With the large amount of games on tonight’s NHL schedule, it might be hard to know where to start. We at the Last Word on Hockey have helped narrow your focus to our best bets. This round of NHL Predictions will help condense the slate into three best bets and one prop bet of the night.
NHL Predictions
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Head-t0-Head: Sharks 0-1 Maple Leafs
TV: NBC Sports California; TSN4; ESPN+
Our first game of NHL predictions has the San Jose Sharks visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs in the back-end of a home-and-home matchup. Toronto picked up the 4-1 win over the Sharks, who have lost 11 straight games. Mackenzie Blackwood is the projected starter, but always check out social media before locking in a fantasy starter. The Sharks have struggled to score in recent games with getting one goal or less in their last five. Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund have been offensive bright spots for San Jose.
William Nylander just recently inked an eight-year extension on Monday and got two goals against the Sharks on Saturday. Martin Jones is the confirmed starter that will look to sweep his former team. Auston Matthews has gotten to 30 goals already for Toronto, which has won three straight games. The Leafs have the seventh-best power play in the league and face one of the worst PKs in the league.
Toronto knows it can’t take a night off or the media will rip the team apart. Leafs take care of business.
Prediction: Maple Leafs win 4-2.
Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks
Head-to-Head: Oilers 1-0 Blackhawks
TV: ESPN+; Hulu; Sportsnet One
The Edmonton Oilers have been red-hot in recent games with a seven-game winning streak. Projected starter Stuart Skinner has rebounded like the rest of the club from a slow start. Zach Hyman racked up his third hat trick of the season in Saturday’s victory over the Ottawa Senators. Edmonton is now 11th in goals for and goals against this season. Connor McDavid is already up to 40 assists at this point in the campaign.
There won’t be a battle of Connors and Connor Bedard is out with a broken jaw. The Chicago Blackhawks did win without the rookie sensation as they beat the Calgary Flames, 4-3. Colin Blackwell stepped up and scored a pair of goals for Chicago, who are going to need other players to fill in the goals after the Bedard injury. Nick Foligno will also be out of the lineup for Chicago.
Chicago did adjust well without Bedard, but facing Edmonton is whole other animal.
Prediction: Oilers win 5-2.
Ottawa Senators vs Calgary Flames
Head-to-Head: Senators 1-0 Flames
TV: Sportsnet West; TSN5; ESPN+
Our last game of NHL predictions has the Senators taking on the Flames. Joonas Korpisalo is the expected starter in between the pipes for the Senators, who have lost three straight games. Brady Tkachuk has 16 goals to lead the team and Tim Stutzle has dished out 27 assists this campaign. Ottawa’s penalty kill is dead-last in the NHL.
Jacob Markstrom is the expected starter for the Flames, who have lost two in a row. Blake Coleman leads the way in goals with 15 while Elias Lindholm has 17 assists so far. Calgary’s penalty kill is fifth in the league, but it’s going to need to cash in with its 30th ranked power play to win.
Both teams have been inconsistent, but Calgary takes the narrow win.
Prediction: Flames win 3-2.
Prop Bet of the Night
Let’s go back to the first game of NHL predictions for our prop bet of the evening. Nylander seems like he’ll want to celebrate with some points. We like Nylander getting over 1.5 points against San Jose.
Main photo by: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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