This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
There are 10 games on the NHL slate tonight, but I want to stay far away from a number of these matchups because the NHL's been so tough to call of late. The Flames, for example, outshot the league-leading Bruins 57-20 and STILL lost in overtime AT HOME on Tuesday. With all the trade action happening this week, there are four juicy matchups that I'm liking on tonight's board. Let's get into your best bets in the NHL tonight.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
NHL Expert Picks Tonight
Senators vs Rangers
It will be officially showtime in New York City tonight as highly touted trade deadline acquisition Patrick Kane makes his debut with the Broadway Blue Shirts. He joins an already stacked lineup featuring tons of weapons on all ends of the ice, and another recent trade acquisition in Vladimir Tarasenko who has been stellar with the Rags so far, even scoring the game-winner in overtime against the Flyers just last night. I was a bit surprised that the Rangers let the Flyers take 'em into OT last night, and facing the Senators on the second leg of a back-to-back presents a bigger challenge. The Sens come into tonight's tilt winners of 3 in a row. They walloped the Red Wings in two consecutive games by a combined score of 12-3 and beat the Canadiens in the game prior to that double-header 5-2. Both sides will be buzzing with new energy, but I think the Sens have what it takes to keep this one close at the very least.
Senators PL -170
Kraken vs Red Wings
The Kraken just ended a 3-game slide with a 5-3 win on the road in St. Louis on Tuesday. Despite posting a 2-4-1 record in away games in February, the Kraken are still one of the strongest road teams so far this season with an overall 18-9-3 mark. They bested tonight's opponents in the Red Wings just 2 weeks ago by a score of 4-2 but really held a strong 3-goal lead before the Wings popped their second goal late. The Wings look to end their own 3-game slide tonight after getting absolutely drubbed by their Atlantic Division rival Senators by a combined score of 12-3 in their previous two games, with a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Lightning preceding those defeats. The Wings made some big moves at the trade deadline this week, sending Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek to new teams this week. I'm giving the edge to the Kraken who comes into this one healthier and with their core more intact.
Kraken ML -115
Sabres vs Bruins
The Bruins are on an 8-game win streak and have won 9 of their last 10. They absolutely loaded up at the trade deadline, and just signed superstar David Pastrnak to a massive contract extension. The B's are buzzin' and it's hard to bet against them. Yet, they seemed to limp their way to victories of late. They eeked out a 4-3 overtime win in Calgary despite being outshot 57-20. They won a close 3-2 game in Edmonton just before that, and also bested the Kraken by 1-goal in a 6-5 contest last Thursday in Seattle. Big west coast road trips are tough, and they'll return home to take on a Sabres team that, despite its 5-5 record over its last 10 games, is ready to compete with anyone on any given night. The Sabres are loaded with youth, speed, and talent. The Sabres handed the Bruins one of their 5 home losses on the season so far, and even though being without Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch will hurt the core, I think this one is a close bout.
Sabres PL -105
Penguins vs Lightning
Just when you want to count the Penguins out and finally stick a fork in the Crosby-Malkin-Letang era, they rattle off 3-straight wins to keep control of the final Wild Card spot in the East. They've had some good fortune against the Bolts this season so far too. They've outscored them 13-5 in the two games they've played against one another, with the most recent contest ending in a 7-3 score in favor of the Pens in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Lightning are a different animal at home though. They're 22-5-3 on home ice overall this season and are 7-1-2 at Amelie Arena in 2023. I like them to win this one outright.
Lightning ML -165
