NHL Picks

The recipe is simple for the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night – win against the Carolina Hurricanes and they are in the playoffs. It won’t be easy going up against a Hurricanes team that is the second-best offensive team and eighth-best defensive team in the NHL. The Hurricanes don’t have too much left to play for as they more or less have the top spot in the Eastern conference locked up. Netminder Dan Vladar is projected to get the start in goal for the Flyers. He has been very good recently, with a 4-1 record in his last five starts and he only allowed one goal against in each of those four wins. Head coach Rick Tocchet will have the Flyers fired up and ready to go right from puck drop, and I expect the home crowd to have the building rocking.

This game means a lot more for the flyers and I expect them to get it done and punch their ticket to the playoffs. There is some good value on the Flyers in a must-win game with home ice advantage on their side. Give me the Flyers in this one.

Hurricanes vs Flyers prediction: Flyers ML (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Detroit Red Wings will be missing the playoffs once again as they were officially eliminated from contention on Saturday. They will be in Tampa Bay on Monday to take on the Lightning. The Lightning are still battling it out for first place in the Atlantic Division, so this game still means something for them. The Lightning are a far better team than the Red Wings both offensively and defensively. The Lightning are averaging 3.50 goals for per game, while the Red Wings are averaging only 2.94 goals per game. On the defensive side of things, the Lightning are third-best in the NHL, averaging 2.78 goals against per game. The Red Wings are averaging 3.03 goals against per game. The Lightning are also a very good team when playing on home ice. Their record is 25-13-1 at the Benchmark International Arena this season.

The Lightning have won 2 of the 3 previous meetings between these two teams this season, and I expect them to be playing desperate on Monday which should allow them to take 3 of the 4 meetings this season. Give me the Lightning in this one.

Red Wings vs. Lightning prediction: Lightning 3-way ML (-125) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The dog days of the 2025-26 NHL season are upon us, where some games have massive playoff implications, others have none at all, and the odd few have the perplexing draft lottery implications where both organizations would be better off losing the game. Still, the players don’t adhere to that belief, and the coaching and management staff subtly set their teams up for failure. We are facing that reality on Monday night with a couple of games, with one of the main ones being the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers matchup.

The Panthers already had one of those games this week when they went to Toronto in a must-lose game with a skeleton crew. If the Panthers had lost to the Maple Leafs in that game, their chances of landing a top-five pick would’ve risen substantially, but their two points put them up on the Leafs and closer to the 7-9 range. Of course, they could always win the draft lottery, but losing their final two games would certainly help things.

The New York Rangers, sitting in third-last in the league, are in a similar position. If they win this game, they’ll go to fourth-last by passing the Calgary Flames, and be in danger of also passing the Leafs before the season is over. It is in the best interests of both franchises to lose, but one team has a clear edge in this game.

All the Panthers injuries helped them tank the season, but the Rangers have been rolling out their usual lineup down the stretch. The Panthers went all-in on the tank against Toronto and still found a way to win, but I don’t think that happens twice in a row. The Rangers already beat the Panthers 3-1 late in March when both teams were in tank mode, and I think they do it again here on the road.

Rangers vs Panthers prediction: Rangers ML (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

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The Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs both already know their playoff fate when they face one another on Monday night. Dallas is set to face Minnesota in the first round, while Toronto is nowhere near a playoff spot and has been eliminated from postseason contention for over a week. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both teams play this game with a bit more relaxed sense of urgency. Dallas just wants to get through this week fully healthy and gear up to take on the Wild in what should be a tremendous series to watch unfold. On the other side, the Toronto’s 78 points are the 2nd-fewest in the Eastern Conference and they enter this contest riding a 5-game losing streak.

The Maple Leafs have struggled to find consistent goal-scoring in recent weeks with Auston Matthews sidelined, and things won’t get any easier going up against a Dallas team that ranks 2nd in the NHL allowing just 2.58 goals per game. While it’s been a tough season in Toronto, the Maple Leaf penalty kill has been effective, ranking 4th in the league with a kill percentage of 82.1%. That could be the difference in keeping this one a lower-scoring game. With a total of 6, the under is the play in this Monday matchup.

Stars vs Maple Leafs prediction: Under 6 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The final Monday of the regular season is action-packed with ten games, including a matchup between the Minnesota Wild and St.Louis Blues. These Central Division opponents have played twice this season, with both teams owning a win. Who will win the third and final meeting? Here is our expert Wild vs. Blues prediction.

As of April 12th, the Blues have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. However, in one of their final home games of the season, I still expect them to show up. Minnesota is on the road with some key veterans potentially out for this game (i.e Jared Spurgeon, Joel Eriksson-Ek, Mats Zuccarello, Zach Bogosian). Realistically, there is no reason for them to over-exert themselves in a meeting that means nothing within the standings. St. Louis has no pressure to win, and while unfortunate, it could allow them to play a loose game in an attempt to finish the season strong. They will be icing their full roster with no injuries, and will look to show some pride and dish out some final punishments against a division rival gearing up for the playoffs. For our Wild vs. Blues prediction, we are siding with St. Louis on the money line.

