Expert Hockey Picks and Previews

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.

The Toronto Maple Leafs head to SAP Center on Thursday, April 2, 2026, for a 10:00 PM matchup with the San Jose Sharks, and this one has a little more betting juice than the brand names might suggest at first glance. Toronto is 32-30-13 and sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference, while San Jose comes in at 35-31-7 and still

This one feels bigger than a normal Thursday night regular season game. Nashville heads into Crypto.com Arena at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN+ with a 34-31-9 record, but the mood is tense after three straight losses and a playoff cushion that has basically vanished. Los Angeles is 30-26-18, and even with fewer wins, the Kings have pushed themselves right into

The St. Louis Blues head to Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, April 1 for a 9:00 p.m. ET start against the Los Angeles Kings in one of the more important Western wild-card games on the board. Los Angeles enters at 29-26-18 and is sitting just one point behind Nashville for the final playoff spot with a game in hand, while St.