NHL Picks

The Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils will battle in an absolutely crucial contest for Eastern Conference playoff positioning on Tuesday night in New Jersey. Philadelphia occupies the #3 spot in the Metropolitan Division and is just 1 point inside the current playoff cut line. As for the Devils, it’s just about over for them — 7 points behind the Flyers in the standings. That’s not to say New Jersey has waived the white flag, but urgency is greater for Philly — and that team is playing like it. The Flyers are 14-5-1 in their last 20 games and come into this one on a 2-game winning streak after defeating the Bruins 2-1 in overtime on Sunday. Dan Vladar is expected to make his third straight start for Philadelphia. He is 26-13-7 this season with a 2.43 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

This marks the third head-to-head meeting between these 2 teams in 2025-26. Philly has absolutely dominated the matchup so far, prevailing 6-3 at home on November 22 and 5-3 in New Jersey on November 29. There is no sign of the Devils turning the tide, as they have alternated wins and losses over their past 7 contests. They have not won back-to-back games since March 24-26 — a feat they are looking to accomplish after beating Montreal 3-0 this past weekend. New Jersey is likely sending Jakob Markstrom to the net on Tuesday. Markstrom has lost 2 of his last 3 starts and comes in with a 23-18-1 record in addition to a 3.04 goals-against average and .885 save percentage. It’s also worth noting that Philadelphia is better on the road (21-13-4) than it is at home (18-13-8). The Flyers are playing inspired hockey regardless of the venue these days, so look for their momentum — and their recent head-to-head dominance of the Devils — to continue.

Flyers vs Devils prediction: Philadelphia ML (+105) available at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

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The Dallas Stars will be hosting the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Although the Stars first round playoff matchup has been determined for much of the season already, they still have something to play for. They are sitting two points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division. Second place in the division would give them home ice advantage in their first-round matchup with the Wild. The Stars will have this game against the Flames circled on their calendar as a must win. The Flames are the second-worst offensive team in the league, averaging 2.57 goals per game, and will have difficulty keeping up with the scoring of the Stars. The Flames are also brutal on the road. They are 11-24-3 away from the Saddledome this season.

The veteran lineup of the Stars will dominate this game with home ice in the first round of the playoffs on their mind. I expect them to be leading this game late into regulation time, bringing in the chance for an empty net goal if needed. Give me the Stars on the puck line.

Flames vs. Stars prediction: Stars -1.5 (+105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

For the second time in three days, the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues hit the ice in the NHL. These Central Division opponents played on Sunday in a 3-2 Blues win, which went a long way for their slim but alive playoff hopes. How will this one shake out? Here is our Avalanche vs. Blues prediction to help find out.

It is well-known that Colorado is a front runner for this year’s Stanley Cup, but they need to regain some momentum as the season closes. They are now 2-3-0 in their last five games, which includes three regulation losses on home ice to teams not currently clinched in the playoffs. I expect a better effort from this team who can typically score 3+ goals, and return the favour of a loss as a road team. They have also been elite on the road at 26-7-5. St. Louis is now 6-1-2 in their last nine games, but not many teams could beat Colorado in two-straight games. We are siding with Colorado for our Avalanche vs. Blues prediction.

Avalanche vs. Blues prediction: Colorado Avalanche money line (-155) available at time of publishing. Playable to (-170).

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The Seattle Kraken will take on the Minnesota Wild Tuesday night. The Kraken are coming off a brutal 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Kraken have now lost 9 of their last 10 games. At one point the Kraken were in the running for the playoffs but then hit this slump. On the season, they are only averaging 2.79 goals per game on 25.5 shots. This shot average ranks them 31^st in the NHL while only scoring on 10.9% of their shots this season. These offensive struggles have been present over the past 10 games as they have only scored 21 goals in that time. Making matters worse, they have given up 44 goals over the last 10 games. The Kraken are on a downhill slope that does not seem to be slowing down.

For the Wild, they have officially advanced to the playoffs. They currently rank 3^rd in the Western Conference though they are only 2 points behind the Dallas Stars. On the season the most impressive play for the Wild has been on defense. The Wild defense ranks 4^th in the NHL only giving up 2.83 goals per game. The goaltenders rank 2^nd in the NHL with a saver percentage of .904 this season. Overall, the Wild are motivated and have an elite defense while the Kraken are sliding and struggle to score. I am taking the Wild on the puck line.

Kraken vs. Wild Prediction: Wild -1.5 (+105) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Edmonton Oilers and Utah Mammoth are set to meet for the 3rd and final time this season on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City. Edmonton has won the first 2 meetings by scores of 6-3 and 5-2, but this matchup could produce a different results. The Oilers reeled off 5 straight wins last week, but enter this contest coming off a 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights on Saturday. The Oilers have made a habit of being a bit boom-or-bust this season, and this road matchup presents a tough challenge for Connor McDavid and company to get back on track.

