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 four games on today’s schedule.
New Jersey Devils @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.00PM ET
The New Jersey Devils will hit the road on Wednesday when they travel to Toronto to face off against the Maple Leafs. The Devils are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they beat the Rangers, 7-4. The Maple Leafs have lost three of their last five games, and last time out they went down to the Predators, 3-6.
Marko Nadin
The New Jersey Devils are 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 23-35-5 record. They are coming off a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers which got their four-game losing streak snapped. The Devils allow 3.6 goals per game which ranks them 29th in the league and are 16th in the league with 3 goals per game. The Devils have lost 17 of the last 22 games without a day off and 9 of the last 11 games against Eastern Conference rivals. The Devils have played 12 of the last 16 games over the total goals margin and in 8 of the last 12 games against teams with a winning record.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 39-18-5 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 3-6 loss to the Nashville Predators. Toronto has won the last 7 and 8 of the last 10 games against New Jersey. Toronto is the best team in the league in power play conversion with 28.8%. They score 3.7 goals per game which ranks them third in the league. The Maple Leafs have won 8 of the last 9 games against division rivals and 20 of the last 27 home games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-330)
Tony Battalio
The Toronto Maple Leafs come into this game with a record of 39-18-5 through their first 62 games of the season. They have been consistently good throughout the entire season and haven’t been hot and cold like some teams have been. They are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division at the moment as they trail the leaders, the Florida Panthers by seven points with 20 games left in the regular season. The Maple Leafs are currently on a one game losing streak however, after dropping their last game to the Nashville Predators.
A five-goal second period and two goals by Jack Hughes in the third, helped the boys to a 7-4 victory over the Rangers.@CatherineBogart reports. pic.twitter.com/5IEsmyxO6C
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 23, 2022
The New Jersey Devils will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one. On Tuesday night they faced their rivals the New York Rangers. It has been a miserable season for the Devils as they are towards the bottom of the league in the standings and all but officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Devils come into this game with a record of 23-35-5 after beating the Rangers on Tuesday. As for the result of this game however, I have the Maple Leafs getting the win
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-330)
Jeffery Thomas
The New Jersey Devils play their second game in as many days after taking down the New York Rangers at home on Tuesday night by a score of 7-4. It was the Devils first win in four games after three straight 6-3 defeats in Canada to the Canucks, Flames, and Oilers. Now New Jersey will travel back to Canada for a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs in hopes of getting their first win north of the border since a February 8 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs are in hopes of a win as well, after losing their last game out to the Nashville Predators 3-6 on Saturday.
It was Auston Matthews’ return from a two-game suspension and he scored his league-leading 46th goal on the year in the 3rd period. Matthews now has 11 points (9 goals, 2 assists) in his last six games and will look to stay hot against a Devils team that he scored 2 points on in last month’s meeting. I like the over a lot in this game. The Devils have not been able to keep the puck out of their net, with each of their last four games having at least 9 goals being scored. The Maple Leafs have too much firepower in this matchup and will get whatever they want offensively, so a play on their team total is also a good look but I like the full game over better as the Devils should do their fair share of scoring as well.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7 (-110)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres – 7.30PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins kick off a short two game road trip on Wednesday night when they face off against the Buffalo Sabres. The Penguins are playing two nights in a row, and in their last game against the Blue Jackets they won, 5-1. The Sabres have won four of their last five games, and this takes their overall record on the season to 22-33-8.
Marko Nadin
The Buffalo Sabres were one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference but with recent form they have jumped to 12th place in the conference standings. The Sabres have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off back-to-back overtime wins over Calgary and Vancouver. The Sabres are in the bottom seven teams in both scored and allowed goals per game. They have won 4 of the last 5 games coming in after two days of rest but have lost 37 of the last 54 home games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are third in the Eastern Conference with a 39-16-9 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins have won 8 of the last 10 games against Buffalo. They are ranked second in the league in defending power play situations with 86.5%. They are also fourth in the league allowing 2.4 goals per game. The Penguins have won 20 of the last 27 road games and 18 of the last 28 games against conference rivals.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-225)
Tony Battalio
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be playing the second game of back to back games on Wednesday evening. On Tuesday night Pittsburgh faced off with the Columbus Blue Jackets, in what felt like a huge game for both teams. The Penguins stomped the Blue Jackets by a score of 5-1 to improve to 39-16-9 through their first 64 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They are only three points behind the Carolina Hurricanes with 18 games left in the regular season.
