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.
Florida Panthers @ New Jersey Devils – 7.00PM ET
The Florida Panthers continue their road trip when they take on the New Jersey Devils. The Panthers are coming off their first regular time loss of the season, which was at the hands of the Rangers, and they lost 3-4. The Devils are hoping the home ice advantage can help them get the job done on Tuesday night, and their season record currently stands at 5-3-2.
Denis Kirilov
The Florida Panthers have just lost a staggering game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. They were down 0-4 after two periods, but they somehow managed to score 3 unanswered goals in the 3rd period, which put severe pressure on the Rangers’ team. However, the match ended 3-4 and one of the best teams in the NHL suffered its second loss this campaign. Even with that loss, they are still leading not only the Eastern Conference, but the whole NHL with 21 points after 12 matches. They were the ones who put the end to Carolina’s winning streak, defeating them 5-2.
The Devils are struggling to get consecutive wins as this only happened in the very beginning of the season after victories over the Chicago Blackhawks and the Seattle Kraken. They defeated a COVID-torn San Jose Sharks team after penalties and they are ready to try their luck against the best team in the League at the moment in my opinion. I believe that the Panthers will be eager to get back to winning after the unpleasant loss to the Rangers. For me, the difference in the level of play is big enough to go all the way through with the Florida Panthers in this case. However, I will try to get even better odds by choosing their victory in regular time.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Moneyline (3 Way) – Florida Panthers (+110)
Tony Battalio
Florida comes into this game following a 3-4 loss to the New York Rangers. Do not let the score fool you this game was nowhere near as close as the final score showed. Florida has been playing like one of the National Hockey League’s best teams, but the aftermath of the Blackhawks scandal and losing their coach may be finally catching up to them. The loss drops the Florida Panthers record to 10-1-1 on the year, so there is no need to panic yet. They are still one of the favorites for the Stanley Cup early on.
🎥 Gudas, Reinhart, and Coach Brunette on fighting to the end and learning from tonight. #FLAvsNYR pic.twitter.com/ftAoE7urHc
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) November 9, 2021
As for the New Jersey Devils, they come into this game at 5-3-2 and they will be returning from a three game road trip by hosting the Florida Panthers, in what is the opener of a three game home stand. They will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing road trip and regain some momentum over this home stand as well. As for the result of this game, I look for Florida to regain their momentum and bounce back from their terrible loss to the Rangers. I look for the Florida Panthers to cover the 1.5 goal spread in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+172)
Michael Lantz
The Florida Panthers sent a message to the entire league on Saturday night, by beating up on an undefeated Carolina Hurricanes team 5-2. Although they weren’t able to stand high and mighty for long. On Monday night they lost their first regulation game to the New York Rangers 3-4, with New York at one point ahead by four goals. Losses are going to happen, and this good New York team was due after three straight losses including a 0-6 knockout by the Calgary Flames. Florida’s not going to avoid regulation losses—they’re going to happen eventually. They’ll need to ride on the momentum they had in the third period across the Hudson and over to the Prudential Center for a Tuesday night battle with the New Jersey Devils.
The New Jersey Devils are fresh coming off an early season rut. They went winless in four straight games, before getting a gritty shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. Now after a few day’s rest, they’ll take on a much tougher opponent in the 10-1-1 Panthers. Part of the reason for the Devils inconsistency is they’ve been without Jack Hughes, who last played in the team’s second game against Seattle. They’ve also been without all-star defensemen Dougie Hamilton. They’ll hope for other teammates to continue to step up, but against a powerhouse like Florida it might not matter.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-142)
Carolina Hurricanes @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7.00PM ET
The Carolina Hurricanes face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season, at the hands of the Panthers, last time out, and this brings their season record to 9-1-0. The Lightning are starting to gain some momentum, with their season record standing at 6-3-2, and in their previous game they won, 5-3, against the Senators.
Denis Kirilov
The fixture between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning will surely be the main event on Tuesday in the NHL. The hosts from Tampa are looking much better compared to what they used to be in the opening games for the season. Killorn, Stamkos, and Palat are meeting the expectations of their fans as they started scoring and giving assists in almost every recent match prior to this one.
