NHL Picks (Today's Free Predictions, Tips, Parlays)

Penguins at Canadiens Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 3/2/2013

When I last previewed a Pittsburgh Penguins game, things were going swimmingly for Sidney Crosby and Co. The Pens were atop the Eastern Conference, right where they expected to be, and looked like the club that would face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. Maybe the Pens still will be that team.

Wild at Ducks Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 3/1/2013

The Minnesota Wild wrap up a quick two-game road trip in two nights with a visit to the Honda Center on Friday to face off against the Anaheim Ducks. This Western Conference clash is set to get underway at 10:00 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NHL Center Ice.

Lightning at Rangers Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/28/2013

The Lightning have been a minor disappointment to me so far this season as they sit exactly at .500 19 games into the season. They are excelling, though, compared to the Rangers — also at .500 after 18 games. The Rangers were the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup after adding Rick Nash to an already deep roster. Now they sit as just the seventh choice at Bovada to hoist the trophy, and at 18/1 they are not among the chief contenders.

Red Wings at Kings Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/27/2013

The Los Angeles Kings appeared to suffer a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover when this season started despite the fact it began a few months later than normal because of the lockout. However, the Kings now look to be snapping out of things and are starting to resemble their championship selves as they welcome Detroit to the Staples Center for the only time this season on Wednesday night.

Flames at Wild Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/26/2013

This condensed schedule due to the lockout has led to no end of strange quirks of scheduling, and this game is yet another example. This is the third time in 16 days that these teams have met and the second time since Saturday night. Both of the previous games were played in Calgary — a 3-1 win by the Flames on Saturday night, and a 2-1 shootout win by the Wild on the 11th. They don’t play again after this until mid-April when they play twice within five days. For the Wild this is the second time in a row they have played Calgary, while the Flames fit in a Sunday night game against Phoenix — a 5-4 win at home — between meetings.

Stars at Predators Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/25/2013

The Dallas Stars will take a trip to Bridgestone Arena this Monday night for the first meeting this season with the Nashville Predators. This Western Conference clash is scheduled for an 8 p.m. (ET) start, and the game will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network.

Islanders at Sabres Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/23/2013

The first head coaching casualty of this lockout-shortened NHL season arrived early this week when the struggling Buffalo Sabres fired Lindy Ruff. He had spent 16 seasons behind the Buffalo bench, the longest-active tenured NHL coach by far and the second longest in the four major American team sports behind Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Since Ruff was named Buffalo's head coach on July 21, 1997, there have been 170 coaching changes in the NHL. Now Nashville’s Barry Trotz has the longest tenure in hockey, as he was hired as the expansion team’s coach in 1998.

Sharks at Blackhawks Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/22/2013

The San Jose Sharks will try and hand the Chicago Blackhawks their first loss in regulation this season when the two Western Conference foes square off this Friday night at the United Center. The game is set to get underway at 8:30 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on the NHL Network.

Sabres at Maple Leafs Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/21/2013

I graduated from college 16 years ago. I was a senior when Lindy Ruff was hired as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. A whole lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, but this will be the first game since then that Ruff will not be the man in charge. The longest tenured coach in the sport — and second longest in North American sports behind only Gregg Popovich — is suddenly unemployed after the disappointing start to the season for Buffalo, and the Sabres are in a very unfamiliar position right now.

Flyers at Penguins Picks and NHL Hockey Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/20/2013

The Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the Stanley Cup and Eastern Conference favorites (just behind the Rangers) when the season began, and the Pens haven’t disappointed. They are tied with surprising New Jersey for the most points in the conference with 22. Pittsburgh is now the East favorite on Sportsbook.ag at +250 and +500 to win the Cup, tied with the scorching-hot Chicago Blackhawks as the favorites.

Canucks at Blackhawks Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/19/2013

Incredibly, the Blackhawks are 15 games into their season, and they have yet to lose a game in regulation. If they can take at least one point from this game then they will tie the NHL record for the best start to a season in league history. What makes their 12-0-3 start even more impressive is that 10 of the 15 games have been played on the road. Teams aren’t supposed to be good on the road, but Chicago obviously didn’t get that memo.

Flames at Coyotes Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/18/2013

The Calgary Flames will wrap up a quick two-game road trip this Monday night at Jobing.com Arena when they face off against the Phoenix Coyotes in this Western Conference clash. The game is set to get underway at 9 p.m. (ET), and it will be available on NHL Center Ice.

Senators at Maple Leafs Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/16/2013

It’s my first all-Canadian NHL free picks story of the season and probably my last, but I feel almost obligated to address the Ottawa Senators. You know the saying that if it wasn’t for bad luck you wouldn’t have any luck at all? Well, that aptly describes Ottawa thus far.

Stars at Canucks Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/15/2013

The Dallas Stars will wrap up a three-game trip north of the border when they square off against Vancouver this Friday night at Rogers Arena. The game is scheduled for a 10 p.m. (ET) start, and it will be available on NHL Center Ice.

Islanders at Rangers Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/14/2013

It’s not the most romantic option, but there are lots of worse ways to spend Valentine’s Day than a classic rivalry game. It has been a long time since this series has been at its best because the Islanders have been so poorly run for so long, but it’s still a big rivalry, and some blood could easily get spilled. Blood is red, so it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Blues at Red Wings Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/13/2013

The Central Division title looks like a foregone conclusion in the National Hockey League with as dominant as the Chicago Blackhawks have looked. But really who cares about division titles in hockey? Two other Central Division teams that are likely to have a say on whom comes out of the Western Conference this season meet for the fourth time already this season on Wednesday when St. Louis, the reigning Central champ, visits Detroit.

Canadiens at Lightning Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 2/12/2013

This is a game that both of these teams need to win. After getting off to a strong 6-1 start, the Lightning have lost their last four, including all three games of a recent road trip. With every game coming against your own conference this year, a team can barely afford that kind of streak when they are fighting for a lower playoff spot anyway. Montreal has also struggled, losing their last three. The last one, against hated rival Toronto, was a humiliating 6-0 loss that wasn’t even as close as the score would suggest.

Kings at Blues Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/11/2013

In a rematch of last season’s Western Conference semifinals, the Los Angeles Kings face off against the St. Louis Blues this Monday night at the Scottrade Center. The game is scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network.

Panthers at Capitals Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 2/9/2013

Adam Oates was a tremendous NHL player in his 19-season career, good enough to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame last year. But it’s starting to appear that perhaps Oates is overmatched as a head coach in the league. The Washington Capitals only hired Oates, formerly a Devils assistant, because Dale Hunter chose to return to run the junior club he owns in Canada.

Ducks at Stars Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Dave Schwab - 2/8/2013

The Western Conference’s Pacific Division will take center stage this Friday night as the only game on the NHL schedule pits the Anaheim Ducks against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The puck is set to drop at 8:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be broadcast nationally on the NHL Network.