Craig Anderson is expected to get the start tomorrow night. His first game at @KeyBankCtr since win number 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣.#LetsGoBuffalo | @1LECOM pic.twitter.com/jRyBgDVqxd
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 22, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League over the last several years. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better, anytime soon as they traded their once thought to be franchise cornerstone, Jack Eichel, away earlier this season. Now it seems as if they will be starting back at square one with this year’s upcoming draft. They come into this game with a record of 22-33-8 through their first 63 games of the season. As for the result of this game, I have the Penguins getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-225)
Jeffery Thomas
The Pittsburgh Penguins got a nice 5-1 victory over the division rival Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night at home and will now take on the Sabres on the back-to-back. The CBJ led 0-1 after the first period before the Pens blitzed them in the second period to the tune of 4 unanswered goals. A fifth goal was added on the power play in the third period for good measure and gave Pittsburgh their 86th and 87th points on the campaign. The Buffalo Sabres only have 52 points this season but are coming off two straight wins over the Flames and Canucks north of the border.
Both wins were low-scoring affairs (1-0 and 3-2) so a similar defensive effort will be needed to slow down this high-octane Penguins offense. The Sabres are blossoming a little too late in the year but it could serve as positive momentum going into the next year so that’s commendable. Still though, Pittsburgh is the much better team and has so much more to be playing for right now that I can’t see them fumbling an opportunity for two points against this Sabres team. Give me the Penguins in regulation to take care of business on the road.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Pittsburgh Penguins (-135)
Vancouver Canucks @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.30PM ET
The Vancouver Canucks kick off a four game road trip tonight when they travel to Colorado to go up against the Avalanche. The Canucks will be looking to get back on track after dropping five of their last six games, with their only win in this span coming against the Devils, 6-3. The Avalanche are on a four game winning streak, which includes wins over the Flames, Kings, Sharks and Oilers.
Marko Nadin
The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in the league with a 45-13-5 record. The Avalanche have won the last 4 games, most recently 3-2 in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers. Colorado is ranked second in the league with 3.8 goals per game and seventh with 2.8 goals allowed per game. The Avalanche have won 4 of the last 5 games against Vancouver. Colorado has won 45 of the last 53 games as favorites and 51 of the last 62 games against teams with a losing record.
The Vancouver Canucks are currently 11th in the Western Conference with a 30-26-8 record. They have lost the last 3, 5 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 2-3 overtime loss against Buffalo. Vancouver has won 4 of the last 5 road games and 5 of the last 7 games when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game. Vancouver has played over the total goal margin in the last 5 games as a road underdog and in the last 7 games against teams from the Western Conference.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-275)
Tony Battalio
The Vancouver Canucks are fighting with every last breath they have to get themselves into a playoff spot this season. They come into this game with a record of 30-26-8 through their first 64 games of the season. With only 18 games left in the regular season for the Canucks, they find themselves only seven points back from third place in the Pacific Division and only four points back from the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. If they can get hot down the stretch they could easily get their way into the playoffs this season. Which would be a massive turn around from last year’s horrible performance.
Thumbs up to everyone coming to the game tomorrow.
Make that you: https://t.co/q8Y4WZjXML
👍 x #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/9fQH6d8nxq
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 23, 2022
The Colorado Avalanche have been the best team in the National Hockey League over the last 2 months of the season. They are completely running away with the Central Division and the Western Conference as well. They currently have a double-digit lead built up over the St. Louis Blues and could clinch the division as early as April 7th if they keep playing the way they have in the second half of the season. Colorado comes into this game with a record of 45-13-5 through their first 63 games. As for the result of this game, I have the Avalanche getting the victory at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-275)
Jeffery Thomas
The Vancouver Canucks are in a rough spot heading into this tough test on the road against the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks are losers of five of their last six following a 2-3 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, and 4 points back of the second wild card spot. All those points they are letting slip away will likely prove costly down the stretch if they miss the postseason and they’d love nothing more than stealing two here on Wednesday against the Avs.