In their last match, the Hurricanes suffered their first defeat for the campaign in a 2-5 loss to the Florida Panthers, which can have a slight negative impact on the whole team. Their momentum has been stopped and they will need to find a way to get going again. Comparing both teams, I would say that the better players are in Tampa, while Carolina prevails in terms of consistency and current form. However, keeping in mind the intensity of the games that the Hurricanes have played so far and the pressure they have been put under throughout that streak, I will give my preferences to the Lightning.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-150)
Tony Battalio
One of the last undefeated teams in the National Hockey League is no more, following Carolina’s loss to the Florida Panthers by a score of 2-5 on Saturday night in Florida. Despite the loss, Carolina still has a record of 9-1-0 and have got their season off to an amazing start. They now enter the finale of their 3 game roadtrip against the two time defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina will be looking to end the trip on a high note before a couple of home games and then another long road trip to the West Coast.
The previously mentioned Tampa Bay Lightning have finally started to recover from their slow start to the year and now hold a record of 6-3-2, after a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators the other night. This is the opener of a three game homestand for Tampa Bay so they will be looking to take advantage of the familiar environment following a handful of games in Canada and the northern United States.
As for the result, I look for the Carolina Hurricanes to immediately bounce back from their loss in their last game and resume their winning ways. While both teams are playing good hockey at the moment, Carolina still looks like the better team between the two. I still look for this to be a very competitive game and I do not think Carolina will cover the spread, so the moneyline is the more valuable bet in this one.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (+125)
Michael Lantz
The Carolina Hurricanes 2-5 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday night seemed like it was coming. The previously undefeated ‘Canes had back-to-back close calls against bad teams (they won by one goal against Arizona and Chicago who at the time had a combined one win). Carolina has now had a few days to recompose themselves and get ready for another tough matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning seem to be getting back in that championship rhythm, as they’ve now won four of their last five. They’ll need to keep that storm brewing as they have a tough run of games coming up, with the Hurricanes, Panthers, Islanders, and Flyers being their next four. They’ll want to start strong at home against a very tough Hurricanes team and their early Vezina candidate, Frederik Andersen. They have a Vezina winner in their corner with Andrei Vasilevskiy, so this one should be a goalie’s delight. The total score is set at -5.5, which is low, but with these two in front of the net, I’ll pick the under here.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-106)
Edmonton Oilers @ Detroit Red Wings – 7.30PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers start their five game road trip in Detroit, when they take on the Red Wings. The Oilers are on a roll and have won four games in a row, which takes their season record to 9-1-0. The Red Wings are on a two game winning streak, after beating the Sabres and Golden Knights, which takes their season record out to 6-5-2.
Denis Kirilov
The leader in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers, begins its 5-game road trip in Detroit against the Red Wings who proved they can surprise everyone with a great display of skill. The Edmonton Oilers are looking to get their 5th straight win, as they most recently defeated the Predators and the Rangers at home. They are looking like a different team this year, definitely more experienced and more consistent so far. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the scoring leaders in the NHL this year with 22 points and 23 points respectively.
The Red Wings will be looking to cause an upset against the Oilers as they will rely mostly on Lucas Raymond and Tyler Bertuzzi, who will be patiently waiting for an opportunity to break Edmonton’s defense and score. However, the whole roster of the Red Wings doesn’t suggest that they can withstand the exponential increase of the tightness in the schedule and it’s expected to see a decline in their performance. They are sitting in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, with two straight wins to their name. I think it will be risky to go with the Oilers as some of the better teams are beginning to have trouble with closing out games, instead I will choose “over 6.5 goals”, relying much on both Edmonton and Detroit’s offenses.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (+102)
Tony Battalio
The Edmonton Oilers are taking their four game winning streak and potential Most Valuable Player, Connor McDavid on a five game road trip that starts in the “Motor City” on Tuesday night. Coming into this game with a 9-1-0 record and looking like an early season Stanley Cup favorite, Edmonton will look to continue playing the way they have all year so far. So far on this winning streak, Edmonton has outscored their opponents by a score of 18-10 with three of the four wins coming in regulation.
LUCAS!
RAYMOND!With 2G and 3A for 5 PTS in 3 games, the rookie picks up this week’s @xfinity POTW honors! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/EGlAFiSRKm
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 8, 2021
Meanwhile the Detroit Red Wings come into this game with a small winning streak of their own, having won their last two contests after snapping what was a four game losing streak. This game will be the second of a four game homestand against some very difficult competition, so every point will be important. The Red Wings are currently 6-5-2 on the year and have started to turn things around after a losing streak that killed most of their early season success.
