NHL GAME PREVIEWS & BETTING TIPS

The San Jose Sharks head to Honda Center on Thursday night for a game that still carries real weight in the Pacific. San Jose enters at 37-33-7 and is hanging around the Western wild-card race, while Anaheim is 41-32-5 and trying to stop a late slide before it does any more damage to its playoff position. Puck drop is set

The Vancouver Canucks head into Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night with little left in the standings, but not nothing. At 22-47-8 and already eliminated, they still have a chance to make life uncomfortable for teams that are desperate for points, and Los Angeles fits that description. The Kings sit at 32-26-19 with 83 points, just outside the playoff line in

The Edmonton Oilers head to SAP Center on Wednesday, April 8 for a 10:00 PM ET puck drop against the San Jose Sharks, with TNT carrying the broadcast. Edmonton enters at 39-29-10 and San Jose is 37-32-7, so this one matters for playoff positioning even if the records do not look especially close at first glance. The Oilers are still

Buffalo heads into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night for a 7:00 p.m. ET start with real pressure on this game. The Sabres are 47-23-8 and right in the middle of the Atlantic race, while the Rangers are 33-36-9 and playing out the final week of a disappointing season. It is on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max, and the market

The Washington Capitals head to Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the pressure is almost entirely on the road side. Washington enters at 39-30-9 with 87 points and is still alive in the Eastern Conference race, even if the margin for error is basically gone now. Toronto is 32-31-14,

The Tampa Bay Lightning head to Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday night for a 7:00 PM ET matchup with the Ottawa Senators in a game that matters for both sides, even if for slightly different reasons. Tampa Bay enters at 48-23-6 and is still fighting for Atlantic Division positioning after Monday’s loss in Buffalo. Ottawa comes in at 40-27-10, still

The Nashville Predators head to Honda Center on Tuesday night for a late Western Conference matchup that still carries some weight, especially for Nashville. The Predators are 36-31-10 after a shootout loss in Los Angeles on Monday, so this is the second half of a back-to-back and the fourth stop of a demanding road stretch. Anaheim comes in at 41-31-5,

The Seattle Kraken head to Grand Casino Arena on Tuesday night for an 8:00 p.m. ET matchup with the Minnesota Wild, and this one feels like a game where the gap in urgency and form matters. Seattle comes in at 32-33-11, sitting 13th in the Western Conference and fading out of the race after another rough loss Monday night. Minnesota

The Edmonton Oilers head to Salt Lake City on Tuesday night for a big Western Conference game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center. Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. ET, and this one matters for both sides. Edmonton enters at 39-29-9 with 87 points and is fighting near the top of the Pacific, while Utah sits at 40-30-6