We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move past the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. Despite this, every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
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Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the five games on today’s schedule.
Winnipeg Jets @ Dallas Stars – 7.30PM ET
One of four games slated on Wednesday for 7.30pm will see the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars, both from the Central Division, face off against each other. The Jets will be looking to turn around the current two game losing streak they are on, after suffering back-to-back losses to the Oilers and Flames. The Stars have won four of their last six games, and last time out they went down, 1-3, to the Coyotes.
Marko Nadin
The Dallas Stars are 10th in the Western Conference with a 27-20-2 record. The Stars have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 1-3 loss to the worst team in the conference, the Arizona Coyotes. The Stars have won 6 of the last 7 games against a team with a losing record. They have won 16 of their last 21 games at home. Dallas has won 6 of the last 10 games against Winnipeg and no team has won back-to-back games in the last six. Both games between these two teams this season finished tied at the end of regulation. Dallas won the last one in overtime and Winnipeg the previous after a shootout.
The Winnipeg Jets are 12th in the Western Conference with a 22-20-8 record. They are 7 points behind the Los Angeles Kings who are at the last spot that leads to the postseason. Winnipeg has lost 3 of the last 5 games, most recently 1-3 against Calgary. Winnipeg has lost 7 of the last 9 games on the road and 11 of the last 16 overall. They have played under the total goals margin in 5 of the last 7 road games. The last five games between these two teams have finished under the total point margin.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (-150)
Tony Battalio
The Winnipeg Jets have had a rough year, as they come into this one with a losing record. Their record on the season currently stands at 22-20-8 as they are 6 games below the .500 mark through their first 50 games of the season. Winnipeg is sitting in sixth place in the Central Division at the moment as they prepare to take on the team in front of them in the standings. Winnipeg will be looking to break their two game losing streak after dropping games to Edmonton and Calgary. This is the second game of their four game road trip to end the month of February.
https://t.co/M3qdRTJ6Rd pic.twitter.com/Nxmsd77XWg
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 22, 2022
The Dallas Stars are sitting in fifth place in the Central Division at the moment. They will look to put some more distance between them and Winnipeg with a victory in this game. Dallas comes into this one with a record of 27-20-2 on the season as they are still in the position to get themselves into the playoffs if they improve their level of play as the second half of the season progresses. As they are only eight points out of third place in the Central Division, and they are currently three points off the second wildcard spot. As for the result of this game, I have Dallas getting the victory in this one over Winnipeg at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (-150)
Jeffery Thomas
Winnipeg comes into this game with a record of 22-20-8 on the season which is good for 6th place in the Central Division. That’s a disappointment because of the expectations that were set on this team due to their incredible roster on paper, and they are a longshot to sneak into the playoffs this year. A big reason for the down year is the performance of their offense, which is ranked 20th in the league (2.88 goals a game). In their last two games, losses to Calgary and Edmonton, they’ve only scored three goals combined on 47 shots. Dallas hasn’t been any better offensively as of late, only scoring one goal in their past two games. One was a shutout win over the Blackhawks, followed up by an embarrassing 1-3 loss to the Coyotes. Their offense is 21st in the league at 2.86 goals a game.
These two are very evenly matched, separated only by one spot in goals a game average and their place in the standings, so we should get a closely contested matchup. It was a 4-3 overtime win for Dallas just a couple weeks ago over the Jets and with this one being a home game for the Stars I expect them to sneak away with another win in this Wednesday matchup. They are 17-7-1 on home ice this season and while I also think the under is a good bet, I think taking the Stars to win is an even better bet.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (-150)
Colorado Avalanche @ Detroit Red Wings – 7.30PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche wrap up their four game road trip on Wednesday night when they face off against the Detroit Red Wings. The Avalanche have gone 2-1-0 so far in this trip, after suffering a defeat last time out to the Bruins, 1-5. The Red Wings have won three of their last four games, and this takes their season record to 23-22-6.
Marko Nadin
The Detroit Red Wings are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 23-22-6 record. They will host the Colorado Avalanche after a six-day break since their last game that they won 3-2 against the New York Rangers in the shootout. The Red Wings are among the 7 worst teams in the league with 3.4 allowed goals per game on 32.7 shots per game. Detroit has lost 8 of their last 10 games following a win. They have also lost 7 of their last 8 home games as underdogs.