As for the result, I think Edmonton is just too talented of a team for Detroit to go out and beat with certainty right now. Despite Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin’s play, they will have a hard time containing Connor McDavid in this one, which is why I am taking the Edmonton Oilers moneyline in this contest.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-215)
Michael Lantz
After going winless in four straight, the Detroit Red Wings are flying high again, thanks to consecutive wins over the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights. The 26-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi is blossoming into a star, as is 19-year-old Lucas Raymond, and the two lead the Red Wings in points with 15 and 14 respectively. Right behind those two in scoring is 20-year-old defender Mortiz Seider with 10, and the team Captain Dylan Larkin who is only at 8 points, but has also only played in nine games. At 6-5-2, the Red Wings are a team to watch now and hopefully for the future.
As good as this Detroit offense has been, they’ll face a masterclass on Tuesday night as they host the Edmonton Oilers. To almost no one’s surprise, the Oilers have the number one and two leading scorers in hockey as Leon Draisaitl has 23 and Conor McDavid has 22, with McDavid also leading the league with 14 assists. Edmonton has scored five or more goals in three straight games and are second in the league in total goals on the year. But Detroit isn’t too far behind, sitting at six. With such firepower on both squads it’s really hard for me to go against the over here especially when it currently sits at decent odds.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (+102)
St. Louis Blues @ Winnipeg Jets – 8.00PM ET
The St. Louis Blues end their road trip in Winnipeg, when they take on the Jets. The Blues are having a great season so far, with their record currently standing at 7-2-1, but in their previous game they lost to the Ducks, 1-4. The Jets are also coming off a loss last time out, and their season record is currently standing at 6-3-2.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues will face a strong Winnipeg Jets team that has big ambitions this year. The difference between these teams is a single point in favor of the Blues and they will try to keep being ahead for the rest of the regular season. St. Louis has been struggling with injuries from the very beginning of this campaign and now their forward, Brayden Schenn, is the next player expected to miss a game due to an upper-body injury. If this number of sidelined players continues growing, then the Blues will have another puzzle to solve for the future. However, as of this moment they are kind of stable and should be able to overcome their injuries.
On the other hand, the Winnipeg Jets started off the 2021/22 NHL campaign miserably with three straight losses to the Ducks, the Sharks, and the Minnesota Wild. They went on to win the 6 out of their 8 next games which brought back their confidence and gave them enough strength to continue hustling through the regular season. Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp, and Nate Schmidt are the main players responsible for this recent success.
However, when it comes to matches against top-tier teams, they have troubles and frequently find themselves as the losing side. With the increasing number of the problems in the St. Louis Blues, I am not reluctant to support them in this game. Quite the opposite – I think that the Jets are favorites, but I will still choose another way to go with this match and pick the tie as a final result.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Tie (+310)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues end their four game road trip with a visit north of the border to Winnipeg as both teams are coming out losses that were nowhere near competitive. St. Louis fell to the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 1-4 to continue their woeful trip and bring their record on the trip to 1-1-1. Meanwhile the Winnipeg Jets lost to the New York Islanders by a score of 0-2 on their home ice.
They are currently in the middle of a seven game homestand where they currently sit 2-1 through three of the seven contests. They will be looking to grab 2 points and an all important win with games against San Jose, Los Angeles and Edmonton coming up. This game will also be important for the early season hold on the Central Division as St. Louis currently holds a one point lead over the third place Jets, as both teams trail Minnesota by a few points.
As for the result of this game, St, Louis is playing better hockey at the moment despite the recent loss. Both of these teams are sporting good records with St. Louis coming into this one at 7-2-1 and Winnipeg coming into this game at 6-3-2. I do not look for the St. Louis Blues to cover the spread in this game, so the moneyline is the safer bet in my opinion.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (+100)
Michael Lantz
After back-to-back games where scoring goals seemed to come easy, the Winnipeg Jets were stifled on Saturday night against the New York Islanders. In games against the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks, the Jets combined for nine goals. But, with their sights on a third straight, they were shut out by the Islanders 0-2. They look to bounce back as they face a St. Louis Blues team, who despite sitting at 7-2-1, still seem a bit unpredictable.
