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.
Buffalo Sabres @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 7.30PM ET
The road trip continues on for the Buffalo Sabres, who on Wednesday will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sabres have gone 0-4-0 so far this trip, and it takes their overall season record to 16-30-8. The Maple Leafs are back to their winning ways, and are currently on a three game winning streak, which includes victories over the Wild, Red Wings and Capitals.
Marko Nadin
The Toronto Maple Leafs are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-14-4 record. They have won the last three games scoring on average 6 goals per game. The Maple Leafs are coming off a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals. Toronto has won 8 of the last 10 games against Buffalo including this season’s 5-4 win in November. Nine of the last games between these two teams have gone over 5.5 goals. Toronto has won 8 of the last 10 games against the Sabres and will add another one. Toronto has won 17 of the last 22 games against conference rivals and 19 of the last 27 at home.
The Buffalo Sabres are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-30-8 record. They have lost the last 6 games and will finish a five-game road trip in Toronto. They are coming off a 2-4 loss to the Dallas Stars. Buffalo has lost 38 of the last 51 games overall and 81 of the last 108 games as an underdog. They have lost 41 of the last 52 games against teams with a winning record. There is no way they will stand any chance against the Maple Leafs and Toronto will win this one easily.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-430)
Tony Battalio
The Buffalo Sabres had a somewhat fast start to the season which shocked everyone in the National Hockey League. However, they quickly fell back down the standings after the first two weeks of the season. Now the Sabres come into this game with a record of 16-30-8 through their first 54 games of the season. They are currently in seventh place in the Atlantic Division. After trading Jack Eichel to Vegas earlier this year, it seems like the Sabres are planning to start back at square one with their rebuild. The Sabres are on a six game losing streak and have lost nine out of their last eleven games.
We’re flipping things up for March 👀 pic.twitter.com/SK7vOvs1HF
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 1, 2022
The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming into this game as one of the top teams in the National Hockey League this season. Led by Austin Matthews, the Maple Leafs are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division and looking to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Toronto enters this game with a record of 35-14-4 through their first 53 games of the season. The Maple Leafs currently find themselves on a three game winning streak. As for the result of this game, I have the Maple Leafs getting the win over the Sabres at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (-430)
Jeffery Thomas
No team in the league may be playing as badly as the Buffalo Sabres right now who are finishing up a five game road-trip with this Wednesday matchup against Toronto. They have lost six games in a row and got a couple days off after their last game, which was a 2-4 loss in Dallas to the Stars. The Sabres are 16-30-8 on the year, which lands them 7th in the Atlantic Division and they gave the fourth fewest points in the NHL. Toronto had an up-and-down February that consisted of a couple 2-game winning streaks and a 3-game one to end the month, but a couple a couple losing streaks sandwiched in there.
It appears the Leafs have turned a corner though and broken out of that slump, now winners of three straight, outscoring opponents 18-11 during that span. Sitting at 3rd in the Atlantic and only 1 point back of the first place Panthers, they will hope to string some more wins together to overtake that top spot. All six of the losses for Buffalo during their losing streak were by 2 or more goals and now they have another potential blowout spot they’re facing. The Leafs have covered the spread line in each of their last three wins, so it’s pretty straightforward how this one will go. Give me the home Leafs to win this one big.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs -2.5 (+112)
St. Louis Blues @ New York Rangers – 7.30PM ET
The St. Louis Blues will face off against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night in the NHL. The Blues are building nicely, and are currently on a four game winning streak, which takes their season record to 32-14-6. After winning two games in a row, the Rangers have then gone on to drop their last two, which includes losses to the Penguins and Canucks.
Marko Nadin
The New York Rangers are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-15-5 record but have the third best home record in the East with 17 wins in 25 games. They are going into the game against the Blues after back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh 0-1 and 2-5 against Vancouver. The Rangers are ranked third in the league with 2.5 allowed goals per game. The Rangers have bounced back in the last 5 games following a loss of three or more goals. They have also won 9 of their last 12 games in Madison Square Garden.