It’s a lot easier said than done, as the Avalanche are rolling, winning four straight after a home win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. It was a 3-2 victory where Nathan MacKinnon scored 52 seconds into the overtime to give them their 45th win on the year. Colorado’s 95 points is tops in the entire league, 5 ahead of Florida who is the closest. The Canucks are in a slump at the worst time of the year and it won’t get any better on Wednesday. The Colorado Avalanche have a home record of 25-3-3 on the year and it’s hard to see the Canucks being the team that adds to that narrow loss tally.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-275)
Chicago Blackhawks @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM ET
The fourth and final game tonight in the NHL will see the Chicago Blackhawks face off against the Anaheim Ducks. The Blackhawks are currently on a three game losing streak, after suffering defeats against the Bruins, Wild and Jets. The Ducks are on a seven game losing streak, and this takes their season record to 27-27-11.
Marko Nadin
The Anaheim Ducks are 12th in the Western Conference with a 27-27-11 record. They have lost the last 7 games with their last win being more than two weeks ago. The Ducks are coming off a 3-6 loss to the Nashville Predators. The Ducks have won 13 of the last 18 games as favorites but have lost 5 of the last 7 home games. Anaheim has also lost 8 of the last 10 games following a loss of at least 3 goals and 6 of the last 7 games when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
The Chicago Blackhawks are 14th in the Western Conference with a 22-32-9 record. They have lost the last three games, most recently 4-6 against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets have won the last 7 games against the Anaheim Ducks. The Blackhawks are among the worst six teams in the league in goals scored and shots on goal. Chicago has lost 20 of the last 27 games against Western Conference rivals and 10 of the last 14 games when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks (-125)
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Blackhawks had a very rough start to the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. They fought hard all year long to get back towards the .500 mark but unfortunately they are going to come up short. They come into this game with a record of 22-32-9 through their first 63 games of the season. Meanwhile they would have to go 19-0-0 the rest of the way to finish the year with 41 wins and 41 losses. While possible it is highly unlikely to happen. They come into this game sitting in seventh place in the Central Division.
A big night for @DGrant57. #FlyTogether | @MonsterEnergy pic.twitter.com/ulSsP5QAw5
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 23, 2022
The Anaheim Ducks have rode a roller coaster of momentum all season long, as there have been plenty of ups and downs along the way. They come into this game with a record of 27-27-11 through their first 65 games of the season. Despite the inconsistency from the Ducks, they are still very much in playoff contention, as they only trail the 3rd spot in the Pacific Division by ten points at the moment, which puts them 7 points out of the second wild card spot. As for the result of this game, I have the Ducks getting the win over the Blackhawks.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Anaheim Ducks (-125)
Jeffery Thomas
It’s going to be a rough ending to the season for the Chicago Blackhawks after selling away a lot of key assets ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was the most notable piece to be shipped off, but forwards Brandon Hagel and Ryan Carpenter are also gone. With a record of 22-32-9 the Blackhawks had to become sellers and the Anaheim Ducks are right there with them. The Ducks parted ways with defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, along with forwards Rickard Rakell and Nicolas Deslauriers over the past week.
This game is the end of a three-game homestand for Anaheim, who hasn’t won a game in their last seven, so it’ll be interesting to see how the new-look Ducks respond to this long losing skid. It’s really tough to get a good read on which side has the advantage in this matchup given the huge shifts on each roster the past week. I do think it’ll be a tightly contested low-scoring game, given all the moving pieces on both offenses so I like a play on the under here as both offenses weren’t great to begin with and have lost significant pieces.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Under 6 (-110)
If you’re looking for 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.