It’s been hard to be too convinced by the Blues wins. Sure they’ve beaten the Avalanche and Golden Knights, but both those opposing teams were without their star players in the matchups. In recent games, the Blues barely got past the Chicago Blackhawks and lost to both the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. While both are fine teams with good offenses, neither are continued cup contenders. While the Jets may not be either, they definitely had higher postseason probabilities than the former two teams. The Jets will prove difficult for the Blues, especially after a game where they came up with no goals. They’ll look to bounce back at home and I believe they will in a tight one.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Winnipeg Jets (-120)
San Jose Sharks @ Calgary Flames – 9.00PM ET
It’s the beginning of a five game road trip for the San Jose Sharks when they take on the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. The Sharks will be looking to put an end to a two game losing streak, which has taken their season record out to 6-4-1. The Flames put on a dominant performance last time out, winning against the Rangers 6-0, and this brings their season record to 7-1-3.
Denis Kirilov
The San Jose Sharks are expected to be up against the wall most of the time in their match against the Calgary Flames. The team will be without 10 players, most of whom were placed in NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, and this will be the first big test for the shorthanded San Jose Sharks. The Sharks already lost twice using many players with experience mainly in the AHL. On the other hand, the Calgary Flames are looking really good at the moment as they are 2nd in the Western Conference, only behind the Edmonton Oilers. They have one of the best goals difference statistics from the start of the season, having scored 40 goals and conceding just 22.
Lindholm and Gaudreau have contributed to 28 of the goals in favor of Calgary and they will be looking to increase their numbers against an unhealthy San Jose Sharks team. I think that we will witness a dominant performance from Calgary, who will most likely close out the game early in the match. That’s why I will confidently go with their spread of 1.5.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (+122)
Tony Battalio
The San Jose Sharks set out on a five game road trip that includes a couple stops north of the border in Canada and the Midwestern United States. They head into the trip with a record of 6-4-1 and will be looking to break a two game losing streak in the process. With tough games coming up against some competitive teams, they will need to gain every point they can to stay afloat in the early season Pacific Division race.
“It’s pretty cool to be around a guy like him in a city like Calgary.”
Ahead of Lanny McDonald Bobblehead Night, Milan Lucic spoke about his legacy with the #Flames.
Nab your tickets to tomorrow’s game for a chance to get one: https://t.co/v8KYPnCdso pic.twitter.com/LITryB9tk3
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) November 9, 2021
The Calgary Flames come into this game following a dominating performance in a 6-0 win against the New York Rangers and will be looking to continue that dominance into the finale of a five game homestand where they have struggled, going 2-0-2 thus far, with two devastating overtime losses to Nashville and Dallas. As for the result, I think Calgary will build on their 6-0 victory and San Jose will continue their skid. I expect this to be a game where the Calgary Flames control the flow and dominate from start to finish. So, I think the most logical and profitable bet in this game is the spread of 1.5.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (+122)
Michael Lantz
Sure, the San Jose Sharks have been inconsistent, but they’ve been good enough to string together a 6-4-2 record which is better than where many would’ve had them though 12 games. Especially when they’ve had a number of great players hurt or suspended by the league. Logan Couture and Timo Meier continue to produce up front and James Reimer has been magnificent in front of the net. Reimer leads the league in goals against average with 1.60 and is second in save percentage at .946, making him an instant Vezina candidate. He’ll have a chance to better his stats as he faces a tough Calgary Flames offense on Tuesday night.
Between October 21st and October 30th the Flames were…well…hot. They won six in a row and outscored opponents 25-7, proving they were more than just the great offense many have recognized them for. After back-to-back overtime losses, the Flames from those nine days struck again as they beat a good Rangers team, 6-0. Forward Elias Lindholm has 14 points on the year and is the league leader in +/- with 12. Co-leading with him in the latter category is defenseman Rasmussen Andersson (also at 12). While I mentioned how dominant Reimer has been, the Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom is right behind him, sitting second in GAA with 1.65 and third in save percentage with a .942. It’s another big goalie showdown, but with Calgary’s firepower, it might be a longer night for Reimer.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Calgary Flames -1.5 (+122)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