The St. Louis Blues are second in the Western Conference with a 32-14-6 record. They are on a four-game winning streak defeating the opponents by at least two goals. The Blues are coming off a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. St. Louis has won 5 of the last 8 games against the Rangers including the last two. They have won the last 8 games playing after two days of rest. They have won 20 of the last 28 games overall but only 3 of the last 10 games as a road underdog.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-114)
Tony Battalio
The St. Louis Blues are coming into this game with a record of 32-14-6 through their first 52 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Central Division, 12 points behind the leaders, the Colorado Avalanche. St. Louis is currently on a four game winning streak after picking up wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, and Chicago Blackhawks. All four of those victories came by multiple goals, and three of them were on the road. Now St. Louis will look to pick up another tough win on the road against the Rangers.
Protect the house. 🙅♂️
#NoQuitInINY | @GEICO pic.twitter.com/1OifZTbwFC— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 1, 2022
The previously mentioned New York Rangers are coming into this game with a record of 33-15-5 through their first 53 games of the season. They have been one of the biggest surprises of the season and have a shot of making a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They currently find themselves in third place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers are currently on a two game losing streak they will be looking to break in this game. As for the result of this game, I have the Rangers getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-105)
Jeffery Thomas
The Blues couldn’t have asked for a better start to their four-game road trip than that 4-0 win they had over Chicago on Sunday. It was a dominant performance from backup goalie Jordan Binnington, who saved 30 shots for his 13th win on the year. That win gave the Blues their four straight victory and sixth win in their last seven overall. Each win except one during that stretch has been by at least three goals. The Rangers didn’t get off to a good start on their quick three-game homestand, losing 2-5 to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
Good news is they should have their Vezina trophy candidate Igor Shesterkin back in net for this marquee matchup on Wednesday. In his last start, he only allowed one goal in a 0-1 loss to Pittsburgh and now they’ll look to him to stop the bleeding, as the Rangers have now dropped two straight games. These two teams are pretty evenly matched on paper, with a slight offensive edge going to St. Louis when they are on their game. The goaltending edge though, goes to New York, especially being at home. I like the home Rangers to get back in the win column, led by their amazing Igor.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-105)
Los Angeles Kings @ Dallas Stars – 8.30PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings kick off a four game road trip tonight, and their first stop is Dallas to take on the Stars. The Kings had their five game winning streak snapped last time out, after they were shutout by the Bruins, 0-7. The Stars have been a little inconsistent as of late, but they did manage to get the all important win last time out, 4-2, over the Sabres.
Marko Nadin
The Dallas Stars are ninth in the Western Conference with a 29-20-3 record and are just outside of the playoff picture in the West. They have won 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Dallas has 19 home wins this season with only the Colorado Avalanche having more. They have won 18 of the last 24 home games as favorites. The Stars have won 7 of the last 10 games when their opponent as allowed at least five goals in the previous game. Dallas has won 7 of the last 10 games against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Los Angeles Kings are fifth in the Western Conference with a 29-18-7 record. The Kings are coming off their toughest loss this season as Boston shut them down for a 0-7 victory. Prior to the game against the Bruins, the Kings were on a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles allows 28.4 shots on goal per game, the lowest in the league. They have lost 7 of the last 10 against Dallas but won 4-0 in their last encounter. The Kings have won the last 6 road games and 16 of the last 21 games following a home loss of at least 3 goals differential.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Under 5.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings are coming into this game with a record of 29-18-7 through their first 54 games of the season. The Kings have had an up and down year and have traded off between winning and losing streaks all season long. They are currently in second place in the Pacific Division sitting behind the Calgary Flames. In their last game they fell to the Boston Bruins after being blown out by a score of 0-7. The loss to the Bruins snapped a five game winning streak for Los Angeles. Now they will be looking to get the month of March off to a hot start with a victory in this game.
