What’s going on hockey fans? The season is barely a week old and it’s safe to say that we’ve seen some surprises thus far.
The Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, and St. Louis Blues make up the league’s list of undefeated teams so far. Now one of these is not like the other. I think’s safe to say that very few people expected the Sabres to get off to a 3-0 start, especially with all the drama surrounding the team.
Jack Eichel remains out of the lineup and has yet to make a decision regarding neck surgery. Still, the Sabres are outscoring their opponents 12-4 and have received some tremendous goaltending from Craig Anderson. It’ll be interesting to see if the Sabres have keep up their winning ways with upcoming matchups against talented teams like the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.
With four games on the docket on Friday, let’s dive into the picks and make some money!
All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook
🔥 The Hot Ticket
🏒 Sharks at Maple Leafs, 6 p.m. | TV: NHL.tv
The Pick: Sharks +1.5 (-120): Another surprise team out of the gate has been the Sharks. The Sharks have gotten off to a 3-0 start and are coming off a 2-1 win over the Senators on Thursday. Now this is a spot where I would normally fade a team that played the night before. However, the Sharks had backup goaltender James Reimer in net against the Senators, so starter Adin Hill is back between the pipes for this one.
Through two games, Hill has been very solid in net for the Sharks. While he did surrender three goals to the Jets in the season opener, Hill bounced back by stopping 21 shots in a shutout win against the Canadiens. Hill had served as the backup netminder for the Arizona Coyotes in recent years, but finished up the 2021 season in strong fashion. In six of his final 10 starts last season, Hill gave up two goals or less.
On top of that, the Sharks have been scoring the puck with regularity. In three games, San Jose has outscored their opponents 11-4 and have done that with a balanced scoring attack. Given that the Maple Leafs have only registered eight goals through four games, I believe that the Sharks will be able to keep this close and potentially even win outright.
Key Trend: The Sharks are 5-1 in their last six games against Eastern Conference opponents
💰 More NHL picks
🏒 Kings at Stars, 8:30 p.m. | TV: ESPN+
The Pick: Stars (-150): The Stars spent the first four games of the 2021-22 season on the road. Now they return home following a shootout win over the Penguins. The Stars finished off last season playing very well at home as they won five of their final six games at American Airlines Center. The offense has struggled at times, but being back at home, I expect the Stars to build on their winning streak against the Kings.
Now the Kings got off to a very surprising start with a dominant 6-2 win over the Golden Knights in their season opener. However, this is a team that has scored just three goals to the Predators and Wild in back-to-back losses. A great deal of the Kings’ success has stemmed from veterans Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, who have recorded 15 of the team’s 27 total points so far. I expect those numbers to start to dip and the Stars should be able to take this one at home.
Key Trend: The Stars are 7-3 in their last 10 games as a favorite
🏒 Oilers at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. | TV: NHL.tv
The Pick: Over 6.0 goals (-120): This one is a bit of a no-brainer for me. The Oilers have been one of the most dangerous offensive teams so far this season. This is a group that averages 4.5 goals-per-game and possesses the best player in the world in Connor McDavid. McDavid has looked unstoppable through four games and leads the NHL with 11 points. The Oilers also rank eighth in shots-on-goal and have several capable scorers up and down the lineup such as newcomer Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights were one team that many, myself included, thought would win the Stanley Cup this season. However, the injury bug has really hit the Golden Knights hard out of the gate. Star forward Max Pacioretty is currently out of the lineup with a fractured foot, which could sideline him for six weeks. In addition, fellow forward Mark Stone is dealing with a lower-body injury, but won’t need surgery. Even without Pacioretty and Stone in the lineup, the Golden Knights still have plenty of capable goal scorers in the form of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, and William Karlsson.
Between these two Western Conference juggernauts, I’d be surprised if this wasn’t a high-scoring affair. The Oilers can drop five or six goals on any team in the league, so we may only need a goal or two from the Golden Knights in order for the over to hit.
Key Trend: The over is 4-1 in the Oilers last five road games
