NHL GAME PREVIEWS & BETTING TIPS

The Nashville Predators head to Salt Lake City on Thursday night for one of the more important games on the Western Conference board. Nashville is 37-32-10 and clinging to the second wild-card spot, while Utah sits at 41-30-6 and holds the first wild card with a little more breathing room. The setting is Delta Center, puck drop is 9:00 p.m.

Colorado comes home to Ball Arena on Thursday night with one more regular-season box left to check. The Avalanche have already locked up the Central Division and the No. 1 seed in the West at 51-16-10, but the President’s Trophy is still sitting there. Two more points clinch it. Calgary, meanwhile, is 32-37-9 and already out of the playoff picture,

The Vegas Golden Knights head to Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday night in one of the more interesting late-season spots on the board. Vegas is 36-26-16 and tied on points with Edmonton atop the Pacific, even if the tiebreak math still leaves the Knights looking up for the moment. Seattle, meanwhile, is 32-34-11 and hanging on by a thread in

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