’re currently the numbers one and two (respectively) in total points. Their continued offensive success has helped lead the Oilers to a 11-3-0 record. But if the Oilers really want to send these two stars to a Stanley Cup, they’ll need their depth and their defense to start making big plays on a more regular basis. This one should be close, but I’ve had a hard time finding myself picking against the Oilers this year, so I’ll play it safe with that pick.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-110)
Washington Capitals @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM ET
This will be the first of four road games for the Washington Capitals, when they take on the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. After losing their first three games in November, the Capitals have bounced back in a big way, winning their next four in a row. The Ducks are another team with huge momentum, as they are yet to even drop a game in November, with wins against the Devils, Coyotes, Blues, Canucks (twice) and Kraken.
Denis Kirilov
The Washington Capitals will have an exciting task ahead of them facing off against the Anaheim Ducks in their home arena, Honda Centre. Anaheim is the pleasant surprise in the NHL so far as nobody would have predicted them to be 2nd in the Western Conference after 15-16 matches. Yes, they might have played a bit more games than the rest of the NHL, but 9-4-3 is still a great start. The Ducks are also in a whooping 7-0 run ahead of this fixture and they will do their best to maintain this winning streak. They have been quite dominant throughout November as only the Vancouver Canucks pushed their match against the Ducks into overtime.
On the other hand, we have a fantastic Washington Capitals team that still flies high after their first Stanley Cup in 2017/18. Ovechkin and Kuznetsov are off to a great start this season after being 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Their goal difference is the best in the NHL with 54 goals scored and 36 goals conceded. They are also in a 4-game winning streak which further underlines their fantastic form at the moment. Everything points to the fact that we will watch a high-scoring match and I personally think this will be the case. That’s why I will recommend picking the over, as I see the most value in this bet.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 6 (-104)
Tony Battalio
The Washington Capitals have been relatively up and down this month. As losing and winning streaks have been the story for them in the month of November. However in their last contest they absolutely obliterated the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 6-1 on Sunday. That incredible performance was led by six different scorers for the Capitals and not a single one of them was Alexander Ovechkin which makes it all the more impressive. Now sitting at 9-2-4, the Washington Capitals will be looking to extend their four game winning streak against a team on a huge streak of their own.
The Anaheim Ducks are yet to lose a game in the month of November. Anaheim is currently on an impressive seven game winning streak that has brought them back from their slow start to open up the season. When the winning streak started the Ducks had a record of 2-4-3, now they head into this game with a record of 9-4-3 and are by far the hottest team in the National Hockey League at the moment. Those wins haven’t come against pushovers either as they have victories over teams like New Jersey and St. Louis.
As for the result of this game, it could very well be the most competitive and interesting game of the night. Both teams are arguably playing their best hockey at the moment so it’s a tough choice. But when the final buzzer sounds, I look for the Anaheim Ducks to extend their streak and pick up a huge win at home against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks (+116)
Michael Lantz
The Ducks continue to be one of the league’s breakout teams. At 9-4-3, Anaheim is playing great hockey on both sides of the puck; their biggest star has been Troy Terry—a fifth round pick back in 2015, who has skyrocketed to lead the team in scoring with 20 points. Along with Terry leading the scoring run, the Ducks have been thrilled to have captain Ryan Getzlaf be second in points with 17 (16 assists!) and blue liner Kevin Shattenkirk has 13 points and a +7 rating. On Tuesday, the Ducks will host another hot offense in the Washington Capitals.
The Caps offensive talent stems from future hall-of-famer Alexander Ovechkin who is currently third in scoring and forward Evgeny Kuznetsov who is tied with the aforementioned Terry at fourth. The Caps D has also been pretty solid, as they’ve only allowed nine goals in their past five games. Will they be able to withstand a streaking Ducks team that’s full of offensive prowess and is in the midst of winning seven straight games? It’s a hard choice, but the Ducks being hot and at home and still being +116 is just too hard to pass up.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks (+116)
Carolina Hurricanes @ Vegas Golden Knights – 10.00PM ET
The Carolina Hurricanes begin their six game road trip on Tuesday night when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hurricanes have not been able to string two wins back-to-back so far this month, as they have gone win-loss-win-loss-win in their first five games, and their season record currently stands at 11-2-0. The Golden Knights are looking for their fourth win in a row on Tuesday night, as they have had wins against the Kraken, Wild and Canucks.
Denis Kirilov
The Carolina Hurricanes will have another difficult challenge in the face of the Vegas Golden Knights. Alongside the Panthers, Carolina was the other team that started off the season with a big undefeated streak. Then, in their 10th game, the Florida Panthers defeated them by 3 goals and stopped their run. This put a start to some really exciting games for the Hurricanes, including matches with the Lightning, the Flyers, and the Blues. They managed to win 2 of these games, only losing to Philly at home. Svechnikov, Aho, DeAngelo, and Trocheck are still all available for Rod Brind’amour.
On the other hand, the Golden Knights are still struggling with injuries as their offense is what seems to be most damaged. William Karlsson and Max Pacioretty are recovering from a foot injury, while Nolan Patrick has to deal with an upper-body injury. On top of that, William Carrier and Alec Martinez are questionable for the match against Carolina, struggling with minor discomforts. Although the Golden Knights started reminding us what an amazing team they are with their 8-2 run recently, I think it will be tough to overcome the Hurricanes even in front of their fans in T-Mobile Arena. Hence, based mostly on the injury factor, I will go with Carolina.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-128)
Tony Battalio
Carolina starts a huge six game road trip in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, as they have put together a mixed bag of sorts in the month of November thus far. However, despite the somewhat slow start to the month, they are 11-2-0 overall and look like a true Stanley Cup contender early on in the year. Following this one Carolina makes stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Seattle before heading back to the East Coast. So every point gained over this six game road trip will be equally as important for them.
Jarvy’s reaction to his 2nd straight goal getting called off was priceless 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ZDekgx8kt1
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 15, 2021
As for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, they come into this game with a record of 9-6-0 and on a three game winning streak where they have outscored their opponents 14-8. They will be looking for a big win in this one at home to keep their momentum and winning streak alive. However I do not see that happening, as I expect the Carolina Hurricanes to get a big road win to start off this huge West Coast road trip on Tuesday night.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-128)
Michael Lantz
The Vegas Golden Knights have won three-in-a-row and five of their last six, despite battling injuries almost all season. Now, they finally have Mark Stone back and are awaiting Max Pacioretty, and the ambiguous timeline of Jack Eichel. Vegas is thriving as of late, and for all they’re concerned—this is just the beginning.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes come into “Sin City” on Tuesday night, hoping to bring a little storm to the desert. At one point undefeated, the Hurricanes were blanked 2-5 to the Florida Panthers on November 6th, but they followed that with a gritty win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a close loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and a satisfying home win against the St. Louis Blues. The Hurricanes are getting widespread production, but guys like Sebastian Aho have once again shown they can lead the offense, while the team also continues to get big plays from blue liner Tony DeAngelo. Still, Vegas is never one to not rise for a challenge; they’ll have a chance to show that against one of the league’s best in Carolina. I’m going to go with my upset pick here and pick Vegas to win a close one against the ‘Canes.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (+105)
If you’re in need of 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.
