We are in the thick of the 2021/22 NHL season, and things are certainly heating up! Today there are three games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With six 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 three games on today’s schedule.
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Philadelphia Flyers – 7.30PM ET
First cab off the rank for your Wednesday night viewing will be the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Philadelphia Flyers. This will be the only game in their road trip for the Maple Leafs, and they are looking for a bounce back performance, after losing to the Kings last time out, 1-5. The Flyers are in the middle of facing a number of tough teams game after game, but they did get a win against the Capitals last time out, 2-1.
Denis Kirilov
The most exciting game on Wednesday night in the NHL will be the one between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers. Both teams have set their eyes on the Stanley Cup, but they both know it is a long journey before they can feel the trophy in their hands. The guests from Toronto have suffered a loss to the Los Angeles Kings in their previous game, which put an end to their 5-game winning streak, defeating teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Boston Bruins. The NHL’s leading scorer for the previous season, Auston Matthews, will need to step up his game as he has been pretty poor. John Tavares and Mitch Marner compensate for the bad luck that is chasing Matthews from the start of this campaign, with their 13 points (goals + assists) each.
On the other hand, the Philadelphia Flyers are playing dynamic ice-hockey with lots of fluctuating periods. They are capable of beating every single team in the NHL, but sometimes they come up quite short in their attempts. This is precisely what happened against the Calgary Flames when Philly lost 0-4 as they were wiped off the rink. Their captain, Claude Giroux, had to come up clutch in some games in order to bring his team together and lead them to the final victory and the two points. The biggest advantage of the Flyers lies in their depth, as they have a great balance among their players. That’s why I’d prefer them in this matchup. Since Matthews is still struggling to get in perfect rhythm, I will try to take advantage of this and go with Philly.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+114)
Philadelphia on Wednesday #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/yOT89NnBi8
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 9, 2021
Tony Battalio
Toronto makes a quick one game stop in the city of brotherly love to face the Philadelphia Flyers in this one. Toronto comes into this game following a 1-5 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in a game where they were completely outmatched by a streaky Los Angeles team. That loss brought their overall record on the season to 7-5-1. The Maple Leafs will be looking for a fast rebound as even after Monday’s loss to the Kings, they have won five of their last six contests. They have started to recover from a slow start to insert themselves into the early season playoff conversation.
As for the Philadelphia Flyers, they have been playing some impressive hockey as of late. They have picked up victories in four of their last six games, and those wins have not come against pushovers either. Wins over Washington and Edmonton have been the highlights of the recent successful six game stretch. They could use a victory in this game, as they have another tough stretch awaiting them including games against Calgary, Tampa Bay, Boston and Carolina.
As for the result of this game, it could turn out to be a very competitive game, as both teams are playing great hockey at the moment. However due to home ice advantage and a couple other factors, I think the Philadelphia Flyers are the safer bet in this game. I am going with the moneyline over the spread, as I look for this game to come down to the very final buzzer and potentially even reach overtime or a shootout.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Philadelphia Flyers (+114)
Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars – 8.30PM ET
The road trip continues for the Nashville Predators, when they take on the Dallas Stars. The Predators are another team looking to bounce back after a loss last time out, where they lost to the Blackhawks, 1-2, in overtime. The Stars are looking for a win to boost their season record, which currently stands at 4-5-2, and in their last game they lost to the Canucks, 3-6.
Denis Kirilov
The Dallas Stars started off the 2021/22 NHL season poorly as they still haven’t won a game in regular time. They won 4 times after either overtime or penalties, and lost on seven other occasions. The team is 12th in the Western Conference with 10 points and this puts them in a bit of a disarray. They are desperately looking to get their first dominant win for the season and the Predators seem like a potential victim.