The Mammoth have been great on home ice all season long, but they have lost their last 2 games at Delta Center. The good news is that they are coming off a 3-game road trip that resulted in 3 straight wins. The Utah offense is firing on all cylinders, having scored 19 total goals over those 3 games. Goaltending continues to be an issue for Edmonton, so the Utah offense appears to have a solid advantage in this one. This will also be Edmonton’s first road game since March 26, so they could be a bit out of sorts early on. Playing on home ice, look for the Mammoth to find the win column.

Oilers vs Mammoth prediction: Mammoth ML (-130) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

When the Lightning and Sabres met a little less than a month ago on March 8, the Sabres walked away with a wild 8-7 win in what was arguably the game of the year in the NHL so far this season. Both offenses were firing on all cylinders, which follows a common theme for Tampa Bay and Buffalo in their 3 meetings this season. All 3 games have gone over the total, with 7, 8 and 15 total goals being scored. I expect that trend to continue in Monday night’s matchup at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

The Sabres have scored just 3 total goals over their last 2 games, but after playing both of those games on the road, they now return home where they rank fifth in the NHL by scoring 3.50 goals per game. Furthermore, the Buffalo powerplay is clicking at a 25% clip on home ice — which is good for sixth in the league. The Lightning enter this contest rolling on offense, as they have potted an average of 4 goals per game over their last 10 outings. Both of these teams play with great pace and are excellent at creating Grade-A scoring chances. Look for this matchup to put plenty of pressure on the goaltenders. The over is the play.

Lightning vs Sabres prediction: Over 6.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Winnipeg Jets will host the Seattle Kraken on Monday night. The Kraken have been struggling of late, and they come into this game riding a 4-game losing streak and with only 2 wins in their last 10 games. The Jets are sitting 3 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 6 games remaining on their schedule. Every game is a must-win if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs. That starts on Monday against the Kraken. The Kraken are one of the worst offensive teams in the league, so it should be fairly easy for goalie Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets to keep them off the score sheet. The Kraken are only scoring 2.79 goals per game this season. They probably do not have the elite offensive talent to keep pace with the goal scoring of the Jets. The leading point scorer on Seattle’s roster is Jordan Eberle with just 52 points. There are 4 players on the Jets who have 52 or more points this season.

I expect the veteran lineup of the Jets to have a dominant performance on home ice and take the 2 points against the Kraken. Give me Winnipeg to get the job done in regulation.

Kraken vs Jets prediction: Winnipeg 3-way ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are traveling to San Jose to face off against the Sharks for the second time this season. Although the Blackhawks were eliminated from playoff contention some time ago, they are not expected to go down without a fight. They have the opportunity to play spoiler, a role that many teams enjoy. Additionally, the Blackhawks have young players looking to impress management and secure a roster spot next year. While their road record and overall performance may not be impressive, they are determined to compete.

On the other hand, the Sharks enter this matchup just 2 points shy of claiming the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. It has been a challenging season for them, but they remain in contention. After a critical loss to Nashville two nights ago, the Sharks need to quickly regroup and refocus. They have won 20 home games and have been scoring regularly in their last five games. Goaltending, which has been a weak point for much of the season, has improved recently. Chicago averages only 2.56 goals per game and takes fewer than 25 shots — so if the Sharks’ starting goalie can perform adequately, they stand a good chance of winning. Macklin Celebrini has been outstanding since the start of the season, and that trend is likely to continue tonight. Expect him to lead his team to victory in regulation.

Blackhawks vs Sharks prediction: San Jose 3-Way ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Nashville Predators will face the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. Both teams have 81 points but the Kings currently sit in ninth in the Western Conference. This game will be huge especially with both teams fighting for the last playoff spot. The Predators have won their last 2 games and have won 4 of their last 5 away games. They have also won both head-to-head meetings with the Kings this year. On the season, the Preds are averaging 2.97 goals per game on 28 shots per game. While these numbers are not ideal, they have scored 20 goals over their last 5 away games while only allowing 15 goals. It seems Nashville is motivated to make the playoffs.

The Kings have won 3 of their last 5 games overall. They have struggled at home, losing 5 of their last 7. Much of the issue for the Kings is their lack of scoring. On the season they rank 28th in goals per game with 2.68 goals per game. The Kings also rank 30th in shooting percentage this season with goals on less than 10% of their shots. The final concern for the Kings is that they have given up 58 powerplay goals this season. Overall, the Kings’ offense is a concern, and the Predators look great away from home. I am taking Nashville on the money line.

Predators vs Kings prediction: Nashville ML (+115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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