The 2021-22 NHL season rolls on with another week of hockey action. What was supposed to be the league’s three-week break for the Winter Olympics has helped teams catch up on postponed games, with most NHL clubs having played 50-plus games now.
With only two months remaining in the regular season, every game going forward means that much more. It can also make betting on the remaining games even more exciting, especially with the raised stakes.
Having said that, this article will take a look at some of the more prominent NHL betting trends heading into this week’s (Feb. 28 to March 6) batch of games. Trends can range from team-based performances to individual streaks, both positive and negative depending on the situation.
Here’s a look at some interesting NHL trends to pay attention to over the coming days.
Canadiens Are On Fire
It wasn’t too long ago that the Montreal Canadiens were the biggest laughing stock in the league, resulting in the firing of head coach Dominique Ducharme. Martin St. Louis was brought in as his replacement and the Canadiens haven’t looked back.
Now, Montreal is one of the hottest teams in the league, winning its last five contests in a row. The team’s current five-game win streak is their longest without Carey Price as the starting goalie since 2007, which goes to show how St. Louis has turned this team around.
There’s some potential to make some money off of the Canadiens as well this week. They’ll face three Canadian teams this week — the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers — with all games taking place on the road. While the Flames are one of the best teams in the NHL, the Jets and Oilers are underperforming this season.
With Montreal being the road team, they could wind up being the underdog in all three games, which could provide moneyline value for the Winnipeg and Edmonton tilts if the Canadiens can continue their moment.
Matthews Continues to Lead NHL Scoring Race
There’s no doubt that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews has been one of the best goal-scorers since entering the league. He’s continued that trend this season, leading the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race with 37 goals in 49 games.
Matthews has been warming up lately, scoring in each of his last three outings. He has four goals over that span and is showing no signs of slowing down. The good news is that he and the Maple Leafs have a pretty favorable matchup this week:
- at Washington Capitals — Feb. 28
- vs. Buffalo Sabres — March 2
- vs. Vancouver Canucks — March 5
Matthews has had a lot of success playing these teams throughout his NHL career. He’s scored 11 goals in 16 career meetings against the Sabres while tallying 15 in 18 meetings with the Canucks — including one just two weeks ago.
Matthews has scored five goals in 10 games against Washington as well, so only time will tell if he continues this trend. In other words, bettors should jump on as many goal-scoring prop bets as they can this week.
As it stands, Matthews is BetMGM’s +125 favorite to win the “Rocket” Richard Trophy this season, so expect those odds to grow as he continues to find the back of the net.
Is Calgary a Stanley Cup Contender?
Expectations weren’t too high for the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2021-22 NHL season, however, things have changed lately due to the team’s recent success.
The Flames are 13-2-0 in 15 games since Jan. 24, which is good enough for the best winning percentage (.867) in the NHL over that span. Considering how the league-leading Colorado Avalanche own a .821 success rate over that span, it goes to show how impressive Calgary has been.
The Flames have been more than doubling their opponents during their streak, outscoring the opposition 64-31. The increased goal output has caused the total to hit the over in seven of their last 10 games, which could be a trend that continues with offensive powerhouses like the Avalanche and Minnesota Wild on deck this week. The Flames are also 8-2 against the spread (ATS) during that span, which goes to show how consistent they’ve been with the spread.
Calgary currently owns +1600 odds to win the Stanley Cup this season, according to BetMGM. If the Flames prove to have a successful week, they belong in the conversation of NHL championship contenders. That also means that bettors should consider putting money down on a Flames Stanley Cup run as soon as possible to maximize all value.
Sinking Kraken Could Provide NHL Betting Value
The Vegas Golden Knights shocked a lot of people when they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. Fans and experts hoped to see the same when the Seattle Kraken debuted this year, however, they haven’t found much success at all in the 2021-22 NHL season.
The Kraken are 16-34-5 on the season, sitting near the bottom of the league’s standings. To make matters worse, Seattle has lost its last seven games in a row, having been outscored 29-13 over that span.
While Kraken fans are hoping for some relief, there’s a real possibility that Seattle’s skid could reach 10 games. The Kraken will host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday before taking on the Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes on the road to close out the week.
At the same time, Seattle has played well against a couple of those teams this season. The Kraken defeated the Capitals, 5-2, back in November before defeating the Hurricanes, 2-1, just a few days later. Lightning may not strike twice, but bettors could get some long-shot value if Seattle can recreate that success.
Kings Look to Continue Winning Ways
When it comes to the Pacific Division lately, a lot of attention has been on the surging Flames. However, that isn’t the case because there is another hot team seeking respect in the division.
The Los Angeles Kings have been dominant lately as well, going 9-1-2 in their last 12 games and winning five in a row to start the week. They’ve looked like a playoff-bound team over that stretch and are poised to continue that momentum into this week. However, the Kings also have one of the busier upcoming schedules, with four games set over the next seven days.
When it comes to NHL betting, Los Angeles has been consistent with its trends. The Kings are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games, with the total hitting the over in seven of those contests. Even if they don’t end up being the favorite in any of their upcoming games, the Kings are a perfect 3-0 straight up in their last three games as the underdog.
The Boston Bruins will be the toughest test for the Kings this week, with the latter going 2-5 straight up against the former in their last seven meetings. Los Angeles will be at home, though, where the club has a 1-3 record in its last four outings.
Nevertheless, aside from the Bruins, Los Angeles’ other three games are against non-playoff opponents. With the Kings being on the road for those three games, there could be some opportunities to get decent betting value by going with them. If they can have a successful showing this week, they could be one step closer to catching the Flames in the standings.