The Nashville Predators are coming into this fixture against the Stars after a narrow blowup against one of the worst teams in the NHL right now, the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks managed to outsmart them after overtime and this result might take its toll on Nashville’s upcoming games. They have been playing quite often recently and this will be their fifth consecutive game on the road. I think that this slight discomfort of moving from one place to another every second day will become even more irritating after such losses.
Nick Cousins and Filip Forsberg will miss the game for the Predators, and there aren’t any real absences on the side of Dallas. I think that it’s high time we witnessed a win for the Dallas Stars in regular time, as they are coming back home after a week-long road trip. I am sure that they are more than determined to please the fans at the American Airlines Center.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Dallas Stars (-152)
Tony Battalio
With both teams coming off losses in their last contests, they will both be looking for a bounceback victory in this one. Nashville comes into this game in the middle of a six game road trip, where they have gone 2-1-1 through the first four games. Overall on the season they are sitting at 6-5-1, as they have won five of their previous seven games to recover from an early season slump out of the gate. They only play a single game at home in their next five contests, so picking up every point possible will be huge for them on the road.
As for the Dallas Stars, their decent start to the season has been derailed for the past two weeks, since they started 3-2-0 on the year, they have won only one game and have posted a record of 1-3-2 since October 25th. They will need to find a quick fix if they want to turn it around, as they are facing a tough stretch with games against Philadelphia, Minnesota, Edmonton and St. Louis approaching.
As for the result of this game, I look for the Nashville Predators to get a win on the road in Dallas. The Stars recent form is the contributing factor in my decision, as they have not looked competitive at all in the past couple of weeks. The safer bet in this contest is the Predators moneyline rather than the spread, as it will increase your winning value.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+126)
Minnesota Wild @ Arizona Coyotes – 10.00PM ET
The final game of Wednesday night will see the Minnesota Wild start a three game road trip in Arizona, when they take on the Coyotes. The Wild are putting together a great season so far and are currently on a three game winning streak, taking their season record out to 8-3-0. The Coyotes are on the other side of the spectrum, with their season record standing at 1-10-1, but last time out they did get their first win of the season, 5-4, against the Kraken.
Denis Kirilov
The Minnesota Wild will try to continue its good run against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night. They are on a 3-game winning streak, defeating some inconvenient opponents like the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders. Their strength lies in their depth and balance. They can easily perform on a high level in defense and in offense depending on the chosen strategy and tactics for the game. Mathew Dumba and Jared Spurgeon have built a team around themselves and the situation is becoming brighter and brighter for the whole state of Minnesota.
The Arizona Coyotes suffered one of their worst starts to an NHL season in their history. They went on 0-1-10 after 11 matches as they scored just 14 goals and conceded 45 at the same time. However, they eventually stopped this losing streak at 11 games after a narrow 5-4 win against the rookies from Seattle. The Coyotes are eager to step up and build further on this victory, but it will be immensely difficult against the Minnesota Wild. The difference in the level of play between the two squads is obvious and I will give my preferences to the Minnesota Wild covering their spread.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (+124)
Don’t poke the Russian Bear. 🐻😏 pic.twitter.com/I1p0MJKi06
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) November 9, 2021
Tony Battalio
The Arizona Coyotes have finally picked up their first victory of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. After weeks of losing and barely even being close to competitive the Coyotes beat the NHLs newest team, the Seattle Kraken, 5-4 to get a victory after 11 straight losses. However, this is something that will happen few and far between as the Coyotes are by far the league’s worst team this season.
As for the Minnesota Wild, they have started to recover from their little slump over the past week and have strung together three victories in a row heading into this game. Now sitting at 8-3-0 on the year, they will look to keep adding to their win streak as they set off on a three game road trip that involves stops in Las Vegas and Seattle as well.
The Minnesota Wild should have no problem picking up a victory in this game, as they play an Arizona Coyotes team that should not be competitive at all. This may very well be the easiest game to pick from the Wednesday slate. Not only will the Minnesota Wild win this one but they should easily cover the spread of 1.5 goals.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (+124)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
