NHL Picks

The red-hot Boston Bruins will be visiting the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. The Bruins come into this game riding a four-game winning streak and they are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. They are comfortably sitting in the first wildcard position, with a six-point cushion on the Columbus Blue Jackets who occupy the second wildcard spot. Despite not having many household names aside from David Pastrnak amongst their forward group, the Bruins are a very good offensive team. They are averaging 3.36 goals per game. They will be going up against the fifth-worst defensive team in the league as the Panthers average 3.32 goals against per game. The Bruins are 0-2 against the Panthers this season and they can’t afford to get swept in the season long series.

I like the Bruins to get it done on Thursday night as they will be the hungrier team with still something left to play for this season. Look for Pastrnak and Swayman to have strong games and lead the way for them. Give me the Bruins in this one.

Bruins vs. Panthers prediction: Bruins ML (-155) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Carolina Hurricanes will be hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets who come into this game riding a four-game losing streak. Things won’t get any easier for the Blue Jackets going up against the Hurricanes who are 26-10-2 on home ice this season. What makes the Hurricanes difficult to play against is their relentless forecheck in the offensive zone. On top of this, they are good at capitalizing on their scoring chances as they are the fourth-best offensive team in the league averaging 3.49 goals per game. At the other end of the ice, they play a very tight defensive game as they limit their opponents to only 24 shots on goal per game, which is the best in the NHL. The Hurricanes are also dominant against teams within their division. Their record against Metropolitan Division opponents is 17-4-1 on the season. I think the Hurricanes are a much more complete and well put together team than the Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets are in a tight playoff race and I expect them to be playing desperate, but they are going up against a better team in the Hurricanes. Give me the Hurricanes in this one.

Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes prediction: Hurricanes ML (-185) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers are set to meet for the 3rd and final time of the season on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have won the previous 2 meetings by scores of 4-3 and 5-4 in overtime, with both games going over the total. However, things could be different the 3rd time around. Both of these teams are playing excellent defense and getting sensational goaltending from their netminders. The Rangers are riding a 3-game win streak, and have allowed just a single goal in all 3 games. On the other side, the Canadiens are riding a 6-game win streak and have held their opponents to just 1 goal in 4 straight games. Furthermore, they’ve held their opponents to 2 or fewer goals in 5 consecutive games.

It’s no secret that the Rangers have struggled to score goals on home ice all season long. Specifically, New York is scoring a measly 2.35 goals per game at home, which is the lowest mark in the NHL. Furthermore, the New York power play is converting at just an 18.7% clip at Madison Square Garden. The Canadiens aren’t the most sound defensive team out there, but they should be able to slow the Rangers down. Given the way that both teams are playing defensively right now, the under is the play.

Canadiens vs Rangers prediction: Under 6.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The New Jersey Devils will be looking to play the spoiler role when they host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Whereas Washington is in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, New Jersey is close to being eliminated. Still, the Devils are playing hard and will continue to do so until they are mathematically eliminated — especially with a Metropolitan Division rival coming to town. That is part of the reason why my Capitals vs Devils prediction is for the home team to prevail. New Jersey is 10-5-0 in its last 15 contests. It fell at the Rangers 4-1 on Tuesday but has not lost back-to-back games since March 12. They have lost back-to-back games only once since February 26. The Hughes brothers continue to roll along nicely. Jack had 2 goals and 2 assists in a 5-3 win over Chicago this past Sunday and has produced multiple points in 5 of the last 8 outings; Luke has dished out an assist in 2 straight games.

Washington is on a 3-game winning streak, but it’s worth noting that it has allowed 12 goals during this stretch. Logan Thompson has started 8 consecutive contests and 12 of the last 13, so you have to think fatigue could be a factor. But with his team needing every win it can get, Thompson is expected to mind the net again on Thursday. Devils primary goaltender Jakob Markstrom is the anticipated starter for the home side, but his recent workload has been nowhere near the extent of his counterpart’s. Finally, the Caps are 15-17-4 on the road this season compared to 23-11-5 in Washington. This is a great spot for the Devils to inflict what could be a crippling loss on their division rivals.

