Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

Expert NHL Handicapping Roundup + Saturday Free Pick for 12/16/2023

by Ryan Cobbett - 12/15/2023

Expert NHL handicapping roundup Saturday free pick Kaapo Kahkonen San Jose Sharks

Another great week in the greatest sport on Earth. And that means it’s time for another Friday Round-up. As we look back on the week that was, we saw the Blues move on from their bench boss, while the Caps are moving to Virginia, and the Jets lost their leading goal scorer in Kyle Connor for approximately two months as he is out with a knee injury. The Penguins and Canadiens needed a 12-round shootout to determine the winner back on Wednesday night, as Jansen Hankins finally won it for Pittsburgh. In this week’s roundup, we have three team trends that have been money makers, and we discuss an absolute mess of a division.

Doc’s Sports offers NHL expert picks for every game on our hockey predictions page.

Success in San Jose

The Sharks have tallied 14 points in their last 10 games with a 6-2-2 record. San Jose looks like a totally new team, and they are climbing the league standings. Alright, everybody just relax. They are still ranked 30th overall and are still dead last in GF/G and GA/G. But we have the rest of the season to dog on the Sharks. Let’s celebrate their success. And if you have ridden with this team, the last few weeks have fed the wallets pretty well. The six wins all came against playoff-caliber teams, and the Sharks managed to score more than three goal, six times in their last 10 games. Not only that, but the Sharks have also covered in eight of their last 10 games. This team still may be the worst team in the NHL, but boy have they been fun to watch lately, and they will look to continue their success on a two-game road trip to Arizona and Colorado.

Beantown Beatdowns

Only two teams have kept the Sharks from notching a point over the last 10 games, and one of those teams was the Bruins. Boston beat the Sharks 3-0 at the Garden back on 11/30, as the Bruins notched another win in Beantown. Boston has the best home record in the NHL, as they are 10-2-1 in 13 home games so far. They have a +17-goal differential in home games this season, in large part because of their elite goaltending. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have combined to allow just 2.15 GA/G in front of their home fans. If you see the Bruins at home, it’s almost a guarantee that they will win. No team defends their ice better than the Bruins of Beantown, and their dominating home performance has kept them atop the league’s standings.

What the Duck!

After a solid start to the season, the Ducks have really fallen off. They have just three wins since November 7 as the offense has sputtered. Since the 7th, the Ducks have gone 3-14 with a -27-goal differentia. Backup goaltender Lukas Dostal has disappeared after a solid start to his season. Since the November 7 mark, Dostal has allowed 23 goals in four starts after allowing just 17 goals in his first six games. Not only has Dostal regressed, but so has the offense. Anaheim has managed a lowly 2.06 GF/G mark throughout the duration of this ruining skid. The Ducks now rank 29th in GF/G on the season with their netminding also falling in the league rankings as they rank 26th in the NHL in GA/G. Right now, the Ducks are in the midst of a four-game road stretch with dates with the Rangers, Devils, and Red Wings on deck. After that, they can settle into a nice eight-game home stand that stretches into the new year. Maybe a couple of weeks at home will do this club some good as they look to end the woes or at least soften the blows. This rebuilding club lacks star power and is a long way from competing, but this is an absolute gross stretch of 17 games.

Metro Mayhem

From top to bottom, there is no division as competitive as the Metro Division. Only 14 points separate the basement dwellers from the top of the standings. To compare the divisional races, the Atlantic has 18 points separating top from bottom, while in the West, there is 19 points of separation in the Central and 25 points of separation in the Pacific. Additionally, there are six teams in the Metro that have eclipsed 30 points on the year. Only seven teams in the whole Western Conference have exceeded that milestone. The Metro is absolute madness. As it stands right now, the Rangers (39) lead the division with a four-point lead over the Isles and Flyers (35) who sit in the last guaranteed spots. Then, in order, you have the Hurricanes (33), Caps (32), and Devils (31), all within four points of the coveted top three spots, with the Penguins (29) just six points behind. Columbus does have 25 points, but this is not a good team and can be eliminated from consideration going forward. That leaves the Metro with seven playoff potential teams. So, let’s breakdown the best division in the NHL. The Rangers have surprisingly joined the conversation of the best team in hockey and seem to be in the driver’s seat in the Metro. The real discussion is the other six contenders. The Isles, Flyers, and Caps have come out of nowhere and had some incredible success during the campaign. The Isles are on a four-game win streak and are the hottest team in the East, New Jersey uses their high-flying offense to balance out one of the more disappointing goalie tandems, while incredible netminding has kept the Caps and Pens in the conversation. However, there is no better story than the Philadelphia Flyers. They have a middling offense as they average less than three tallies a game, but their goaltending has been consistent, and they have managed success on the road so far: A solid recipe for a playoff team. On the other hand, the Caroline Hurricanes have been one of the most disappointing teams so far this season. They play like one of the best teams in the league at home, posting an 8-2-1 record, but have been awful on the road, going 8-10. Surely the Canes will get back on track and that will make this division even more insane. Right now, I would predict the Rangers, Hurricanes, and Isles to lock up the guaranteed spots, with the Flyers, Devils, and Penguins all fighting for a wild card spot.

Free Pick Saturday – Los Angeles Kings @ Seattle Kraken, LAK -1.5 +162

After a record-breaking start on the road this season, the Kings have now lost back-to-back contests. However, what better time to get back on track than when you play a subpar division opponent. This is the first of three contests these two teams will play against each other. The Kings have dropped their last three games and have allowed 12 goals in those losses. Seattle ranks in the bottom third in the league in scoring, and that will help Los Angeles get back on track. Seattle is in the second of back-to-back games, and they got all their scoring out last night when they tallied seven against the Blackhawks. Kings dominate.

Get NHL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent Hockey Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers