Tonight’s NHL slate is packed with action, featuring nine games across the league. From top contenders looking to build early-season momentum to teams searching for their first win, there’s no shortage of intriguing matchups.

Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or new to the world of NHL wagering, today’s games present numerous enticing angles, including moneylines, puck lines, and prop bets. With teams eager to establish their early-season identities, there’s plenty to consider. Let’s explore the top matchups and uncover the best bets for tonight’s action!

Matchups

Minnesota Wild @ Tampa Bay Lightning

• Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET
• TV Information: ESPN+

Team	Opening ML	Current ML	Spread	Total
Minnesota Wild	+124	+124	+1.5 (-198)	o6.0 (-122)
Tampa Bay Lightning	-148	-148	-1.5 (+164)	u6.0 (+102)

Preview:

The Wild are off to a strong start, going 4-0-2, and have become just the second team in NHL history to avoid trailing at any point in regulation through their first six games of a season (the 1969-70 Bruins did it for seven games). Tampa Bay has also had a great start at 4-0-2, led by Nikita Kucherov, who aims to extend his season-opening point streak to seven games (seven goals, five assists).

Starting Goaltenders:

• Minnesota Wild: Marc-Andre Fleury (Expected)
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Confirmed)

Team Stats & Trends:

• Tampa Bay are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home.
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games.
• Minnesota are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road.

Player Stats & Trends:

• William Nylander has scored at least once in each of his previous four matchups against St. Louis
• Pavel Buchnevich has recorded at least one point in three of his previous four matchups against Toronto

Best Bets:

• Victor Hedman over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-115) – DraftKings

Victor Hedman has had a great start to the season recording 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists). Additionally, Hedman is a key player on Tampa Bay’s first power play unit, which is likely to have several opportunities in tonight’s game.

Hedman has consistently met his shots-on-goal quota in four of his first six games to start the season. During that span, he’s averaging 3.5 Shots on Goal and 7.0 Shot Attempts.

Additionally, Hedman boasts a decent track record against Minnesota, recording over 2.5 shots on goal in two of their last four encounters.

In Hedman’s last 30 games at home, he’s been much better recording over 2.5 shots on goal in 53.3% compared to just 40% in his last 30 games on the road.

Minnesota currently ranks 22nd this season for shots on goal allowed per game, averaging 29.80 shots. Breaking down the distribution by position, the Wild have conceded the most shots on goal per game to defensemen this season with an average of 11.17.

Florida Panthers @ New York Rangers

• Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET
• TV Information: ESPN+

Team	Opening ML	Current ML	Spread	Total
Florida Panthers	+124	+130	+1.5 (-198)	o5.5 (-125)
New York Rangers	-148	-155	-1.5 (+164)	u5.5 (+105)

Preview:

The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers will face off in a rematch of the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers are off to a fantastic start at 5-0-1 and will aim to extend their franchise-best season-opening point streak to seven games. Meanwhile, the Panthers have experienced a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover, beginning the season at 3-4-1.

Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky is just one win away from becoming the 14th goalie in NHL history to reach 400 victories. With 706 games played, Bobrovsky could become the fastest goalie to achieve this milestone, surpassing former Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who did it in 727 games on February 11, 2017.

Starting Goaltenders:

• Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky (Expected)
• New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin (Confirmed)

Stats & Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida’s last 6 games.

Player Stats & Trends:

• Gustav Forsling has recorded more than 1.5 shots on goal in each of his last six games against the Rangers
• Sam Bennett has recorded at least one point in five of his previous six matchups against the Rangers
• Mika Zibanejad has recorded more than 2.5 shots on goal in three of his last four games against Florida
• Alexis Lafreniere has recorded at least one point in three of his previous four matchups against Florida

Best Bets:

• New York Rangers (-152) – FanDuel
• New York Rangers in Regulation (+100) – FanDuel [HALF UNIT]

The Rangers are off to a phenomenal start this season and will be seeking revenge against the Florida Panthers, the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year. New York leads the league in goals per game (GF/GP) with an average of 5.17, while Florida has struggled defensively, ranking 25th in goals against per game (GA/GP) with an average of 3.63. The Panthers have also been hit with injuries to key offensive players, which has impacted their production, placing them 19th in GF/GP at 3.0.

On the defensive side, the Rangers have been solid, ranking 4th in GA/GP with just 2.0 goals allowed per game. Igor Shesterkin will start for New York, having had a strong start to the season, ranking 6th in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx). Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start for Florida, though he was pulled in his last game after allowing 5 goals on 16 shots. Through six games, Bobrovsky ranks 65th out of 68 in GSAx with a -4.6.

I expect the Rangers to keep rolling at home and extend their season-opening point streak.

Additional Bets

• Colorado Avalanche (-152) – FanDuel
• Quinton Byfield over 0.5 Points (-115) – BetMGM

Promotions/ Sources:

Linemate – Player/ Team Props

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Shot Propz – Charts

• Shots on Goal (SOG) Against by Position
• Shot Attempts (SAT) Against by Position
• Goals Against (GA) by Position
• Team Offensive Stat Overview
• Team Defensive Stat Overview
• Team Hits and Blocks

Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting. Any feedback whether positive or negative is always encouraged.