by Here are the NHL picks I am rolling with tonight. Let’s start the week off strong!
Season Record: 42-35
Tail or fade with caution!
Hurricanes @ Blue Jackets
Pick: Over 5.5 (-125)
After a 6-5 win over the Blue Jackets yesterday, the Hurricanes have now scored four goals or more in each of their past four games. They got six goals from six different players in Sunday’s contest, which shows they have some depth and can be hard to defend. Meanwhile, the Jackets offense has looked a little better with Patrik Laine in the lineup, as they have scored 3, 4, and 5 goals in the three games with him in a Jackets uniform. Laine had two goals yesterday, including one on the power play, and both were assisted by fellow newcomer Jack Roslovic along with Seth Jones. Jones is stepping up offensively as well, and he will need to keep it up with Zach Werenski on IR with a lower-body injury. Werenski’s 24+ minutes of ice time per game is pretty much irreplaceable, so that definitely hurts the Columbus defense. As far as the goaltending goes, both teams have their starters out with injuries, and James Reimer and Joonas Korpisalo gave up a combined 11 goals on 48 shots yesterday. Alex Nedeljkovic is slated to get his first start of the season for Carolina, and Korpisalo will make his fourth straight start for Columbus. Korpisalo has really struggled in his last three starts, allowing 14 goals on 77 shots (.818 save percentage). I’m taking the Over.
Islanders @ Rangers
Pick: Rangers ML (-115)
After a 3-1 start, the Islanders lost five games in a row before getting back into the win column Saturday against the Penguins. They are currently on a three-game point streak (1-0-2), and will head to Madison Square Garden where they have won 13 of the last 18 meetings there against the Rangers. However, I like the Rangers to come out on top. The Rangers are on a four-game point streak (3-0-1), and appear to be playing more comfortably now that the Tony DeAngelo drama has passed. Igor Shesterkin appears to have found his groove, as he has won three straight starts, and has a .949 SV% in his last two. Schesterkin had his worst game of the season in the opener against the Islanders, where he gave up a season-high four goals. I think he will want his revenge in this game. The Islanders have taken a step back since that season-opening game, and the Rangers have taken a step forward and seem to be putting things together a bit. I’m taking them to get the win at home over the Islanders.
Lightning @ Predators
Pick: Predators ML (+130)
The Lightning have won four games in a row and continue to show that they are one of the premier teams in the NHL. However, all four of those wins were at home, and now they are on the road. The Bolts have played just three games away from home this season, and they were held to just five goals in two games. They are 1-1-1 on the road, compared to 6-0 at home. On the other side, the Predators return back from a road trip that saw them lose to the Lightning twice, and split with the Panthers. The Preds have not played good on the road, as they are 1-5 away from Nashville, but are 4-1 at home. I think they will be able to use that home ice to their advantage, and I think they pick up a win. The Lighting have just two wins in their last nine trips to Nashville, so I’m taking the Preds.
Oilers @ Senators
Picks: Over 6.5 (-125) and Senators Puck Line +1.5 (-160)
The first time these two teams played against one another there were eight goals in the first period. The second matchup saw six total goals, and felt rather low-scoring. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are inhuman, but they cannot do everything themselves. Leaning a little bit too much on those two superstars seems to be the identity of this Edmonton team, but they need to get consistent production from their other forwards. I think there is a good chance of that happening tonight. As mentioned, that was able to happen in the first meeting, as the Oilers scored eight total goals, and the Senators have the worst goals against average at 4.33. I think the supporting cast for Edmonton steps up tonight. On the other side, Ottawa has looked like a completely different team in their last two outings, as they defeated Montreal 3-2 and took them down to the wire in a 2-1 loss. Those were two very impressive games considering that Montreal has the highest goals per game average this season (4.0). However, I am not quite sure that Ottawa will be able to put together three straight defensive performances like that, especially against a McDavid and Draisaitl led team, so that is why I like the Over. I will take Ottawa +1.5 because I think they can give Edmonton a run for their money, and the Oilers have just been way too inconsistent. Although they can score a lot, Edmonton is giving up a ton of goals as well. They have the third-worst goals against average at 3.77, so I’ll take Ottawa +1.5 here.
Best of luck. Cheers.
Title Photo: John Russell / NHLI via Getty Images
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