The Colorado Avalanche are on top of the Western Conference with a 36-10-4 record. Colorado has lost 2 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 1-5 loss against the Boston Bruins which was their second-biggest loss of the season. Colorado scores 3.9 goals per game which puts them second-best in the league. Colorado has won 7 of the last 8 games on the road and 7 of the last 8 games as favorites. They have played under the total goals margin in 7 of the last 9 games against teams with losing records.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-255)
Tony Battalio
The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in the National Hockey League this season. They started the year slow but as the season has progressed they have gotten better and better, and they seem to be heading towards a peak at the right time, which is when the Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin. Colorado comes into this matchup with a record of 36-10-4 through their first 50 games of the season. With 32 games left in the season they have built up a double digit lead in the Central Division and look to be running away with it. If they continue their current level of play they may have the division wrapped up by game number 65.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 22, 2022
The Detroit Red Wings have been pretty below average through the first half of this season. They come into this game below the .500 mark with a record of 23-22-6 through their first 51 games of the season. They are currently sitting outside of the playoff picture as they are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division at the moment. Unless a miracle turn around occurs for the Red Wings, it is fair to say that within the next few weeks they will be officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Detroit will be looking to extend their winning streak to two games after knocking off the New York Rangers in their last contest. However, as for the result of this game, I can’t see that happening as I have the Colorado Avalanche getting the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-255)
Jeffery Thomas
The Red Wings have had nearly a week off at home to rest and will now enter the final 31 games of their season trailing Boston for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This is a tough test to start their 3-game homestand, against the top team in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche. In fact, 5 of their next 7 opponents are in the top seven of the overall league standings. Last Thursday was Detroit’s last outing and it was a 3-2 shootout victory over Rangers, giving them wins in three of their last four. The Avs have only lost four games in 2022 and one of those was their 1-5 loss to Boston in their last game on Monday.
They gave up three goals in the second period and will now be looking to avoid losing back to back games for the first time since early November. These two teams have already met once this season, with Colorado coming out on top 7-3 at home on December 10. They are much better than Detroit in all aspects and we should see a similar result on Wednesday. Their offense will be too much and they’ll just flat out control this game, and there’s not much the Wings will be able to do about it. Give me the Avs in a rout.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (-104)
Edmonton Oilers @ Tampa Bay Lightning – 7.30PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers kick off a tough five game road trip on Wednesday night, and their first stop is Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning. The Oilers had their five game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Wild, 3-7. The Lightning have won three of their last four, including their last two in a row, over the Coyotes and Devils.
Marko Nadin
The Tampa Bay Lightning are third in the Eastern Conference with a 32-11-6 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 6-3 win over New Jersey. After 3 consecutive road games the Lightning are coming back home where they are 16-4-4. The defending champions are 8th in the league with 3.4 goals per game on just 30.3 shots per game which ranked them 19th in the league. The Lightning have won 10 of the last 13 games against Western Conference opponents. Tampa Bay has won the last four games against Edmonton.
The Edmonton Oilers are 7th in the Western Conference with a 28-19-3 record. They were on a five-game winning streak before losing 3-7 to the Minnesota Wild in their last game. The Oilers are among the top 9 teams in the league with 3.8 goals, 33.8 shots per game and 26.4 PP%. The Oilers have won the last four games on the road but have lost 6 of the last 7 games against Atlantic Division teams and 2 of the last 7 as underdogs.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-210)
Tony Battalio
The Edmonton Oilers have been worse than most people predicted them to be this season. However, as of late, they have started to get hot and make their way back into the Stanley Cup picture with the addition of Evander Kane. With three of the most talented players in the National Hockey League, Edmonton is a scary team to come up against in a potential seven game series. Edmonton comes into this game with a record of 28-19-3 through their first 50 games of the season. They are currently in third place in the Pacific Division as they get ready to play the two time defending Stanley Cup champions.
