The NHL is back and better than ever! Today there are four games for us fans to sink our teeth into. With eight teams taking the ice, it is going to be an exciting day of NHL action, so you don’t want to miss this.
What will today’s games bring? Which teams will have the ability to get the all important win on the board, and who will crack under the pressure? 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 four games on today’s schedule.
Nashville Predators @ Edmonton Oilers – 8.30PM EDT
The Nashville Predators are on the road when they take on the Edmonton Oilers. The Predators have a season record of 5-4-0, and last time out they won in overtime against the Flames, 3-2. The Oiles are off to a strong start this season, they have a record of 7-1-0, and last time out they won, 5-2, against the Kraken.
Denis Kirilov
The Nashville Predators are facing the Edmonton Oilers in a game that will put an end to one of the teams’ winning streaks. The Predators are coming into this match with 4 straight wins after defeating the Calgary Flames in overtime. All of the wins were achieved against tough opponents like the Minnesota Wild, the San Jose Sharks, the New York Islanders, and the Calgary Flames. Nashville has proven that they are a tough competitor and they will do whatever they can in order to get the two points in the end.
The Edmonton Oilers are one of the best teams in the NHL at the moment and they would like this to stay this way until and after the Playoffs. With 7-1-0 they are standing at 1st place in the Western Conference with a 34-21 goals difference. Connor McDavid is on fire after scoring 7 goals and giving 10 assists so far this season. His performance will be vital for the outcome of the upcoming fixture and I think he will add some more points to his name after the end of the match. Therefore, I will suggest going with the Edmonton Oilers as the winner of the game in regular time.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Moneyline (3 Way) – Edmonton Oilers (-110)
Tony Battalio
Following an Overtime victory against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, the Nashville Predators will now play another elite NHL team in the Edmonton Oilers. Nashville is currently 5-4-0 on the season and on a 4 game win streak after starting 1-4 for the year. This will be game number two of a long six game road trip for the Predators as well, so they will be looking to not only keep the win streak alive but move to 2-0-0 on the trip.
Matt Duchene on Juuse Saros: “What more can you say, he’s outstanding. He’s one of the best goalies in the league.” pic.twitter.com/H15csmUi5j
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 3, 2021
As for the Edmonton Oilers, they are currently 7-1-0 and are one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League so far this season. Led by Connor McDavid, they look like a clear Stanley Cup contender through the season’s first couple of weeks. As for this game, I think Edmonton will easily take this one. Even with Nashville’s recent form of play, I still do not think they have the talent to keep up with the Edmonton Oilers. They may find a way to keep it close, but in the end I have the Oilers winning due to a late goal by McDavid.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-178)
Michael Lantz
The Nashville Predators are on a roll, winning four straight games including a massive victory over the Calgary Flames—one of the NHL’s hottest teams. The Preds now sit at 5-4 after a rough start, but their road up north doesn’t get any easier. After their grind-it-out win against the Flames, the Predators now must face a 7-1 Edmonton Oilers squad.
In the last week, Edmonton had a rough third period in their lone loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, followed by a close 2-1 win over their Canadien rivals the Vancouver Canucks. They got back on track Monday against the Seattle Kraken, as they put down a 5 goal performance against the expansion franchise. They look to carry on their scoring ways into a matchup against a tough Predators team who have one of the league’s top defenders in Roman Josi on their team. I think ultimately Edmonton wins at their barn, but I don’t expect it to be pretty.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Edmonton Oilers (-178)
Carolina Hurricanes @ Chicago Blackhawks – 8.30PM EDT
The undefeated Carolina Hurricanes take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, who have only just registered their first win of the season in their last game. The Hurricanes are the only team that is yet to lose a game so far in the NHL, with their season record standing at 8-0-0, and in their previous game they won against the Coyotes, 2-1. The Blackhawks are on the opposite end of the spectrum, with their record standing at 1-7-2, but in their last game they got a win, 5-1, against the Senators.
Denis Kirilov
The Carolina Hurricanes made it 8 in a row against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. They had to sweat until the very end but eventually took home the final victory. They are looking to extend their winning streak against a Chicago Blackhawks’ team who is way off rhythm. The Hurricanes have great depth in their squad which makes them one of the favourites to win the Stanley Cup.
