The NHL slate for Saturday is absolutely loaded with 22 teams in action. The league did an excellent job in terms of spreading out the games with the action set to begin at 1 p.m. eastern time with three afternoon games. One of those contests should get a lot of action with the home team getting a favorable matchup against a visiting side from the west coast. We took the time to break down the most favorable matchups on the slate. Here is a look at the five best games for NHL betting this Saturday.
Vancouver Canucks at Buffalo Sabres
Saturday, 1:00 PM ET
Vancouver has outperformed expectations early on this season, thanks in large part to the play of rookie Elias Pettersson. However, Brock Boeser is out with a nagging groin injury, Alex Edler has a sprained MCL and the Canucks are in the midst of a brutal six-game east coast road trip. The early start time likely won’t help Vancouver either. Buffalo is 4-2-1 at home this season, including a 9-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in its last home game. The Sabres should continue to roll with a big win over the Canucks in this one.
New York Islanders at Florida Panthers
Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
The Panthers are desperate for better results on home ice after failing to pick up a victory in each of their first three games at the BB&T Center. Florida has shown flashes of its potential early on, but the wins simply haven’t been there. The Panthers will attempt to get on track at home against an opponent that has overachieved early on this year. The Islanders own one of the best records in the Eastern Conference despite losing their franchise player in John Tavares over the summer. A market correction could be around the corner for the Isles. There is a good chance it starts in Florida on Saturday night.
Ottawa Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning
Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
One team that isn’t likely to slow down is the Lightning, which opened the season with an 11-3-1 record. Tampa Bay ranks second in the NHL with an average of 3.6 goals per game and ranks fifth in the league with an average of 2.7 goals allowed per game this season. Those are impressive numbers, especially considering the relatively slow starts from Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos compared to last season. The Lightning beat Ottawa in the second game of a back-to-back last weekend and they should have no problem doubling down on them at home this Saturday. Take Tampa Bay to beat the Senators by two goals or more.
Detroit Red Wings at Carolina Hurricanes
Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
The Hurricanes have slowed down following an excellent start to the season, but it’s only a matter of time before they bounce back. Carolina’s underlying numbers have been outstanding early on but they need to do a better job finishing up front and they need better goaltending. The Hurricanes could check both boxes against the visiting Red Wings on Saturday. Detroit is just 2-4-1 out of the gate this year and hasn’t really shown much to think that they can turn things around dramatically. The Red Wings will be in tough on the road in Carolina on Saturday. The smart money is on the Hurricanes to win this game.
Arizona Coyotes at Pittsburgh Penguins
Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
Arizona has struggled with consistency early on this season. Pittsburgh has been even worse. The Penguins have lost five in a row following Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. After two days off between games, there is no doubt they will come out with a sense of urgency as they attempt to end their slide versus the Coyotes. Arizona could be without injured goaltender Antti Raanta as well. The Coyotes don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Penguins on the road. So if Darcy Kuemper can’t significantly slow down the Pittsburgh offense, there is a good chance the home side gets back in the win column with a big win on Saturday night.