22.2.22#Twosday | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/9stjUtck9f
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 22, 2022
The Tampa Bay Lightning have their sights set on a three peat. They come into this game currently in second place in the Atlantic Division. Their record on the season is an impressive 32-11-6 through their first 49 games of the year. Tampa Bay looked sluggish at the beginning of the season, much like their opponents in this one, they have also picked up their level of play as the season has gone on. This one is sure to be the best game of the evening and a potential Stanley Cup Finals preview. As for the outcome of this one, I have the Lightning coming out on top at home over Edmonton, but I think it will be a one goal game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-210)
Jeffery Thomas
The Oilers finally lost their first game in six bouts under new head coach Jay Woodcroft and now will head east to start a five-game road swing. In their first five games under the new coach they were outscoring opponents 22-8, winning every game in regulation. However, they ran into a buzzsaw on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild who scored four goals in the first 13:38, chasing starting goalie Mike Smith en route to a 3-7 victory. Their top scorers, McDavid and Draisaitl, were both held in check, with only Draisaitl registering a secondary assist in the first period. The Lightning come in winners of two straight and nine of their last twelve (9-2-1) after their 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils in their last game way back on February 15. The defending champs are sitting comfortably at second in the Atlantic Division and tied for fourth in the league overall in the standings coming into Tuesday.
The main question in this matchup is after a week off will the Lightning come back rusty or rested? Looking back to when they had a week off from Christmas, they struggled in their first four games: barely beating Montreal 5-4, losing 3-9 to Florida and then losing a home-and-home to the Rangers. The Oilers are a desperate team that responded well to a new coach, but in their last game showed vulnerability against teams with lots of firepower. That’s exactly what they’ll see in this one against Tampa Bay and I see the Lightning having no issue burying the puck in the net multiple times. That’s why I like the over in this game, as Edmonton will also do their part in contributing to the total.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (-114)
Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens – 7.30PM ET
On Wednesday night in the NHL, we will see two teams from the Atlantic Division clash, when the Buffalo Sabres travel to Montreal and take on the Canadiens. The Sabres have lost their last three games in a row, which takes their season record to 16-27-8. The Canadiens are, surprisingly, on a three game winning streak after defeating the likes of the Blues, Islanders and Maple Leafs.
Marko Nadin
The Montreal Canadiens are the biggest disappointment this season in the NHL as they have fallen from runner-ups last season to the last team in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are currently at 11-33-7 record and are 10 points behind the New Jersey Devils who are 15th in the conference. Montreal is coming off their biggest win this season as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 after leading 5-0 after 2 periods. For the first time this season, they have won in consecutive games as they have won the last three.
The Buffalo Sabres are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-27-8 record and have lost the last three games. They are coming off a 3-7 defeat in their last one against Columbus. Buffalo has won the last three games against Montreal scoring at least 4 goals in each of those games. Still, they are traveling to Montreal as underdogs and have lost 78 of the last 105 games in that situation. Buffalo has lost 5 of the last 7 games coming in after a two-day rest. They have played over the total goals margin in the last 4 games coming as underdogs.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 6.5 (+100)
Tony Battalio
The Buffalo Sabres shocked everyone when they came out of the gates hot at the start of this 2021-22 season. However, after a couple short weeks of stellar play they quickly descended back down the standings and took their expected place towards the bottom of the National Hockey League. Buffalo now comes into this game with a record of 16-27-8 and sit near dead last in the Eastern Conference with only two teams under them. After trading Jack Eichel, it seems as if Buffalo will be starting from square one next season in terms of their rebuild.