Capitals vs Devils prediction: New Jersey ML (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Vancouver Canucks are set to conclude their season series against the Colorado Avalanche tonight at Ball Arena. Vancouver is currently on a 6-game losing streak and sits firmly at the bottom of the standings. The challenge they face tonight seems daunting, especially after the Avalanche’s impressive performance against Calgary just a few nights ago. While their previous matchups haven’t been lopsided, that could change.

On Monday, Colorado scored 5 goals in the first period against the Flames, en route to a dominating 9-2 victory. The game was never close, as the home team scored early and often, showcasing their dominance. Although Cale Makar will be unavailable for this game, the rest of the defence is more than capable of stepping up in his absence. The risk is that Colorado might ease off the gas once they build a lead, but given their recent performance, we could very well see another high-scoring game.

Canucks vs Avalanche prediction: Avalanche -2.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

It’s a shame that the San Jose Sharks fell off in the Western Conference playoff race, ruining any chance of these 2 teams going head-to-head in a first-round matchup. With the Anaheim Ducks at the top of the Pacific Division, it looks like they could face the Utah Mammoth — which would be a high-octane offensive matchup in itself, but the Ducks and Sharks, with the California rivalry, could’ve set the stage for a decade of playoff matchups with 2 of the best young teams in the league. One thing about these teams is that they have unlimited offensive talent, but the defense is still a work in progress. The Ducks attempted to address some of their problems by acquiring John Carlson at the trade deadline, but even he takes some offensive chances. Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba are their 2 stay-at-home options, but the entire left side of the defense is a young group that loves to push for offense. It makes for exciting hockey, but it can be stressful on the coach.

The Sharks are the same type of risk-taking, young offensive group. Led by Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks boast tons of offense up front that would strike fear in any opponent — but those same opponents also know they can take advantage of a mix of aging veterans who are slowing down and young, inexperienced blueliners who like to join the offense. The mix of these 2 teams is a recipe for tons of goals, as we have already seen this season. The first meeting between these teams ended in a 7-6 win for the Ducks on the road, while the Sharks returned the favor later in the season with a 5-4 victory. In 2 games, the teams combined for 22 goals — and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this total go to 7 or higher before closing. As long as it is still at 6.5, the over is the play.

Ducks vs Sharks prediction: Over 6.5 (-130) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

The St. Louis Blues’ push to the playoffs suffered an unfortunate setback on Monday night in their loss to the San Jose Sharks. Jim Montgomery’s team had won 4 games in a row, giving fans hope that they were about to make another memorable push to the playoffs to grab the second wild-card spot and play the Presidents’ Trophy winners in the first round. The Blues made the same push last season and were literally seconds away from beating the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7, only for Winnipeg to tie it late and win in overtime.

The Blues have 5 teams to pass before grabbing that spot, but every team is within 4 points. One of them is the Los Angeles Kings, who are about to relinquish their playoff chances this season with a recent 3-3-4 stretch. Wednesday night will be one of the biggest games of the Kings’ season. A win would vault them over the Nashville Predators into that second wild-card spot, but a loss would put the Blues just one point back and make the playoff race even worse in their favor.

The Kings have won both meetings with the Blues, but those were earlier in the season when St. Louis was struggling. The roles have reversed as we near the end of the 2025-26 campaign — and following a costly loss against the Sharks on Monday, the Blues will be ready to get back on the winning track on Wednesday. With 2 Team Canada goalies — Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper — projected to face off, Binnington has the upper hand recently to the tune of a .921 save percentage over his last 5 starts. Kuemper has an abysmal .875 SVP during the same stretch. This is Binnington’s time of year, so he should show up for St. Louis in this game.

Blues vs Kings prediction: St. Louis ML (+125) available at time of publishing. Playable to +100.