NHL GAME PREVIEWS & BETTING TIPS

Buffalo heads to Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night for a 7:00 PM matchup on ESPN+, and this game has real weight in the Atlantic race. The Sabres are 46-21-8, sitting on 100 points and coming in off a 4-3 win over the Islanders. Ottawa is 38-26-10, and the Senators are trying to stop a three-game skid while protecting their

Montreal heads into Madison Square Garden on Thursday night for a 7:00 PM matchup on ESPN+, and the Canadiens look like one of the hotter teams in the East right now. They are 43-21-10, have won six straight, and just handled Tampa Bay 4-1 on the road. New York is 31-35-9, but the Rangers are playing a little better than

This is a big one for both sides, even if the pressure lands a little differently. Columbus heads to Lenovo Center for a 7:00 PM start on ESPN+ at 38-25-12, and the Blue Jackets are still holding the final wild-card spot in the East despite a four-game skid. Carolina is 47-21-6, first in the Metropolitan, sitting on 100 points, and

The Washington Capitals head to Prudential Center on Thursday, April 2, 2026, for a 7:30 PM matchup with the New Jersey Devils, and this is a pretty meaningful game for both sides in the Metropolitan picture. Washington enters at 38-28-9 and has some real momentum after three straight wins, while New Jersey is 38-34-2 and trying to steady itself at

The Vancouver Canucks head to Grand Casino Arena on Thursday, April 2, 2026, for an 8:00 PM matchup with the Minnesota Wild, and this one looks like a classic late-season contrast. Vancouver is 22-44-8 and sitting at the bottom of the Western picture, while Minnesota comes in at 41-21-12 and still pushing to protect strong playoff positioning in the conference.

The Winnipeg Jets head to American Airlines Center on Thursday night for an 8:00 PM matchup with the Dallas Stars, and this is a much more meaningful game than the standings table alone might suggest. Winnipeg is 32-30-12 and still pushing in the Western wild-card race after winning four of its last five, while Dallas sits at 44-19-12 and is

The Chicago Blackhawks head into Rogers Place on Thursday night for a 9:00 PM matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, and this one sets up as a difficult road spot for the visitors. Chicago is 27-35-14 and still stuck near the bottom of the Central picture, while Edmonton enters at 38-28-9 and trying to keep pressure on the top of the

The Utah Mammoth head into Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday night for a 10:00 PM matchup with the Seattle Kraken, and this one matters on both sides of the Western race. Utah is 38-30-6 and still trying to tighten its grip on a wild-card spot, while Seattle sits at 32-30-11 and is running short on time if it wants to

The Calgary Flames head to T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, April 2, 2026, for a 10:00 PM matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights on ESPN+. Calgary enters at 31-35-8, 14th in the Western Conference and seventh in the Pacific, while Vegas is 33-26-16 and sitting seventh in the West, still trying to firm up its playoff footing inside the division race.