Chicago suffered their worst start to a season for the 21st century as they conceded 9 straight defeats. Some of their top players have been missing throughout these games and this might be the reason for their struggle. They managed to stop this losing streak after a comfortable 5-1 win at home against the Ottawa Senators. However, the Hurricanes aren’t like the Senators and they will put a lot of pressure on them from the very beginning. The team is also free of injuries and a lot of rotations are possible throughout the game. Having all this in mind, I will go with the Hurricanes and cheer for their 9th straight win from the start of this campaign.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-152)
Tony Battalio
The Chicago Blackhawks registered their first victory of the year behind a Patrick Kane hat trick the other night against the Ottawa Senators. Now they will play the last undefeated team remaining in the National Hockey League on Wednesday night at home. They will need the same amount of production from their superstar if they want to extend their winning streak to two games and give Carolina their first loss of the 2021-22 season.
As for the previously mentioned Carolina Hurricanes, they sit at an impressive 8-0-0 and based on their schedule they could very well remain undefeated throughout the month of November as well, but it will not be easy. Games against Tampa Bay, Florida, St. Louis and Philadelphia are just a handful of marquee matchups we will see.
As for this game, on paper it should not be close by any means. Carolina has a chance to gain even more momentum going into one of the toughest stretches of their schedule they will have all year. However, Chicago has more than enough talent to pull off an upset victory at home in this game. Although I do not see that being the case, as I believe Carolina is just too far ahead of the Blackhawks at this point of the season. Taking the Hurricanes moneyline is the safer bet in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-152)
Michael Lantz
The Blackhawks finally got their sacred first victory of the season after going winless in their first nine. Getting Patrick Kane back certainly helped: he scored a hat trick to lead the Blackhawks in scoring. Having a future hall-of-famer like Kane back in the lineup should help Chicago going forward. Unfortunately, their next matchup is against the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes.
Carolina continues to impress on both offense and defense, with Frederik Andersen looking like a Vezina candidate early in the season. They look to continue their win streak against a weak Chicago Blackhawks team, but there is reason for caution. Carolina only beat the league’s worst team, the Arizona Coyotes, 2-1. With the game being in Chicago, the Blackhawks should use that game as a hint of optimism. Chicago just hasn’t shown me enough yet to make a confident pick in their favor. I’ll stick with the ‘Canes.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-152)
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.00PM EDT
This game will be the first of two between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche. The Blue Jackets are off to a reasonable start, with their season record standing at 5-3-0, and in their last game they won against the Devils, 4-3, in a shootout. The Avalanche could be doing better in terms of their season record, as it is currently standing at 4-4-0, and last time out they won against the Wild, 4-1.
Denis Kirilov
The Columbus Blue Jackets will have a tough task facing a big team that is making its way through the leaderboard and finally meeting the expectations of their fans. The Colorado Avalanche had a couple of disappointing opening games as they suffered 4 losses in just 10 days. They lost to the St. Louis Blues, the Washington Capitals, and to the Florida Panthers. Another loss 5 days later against the hesitant team of Vegas Golden Knights made them become more focused, which resulted in two great wins over direct rivals like the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild.
The Blue Jackets are taking turns in getting wins and losses and this puts them in 8th position in the Eastern Conference so far. They were clinical in three of these matches which ended with a win for them after overtime. This shows the sheer focus and determination they have to get the two points awarded for a win. However, Columbus has only clinched wins against teams in the lower tier. In their first serious challenge against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team from Ohio found it hard to compete with their guests and eventually lost the game 1-5. That being said, I think they will become delicious prey for the Avalanche who are looking for new victims on which they can release their anger. I suggest picking Colorado all the way, and I will also choose a riskier option – Colorado Avalanche -1.5.
Denis’ NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+116)
Tony Battalio
Columbus has been a pleasant surprise early on this season, while Colorado has not quite lived up to expectations. The Blue Jackets are currently 5-3-0 after a come from behind victory against the New Jersey Devils the other night in a Shootout. Despite the slow start the Colorado Avalanche are also starting to put together some momentum and now sit at 4-4. Not all blame can be placed on the Avalanche however, as they faced a tough stretch against teams like St. Louis, Washington, Florida and Las Vegas in the span of a week and a half not long ago.