#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/udBDfRFglC
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 22, 2022
The Montreal Canadiens come into this game with a record of 11-33-7 through their first 51 games of the season. They are one of the few teams in the league that sit below the Buffalo Sabres in the bottom of the standings. Montreal is in dead last in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference standings and have already been virtually eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs at this point. After a shocking Stanley Cup Finals appearance last season, a long rebuild looks to be on the cards for them in the next few years. As for the result of this game, I have the Buffalo Sabres getting the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Buffalo Sabres (-104)
Jeffery Thomas
The Canadiens have been enjoying hockey lately and it’s finally translating into wins for the club. Interim head coach Martin St. Louis has them on a roll and they’ll try for a fourth straight victory when they host the Sabres in this Wednesday matchup. Their last game was a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs and they’ve outscored their opponents 11-6 in this 3 game winning streak. The Sabres are on a streak of their own, but of the losing variety. Their losing streak was extended out to three games after their loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Stringing wins together has been a struggle for the Sabres all season, having only won 3 straight once this season (3-0-0 start to the season). Buffalo has won all three matchups against Montreal this season, outscoring them 14-5 but this Canadiens team is playing some very inspired hockey. However, it’s always going to be very hard backing this Montreal team as constructed due to their lack of talent and just how badly they’ve been dominated in this matchup all season. I’ll take Buffalo to complete the season sweep, but it won’t be as easy as the other victories.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Buffalo Sabres (-104)
Los Angeles Kings @ Arizona Coyotes – 10.00PM ET
The final game on Wednesday night’s slate will see the Los Angeles Kings travel to Arizona and go toe-to-toe with the Coyotes. The Kings have won four of their last five games, which includes a victory against the Coyotes last time out, 5-3. The Coyotes snapped their two game losing streak last time out, with a win over the Stars, 3-1.
Marko Nadin
The Arizona Coyotes are at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 13-33-4 record but despite that, they have defeated some of the best teams this season. The Coyotes have lost 4 of the last 6 games but are coming off a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Arizona is the second-worst team in the league with 2.3 goals per game and the worst with 25.9 shots on goal per game. Arizona has lost 6 of the last 7 games coming in after two-day break. They have lost 21 of the last 27 games as home underdogs.
The Los Angeles Kings are 8th in the Western Conference and under huge pressure to hold onto the last spot that leads to the playoff. They won the last two games and are currently at a 26-17-7 record. The Kings are the best teams in the league when it comes to allowed shots per game with only 28.6. They have won 3 of the last 4 games against Arizona and will definitely add another one to the winning column when they visit the Coyotes on Wednesday. The Kings have won the last 4 road games and 7 of the last 8 against teams with losing records.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-210)
Tony Battalio
The pressure is on for the Los Angeles Kings at this point in the season. They currently sit outside of the playoff picture and far removed from the Stanley Cup conversation as the second half of the season is getting underway. Los Angeles comes into this game with a record of 26-17-7 as they are floating just above the .500 mark through their first 50 games of the season. They will need to improve their level of play if they want to make their way into the playoffs. But with only 32 games left, they have less and less slack to give as time goes on.
Back to the desert 🌵@Delta | #KingsOfTheSky pic.twitter.com/csneaI8tYv
— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 23, 2022
It has been very clear all season long that the Arizona Coyotes have been the most dysfunctional team in the entire National Hockey League. From their play on the ice to their arena and money issues off of the ice, it has been nothing short of a circus for Arizona this season. It was clear from the start of November that this team wouldn’t be going anywhere this year and their record at this point in the season proves it. As the Coyotes come into this game with a record of 13-33-4 through their first 50 games of the season. As for the result of this game, I have the Coyotes losing yet another game as I have the Los Angeles Kings picking up the victory on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-210)
Jeffery Thomas
Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe made his first All-Star appearance earlier this month and he’s continuing to show why he’s one of the league’s best, scoring two goals in each of the past two games. In the King’s last game, which was also against the Coyotes, Kempe had two goals and an assist, giving him 23 goals on the season. Prior to this year his career high in goals was 16 back in 2017-18, his first full season in the NHL. Los Angeles has been playing very good hockey since late December, which has put them squarely in the Western Conference playoff picture and they will look to continue that good form on Wednesday. Arizona hosted the Stars on Sunday and won 3-1, which was their third win in five, and put them in a position to win back to back games for just the second time this season.
The other time came last month from the 17th-19th when they beat the Canadiens and Devils. Despite them being very competitive lately, they are still last in the Central by a wide margin with a 13-33-4 record. This is another spot where we can safely fade the Coyotes. The Kings just beat them comfortably on Saturday, giving them wins in each of their last eight road games. Los Angeles isn’t great offensively but as of late they’ve been able to put things together, scoring 3 or more goals in six of their last seven games. The Yotes are one of the worst offenses in the league and I see them struggling again against a strong Kings defense. I’ll take the Kings to walk away victorious.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-210)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
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