Wild vs Blues prediction: Blues ML (-130) available at time of publishing. Playable to -150.

Neither the San Jose Sharks nor the Nashville Predators is out of the playoff picture just yet, but it’s certainly going to be hard for them to steal a spot with time running out in the season. The Sharks are five points back of the Los Angeles Kings with three games remaining. If San Jose wins this game, they would need the Kings to lose their three remaining games, the Jets to lose one of their last three, the Predators to lose their final game, and they’d have to win their two remaining games. The Predators would pass the Kings with a win here, but Los Angeles has a game in hand and a favorable schedule against three tanking teams.

It’s becoming increasingly likely that Anze Kopitar will get one more playoff run before he calls it a career, but the Predators and Sharks will have one more game of belief before their playoff dreams likely end. The Predators have been surging as of late, with four wins in their last six games and nine of a possible 12 points, while the Sharks have lost four of their last five, including a home loss to these same Predators.

Given San Jose’s recent fall from grace and the disastrous loss to the Vancouver Canucks in their last game, which all but eliminated them from the playoffs, I think the Predators find a way to win this game and keep their playoff chances alive for a few more days. The Sharks’ run with Macklin Celebrini was great for the fanbase and a look to the future, but it’ll likely be one more year before we get playoff hockey back at the Shark Tank.

Sharks vs Predators prediction: Predators ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

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The Buffalo Sabres are set to play their final road game of the season in Chicago against the Blackhawks. With first place still up for grabs in the Atlantic Division, the Sabres will want to build on their strong performances. They have won four consecutive games and show no signs of slowing down.

On the other hand, the Blackhawks have secured the 31st spot in the league, meaning they don’t have much to play for. However, many players are looking to impress management for next season. Goaltending has been an issue all season for Chicago, but we may see some improvements in this matchup. The Blackhawks are averaging just 2.55 goals per game, so if they score, it is likely to be just one or two goals.

The Sabres could dominate this game as they did in their first meeting, but given what is at stake, they may want to focus on their defence. We lean slightly towards betting the under, hoping an empty net goal doesn’t spoil the outcome.

Sabres vs Blackhawks prediction: Under 6.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

The Colorado Avalanche will take on the Edmonton Oilers Monday night. The Avalanche have officially clinched the top spot in the NHL. This means that they will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With such dominance throughout the season, they can now relax as they finish out the last 3 games of their season. On the year, they averaged 3.70 goals per game while leading the NHL in total shots on net. The offense has been impressive, but the defensive play has not been far behind. The Avalanche goaltenders lead the NHL in save percentage, stopping 90.5% of the shots they face.

For the Oilers, they have officially clinched a playoff spot but sit only 1 point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. This should be motivation enough for them to put full effort into today’s game. On the season, they are averaging 3.44 goals per game while allowing 3.29 goals per game. The most impressive piece of the Oilers play has been their powerplay. The Oilers lead the NHL with a power play percentage of 30.6%. Penalties can be costly against the Oilers team. Overall, I think the Avalanche are more talented, but I am not sure the motivation is as high as the Oilers. I am taking the Oilers on the money line.

Avalanche vs. Oilers prediction: Oilers ML (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Not long ago, the Seattle Kraken were in the thick of the Western Conference playoff battle. However, they have stumbled down the stretch and are now eliminated from playoff contention. Seattle is just 6-12-2 since the beginning of March, and is now 3-5-2 over its last 10 games. On the other side, the Kings continue to surge and enter this matchup holding the 2nd wild card spot in the west. Los Angeles has just 21 regulation wins on the season, which is truly a bizarre sight to see for a playoff team. Nonetheless, the Kings continue to find a way under interim head coach D.J. Smith.

Los Angeles enters this game riding a 4-game win streak and has won 5 of its last 6 games. The lone loss came in a shootout against Nashville on April 2. The Kings have revenge on their minds in this matchup, as the Kraken have won all 3 of the previous meetings between these teams this season. All 3 games have been close, with Seattle winning by scores of 3-2 (OT), 3-2, and 4-2. It’s tough to beat a division rival 4 times in a row in a season, especially when that team is still playing with a high sense of urgency fighting for a playoff spot. Despite their struggles against the Kraken this season, I expect the Kings to win this matchup.

Kings vs Kraken prediction: Kings ML (-150) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Winnipeg Jets are trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive as they head to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. The situation is straightforward: if they lose, their season is over. Even if they win their remaining games, they will still need assistance from other teams to make the playoffs. It’s a long shot, but not impossible. They set themselves back on Saturday with a 7-1 loss against Philadelphia and now face a John Tortorella-coached team that hasn’t lost in regulation since he took over.

The Golden Knights have performed better under their new coach, particularly in the defensive zone. While there’s no doubt that they can score goals, their goaltending has been subpar. To counter this, they need to defend better and limit high-danger scoring chances, which they have done. Additionally, they still have a chance to secure the top spot in the Pacific Division, making this game significant for them. Expect them to come out with pace, and hopefully, they will cover the puck line.

Jets vs Golden Knights prediction: Golden Knights -1.5 (+145) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.