Sometimes, ya gotta switch things up 🔄😂 pic.twitter.com/EjiGInRoDP
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 1, 2022
The Dallas Stars come into this game with a record of 29-20-3 as they are only six games above the .500 mark through their first 52 games of the season. They are currently in fifth in the Central Division with 30 games left to go this season. Dallas is currently on a one game winning streak after beating the Buffalo Sabres in their last game. Dallas will need to step up their level of play if they want to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs this season. As for the result of this game, I have them losing to the Los Angeles Kings at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (+118)
Jeffery Thomas
The Kings will be starting a four-game road trip in this game against the Dallas Stars and will hope for better results than their last contest, which was a 0-7 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Bruins. Prior to that loss, Los Angeles was winners of five straight, scoring at least 3 goals in each game. Now with a day off to regroup and a new month, they’ll try and wash that bad taste out their mouth and start up a new streak. The Central Division’s 5th place team is the Dallas Stars, but they can gain a little ground on the field with a few wins starting here. They are only four points back of the 3rd place Wild entering Tuesday’s action so there is still everything to play for. In their last game, it was a 4-2 win at home against the struggling Buffalo Sabres in a game they never trailed.
Stars’ winger Michael Raffl ended a 16-game goalless streak in that game with two goals, one in the 1st period and the other in the 2nd. Dallas has been very strong at home all year but given recent form, this looks like a spot to back the Kings. The Stars were outshot by Buffalo in that win on Sunday and that’s been a thing they’ve struggled with all year, as they sit with a -3 shot differential on the season. The Kings on the other hand are number one in shot differential (+382) and they will dictate the pace of play and have plenty of chances on offense. I think the Kings will be able to do enough with those opportunities to get the road win.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (+118)
Nashville Predators @ Seattle Kraken – 10.00PM ET
We wrap things up in the NHL on Wednesday night with a game between the Nashville Predators and the Seattle Kraken. The Predators had their two game winning streak snapped last time out, thanks to the Lightning, 2-3. The Kraken are currently on a seven game losing streak, and this takes their season record to 16-34-5.
Marko Nadin
The Seattle Kraken are not having an impressive rookie season in the league. They are currently 15th in the Western Conference with a 16-34-5 record. They have lost 10 of the last 12 games, most recently 1-3 against the San Jose Sharks. The Kraken has lost 19 of their last 26 games. They have lost 10 of the last 11 games as a home underdog. The series against Seattle and Nashville are tied at 1-1. Nashville won the first game 4-2 while Seattle won 4-3 in the next one.
The Nashville Predators are sixth in the Western Conference with a 30-19-4 record. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games and are coming off a 2-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Predators have won 4 of the last 5 games as road favorites. They have won 11 of the last 16 games against Western Conference teams. Nashville has won 8 of the last 9 games on the road and 10 of the last 12 games coming in after a game in which they scored 2 or less goals. The Predators are only three points into the playoff picture in the West and will add another win to increase their chances for the postseason.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-188)
Tony Battalio
The Nashville Predators come into this game with a record of 30-19-4 through their first 53 games of the season. They have spent time on top of the Central Division at various points throughout the season thus far. Now they are currently in fourth in the Central Division with less than 30 games remaining in the season. Nashville is currently on a one game losing streak after dropping their last game to the two time defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have been in bad form lately as they’ve lost three of their last five games on the year.
HI TANNER pic.twitter.com/PDbp8WLJEb
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 1, 2022
The Seattle Kraken have had a rough first year in the National Hockey League. Personally I think they came in with way too high expectations after the last expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights came in and went straight to the Stanley Cup Finals in year number one. However, despite how I feel the facts are that Seattle looks more like a minor league team than a professional one, as they come into this game with a record of 16-34-5 through their first 55 games of the season. As for the result of this game, I have the Kraken picking up another loss from the Nashville Predators.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-188)
Jeffery Thomas
The Predators will start a brief two-game stint away from home when they travel to Seattle for a date with the expansion Kraken. These two teams are not in the same division but will be forever linked because of what happened way back on October 14th. That is the day the Kraken played their first ever regular season game, and got their first ever win as a franchise against the Predators by the score of 4-3.
They have met since then, only January 25th when the Preds got their revenge in a 4-2 win. These teams have had two totally different seasons though, with the Predators first in the Western Conference wild card race, and the Kraken holding on to the last place spot in the Pacific Division. The Kraken’s offense has been very bad, losing seven straight and only scoring more than 2 goals in one of those games. I expect goalie Juuse Saros to shut them down and carry the Preds to a comfortable road victory on Wednesday.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (-188)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