Things we can expect:
– no Mikko, no Cale, no Burky
– hopefully this is the thinnest lineup we have
-we’ll be mixing things up #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/2meZGwZBUW— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 2, 2021
This is a game that could easily go either way as both teams have had moments both hot and cold over the seasons first few weeks. Columbus has thrived with great work between the pipes, consistent passing and great team chemistry leading to goals. Colorado has grinded through a tough start to the year to begin bouncing back and looking like the preseason favorites they were expected to be. As for the result, I expect great performances from both teams, but I also think Columbus nets yet another late winner off of the stick of Patrick Laine to improve to 6-3 on the year.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets (+184)
Michael Lantz
On Wednesday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche will play the first of two straight games against each other. The Avalanche are attempting to win their third straight game for the first time this year. The team finally feels like it’s getting on a roll after wins against playoff caliber teams in the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild. In the Wild matchup, they were thrilled to get a big game from captain Gabriel Landeskog who scored two goals and had two assists. They’ve also benefited from a scoring surge by third line center J.T. Compher. The team is currently without star player Mikko Rantanen, so it’s been essential for both their stars and depth to step up in his absence.
Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets have definitely got off to a better start than many predicted. At 5-3 they’ve had some nice scoring help across the board, particularly from forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Patrick Laine. Aside from the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders, the Blue Jackets’ other three wins have come against inferior opponents. They recently were on the receiving end of blowouts from the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, so I expect a matchup against an offensive-heavy Avalanche team who play at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+116)
St. Louis Blues @ Los Angeles Kings – 10.00PM EDT
The St. Louis Blues start their four game road trip when they travel to Los Angeles and take on the Kings. The Blues are off to a great start this season, with their record currently standing at 6-1-0, and in their last game they won against the Blackhawks, 1-0. The Kings could be doing better, with their record currently standing at 3-5-1, but they are currently on a two game winning streak and won, 3-2, in their last game against the Sabres.
Denis Kirilov
The St. Louis Blues will travel to Los Angeles in an attempt to put an end to the Kings’ momentum. The Blues’ performance skyrocketed in their opening games as they recorded 6 wins and just a single loss. They fought well against the Colorado Avalanche, but after 5 straight wins their streak came to an end. They eventually picked up another victory, this time over the Blackhawks, 1-0.
The Los Angeles Kings were in a 6-game losing streak before they managed to get 2 wins at home. They defeated the Canadiens and the Sabres which boosted their confidence and are entering with heads up in tomorrow’s fixture against the Blues. However, Andreas Athanasiou, Drew Doughty, and Sean Walker will miss the match which might have a huge negative effect on their performance. On the Blues’ side, they are losing O’Reilly, Saad, and Sundqvist for the match, but I don’t think this will be enough for the Kings to take the win at Staples Centre. I will give my preferences to the St. Louis Blues.
Denis’ NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-130)
Tony Battalio
Coming off the heels of a recently snapped five game winning streak, the Blues face a familiar opponent on Wednesday night in the city of angels. They raced to a 6-1-0 start which included two huge victories over the Los Angeles Kings. Now they will look to jump start their momentum again with another victory over the previously mentioned Kings. With each passing week the Blues look more and more like potential Stanley Cup contenders, so only time will tell where they end up towards the end of the season.
As for the Los Angeles Kings, they have had a rough start to the 2021-22 season. They were on a six game skid before picking up a pair of wins against Buffalo and Montreal. Looking to keep the streak going they will have a tough but familiar task against a team they have already shared the ice with twice this year. However, they will have to do it without a few of their key players that they have lost to injury/ illness. As for the outcome, I think we see the St. Louis Blues finish on top again, even with players of their own missing, they have too much talent for the Kings to handle yet again. The better value is the 1.5 goal spread which is what I am going with in this game.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5 (+184)
Michael Lantz
The Los Angeles Kings are only 3-5-1, but they’re coming off back-to-back wins and are hungry to get back into the hunt. Aside from the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, the division seems pretty open, with Los Angeles looking in. They now face the St. Louis Blues for the third time (already!) this year. St. Louis has won easily in the past two matchups, but the Blues have looked a bit more vulnerable over the past week.
After starting the season 5-0, the Blues fell to the Colorado Avalanche last Thursday. They followed that loss by barely beating a Chicago Blackhawks team that was winless at the time, 1-0. I know, St. Louis has beaten the Kings twice already, but with it being at Staples Center and the Blues showing they’re breakable, I’ll go with my upset pick here and take the Kings to win a close one at home.
Michael’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (+108)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
