NHL Picks

The Colorado Avalanche will face the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. The Avalanche currently sit in first place in the Western Conference. Even though they are in first, they have lost 4 of their last 5 games. That is shocking out of the Avalanche, as they lead the league in goals per game, goals against per game and shots on goal. The Avalanche are averaging 3.69 goals on 33.7 shots. Numbers like those are why they have won 7 of their last 10 road games.

The Blackhawks are coming off a big win over the Minnesota Wild. On the season, they rank a lowly 14th in the Western Conference and they have lost 7 of their last 10 at home. The issue for the Blackhawks is that they only average 2.61 goals per game while recording just 24.4 shots per contest. Those offensive difficulties will not be made easier today, as the Avalanche also lead the league in save percentage — with their goaltenders stopping 90.6% of shots they face. This matchup with Chicago should be just what Colorado’s offense needs to get back on track. I am taking the Avalanche on the puck line.

Avalanche vs Blackhawks prediction: Colorado -1.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames are set for a Friday night showdown at Scotiabank Saddledome . Both teams are outside of the playoff picture by a wide margin, but that doesn’t mean both sides will lack any motivation. Several trades between the teams have altered each franchise significantly in recent seasons, which brings an interesting dynamic to this matchup. The Panthers are coming off a 4-0 win over the Oilers, which may be just what they needed to get the offense back on track. Florida had been struggling to score goals lately, but after a 4-goal performance in their last outing, they now get to face one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL.

The Flames have been among the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season, but they have been better over the last month or so. Plus, their scoring prowess has been much better at home than on the road. The Flames rank dead last in the NHL, scoring a measly 2.17 goals per game on the road, but that number jumps up to 2.73 when playing on home ice. The first meeting between these teams this season resulted in 8 total goals being scored in a 5-3 win for the Flames, so don’t be surprised if we see another relatively high-scoring affair.

Panthers vs Flames prediction: Over 5.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The Anaheim Ducks are looking to get back on track on Friday night when they visit the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City. Anaheim was one of the hottest teams in the NHL to start the season but has been rather up-and-down since then. The Ducks enter this contest with losses in 3 of their last 4 games and 5 of their last 9. The offense has been struggling, and life on the road continues to cause problems. Anaheim is 15-17-2 on the road compared to a strong 22-10-2 mark on home ice. The Ducks have another tough challenge on their hands as they head to Delta Center to face the Mammoth.

Utah is coming off back-to-back wins over Dallas and Las Vegas, who are 2 of the top teams in the Western Conference. Karel Vejmelka got the starting nod between the pipes on Thursday against Vegas, posting a 28-save shutout. That means we will likely see backup Vitek Vanecek in this one. Vanecek is a formidable backup who owns a strong 2.76 goals-against average in 16 games this season, and it helps that he will be playing behind a strong defensive structure. Utah makes life extremely difficult on its opponents, limiting them to just 26.0 shots on goal per game — which ranks fifth in the NHL. The Mammoth have also been strong on home ice all season, owning a record of 18-11-3 at Delta Center. Playing at home, backing the Mammoth on the money line is the play.

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

It has been a tale of two seasons for these teams. The Jets had a chance to make a run towards the playoffs shortly after the Olympic break, but four losses in the last six games, including a 6-1 blowout at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, put those dreams to an abrupt halt. The Penguins weren’t expected to have much success this season, but they are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, one of the five teams within one point of each other in the wild card/Metropolitan Division race.

While the offense wasn’t there for the Jets on Thursday, they had four consecutive games before that where they scored three goals, and the offense might not be a problem against the Penguins. Arturs Silovs is the likely starter for Pittsburgh, and before allowing two goals in his last start, he had allowed 13 goals over his previous three games.

It may seem like a scary proposition to bet the over in a game where Connor Hellebuyck starts, but he has had his share of poor outings over his past four starts, allowing 15 goals over his past four games. The Penguins’ offense has also been firing on all cylinders, scoring 16 goals over their past three games. With captain Sidney Crosby finally returning from injury in their last game and recording a goal and an assist, the offense should continue on its tear.

The offenses only need three goals each to get this over the finish line, and it feels like that is quite possible in this matchup.

Jets vs Penguins prediction: Over 6.5 (+110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t scored a goal in two games, suffering shutout losses to the Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth in back-to-back games. Both teams have been hot as of late, so there is no shame in losing to them, but failing to score goals with talent like the Golden Knights is disappointing, to say the least. Goaltending feels like it could be the achilles heel for Vegas if they hang on to a playoff spot, but Akira Schmid entered in relief of Adin Hill in the Mammoth loss and performed well.

The Predators have won back-to-back games after a losing skid that all but confirmed they wouldn’t be making the playoffs in a weak Western Conference. It has been a rough year for the Predators, and it felt like they might be on a freefall for the rest of the season, but these last two wins make it hard to predict which version of Nashville is going to show up.

Nevertheless, the Golden Knights aren’t going to handle being shut out in consecutive games, and it feels like a great spot for them to get a win in this game. Justus Annunen is the projected starter for the Predators, and he has performed well this month in limited action, but he still isn’t as capable of stealing a game as Juuse Saros.

The Golden Knights have been in such a funk that it wouldn’t be overly surprising if they were the underdog here, and these odds are begging us to take the Predators as the underdog. However, the Golden Knights should have a bounce-back effort here.

Golden Knights vs Predators prediction: Golden Knights ML (-130) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

The Carolina Hurricanes are starting a 3-game road trip with a match against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On the road, Carolina averages the most shots on goal, a trend that is expected to continue tonight. However, their strong point—goaltending—has encountered some difficulties recently. While Frederik Andersen has won his last four games, there’s a possibility that Brandon Bussi will be in the net tonight. Unfortunately, Bussi has allowed 12 goals in his last 3 starts and hasn’t achieved a save percentage above .900 since February 5, when he recorded a 16-save shutout against the New York Rangers. Although the rookie has performed impressively, he might be showing signs of fatigue from a long season.

Toronto still has a slim chance of making the playoffs, but realistically, its chances are low. Some players on the team need to prove to management that they deserve to stay for next season. Even without Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs could pose a challenge for the Hurricanes. They may be considered underdogs, but their +180 odds suggest they have a 35% chance of winning, which seems too low given Carolina’s recent struggles. Therefore, we lean towards the Leafs based solely on value.

Hurricanes vs Maple Leafs prediction: Toronto (+180) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

The New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals are set to meet for the third time this season in a game that both teams view as a must-win. Currently, both teams are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, making this divisional matchup crucial. The Capitals are seven points behind a playoff spot and can close that gap with a win, while the Devils are 11 points back and cannot afford to lose many more games. Given the importance of this matchup, a low-scoring game is to be expected.

Since the Olympic break, both the Devils and the Capitals have improved defensively, but New Jersey still struggles to score. Although the Devils have found the back of the net more frequently in their last three games, Washington will start Logan Thompson, who has posted above-average numbers this season. New Jersey will counter with Jake Allen, who has consistently outperformed his teammate, Jacob Markstrom. With 2 capable goaltenders and everything at stake, both coaches will emphasize a defense-first approach.

Devils vs Capitals prediction: Under 6.0 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.