NHL Betting Preview: Friday, Feb. 26

Story posted February 26, 2021 in

Great play has continued throughout this unique NHL season. Teams continue to jostle for position in the standings as contenders begin to rise to the top of their respective divisions.

Saturday consists of a full-day of hockey action throughout the league. This week's bets follow back-to-back winning weeks, so be sure to hop on these picks.

Matinee action between the Flyers and Sabres will be a fascinating game for Philadelphia fans. The Flyers are 9-4-3 on the season; however, five of their seven losses have come at the Boston Bruins' hand.

In a tight battle in the East division, the Flyers can not afford to give up any points. They have been plagued by injuries, and more recently, players having to be separated from the team due to COVID-19 protocols. After a disappointing performance at Lake Tahoe, the Flyers rebounded with a 4-3 win Wednesday night over the New York Rangers.

Head coach Alain Vigneault will have this gritty Flyers squad ready for battle come Saturday afternoon.

Play: Flyers Moneyline

The Washington Capitals have started to rebound after a rough couple of weeks to begin the month of February. The Caps have also faced issues around the coronavirus and an injury to their starting goaltender, Ilya Samsonov.

Washington heads to the Prudential Center to battle the New Jersey Devils in an enticing matchup.

The Devils look to dig themselves out of a challenging hole in the East playoff standings. One thing is for certain; the Caps are loaded up front. Expect Washington's top line to amp up the pressure on New Jersey and put the puck behind the Devils goalie.

Play: Nicklas Backstrom over 0.5 points

Offensive fireworks are expected in Edmonton Saturday night when the Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. The top three point scorers in the league will be on display inside of Rogers Arena.

The dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will have to keep up with the NHL's leading goal scorer in Auston Matthews.

These two squads combine for the most wins out of any two teams throughout the league. This primetime game will not disappoint with the multitude of prominent players on the ice.

Play: Over 6.5 goals

A Stanley Cup Finals rematch is in store as the Dallas Stars visit the Tampa Bay Lightning. A struggling Stars team needs to find their stride soon, and this game is an opportunity to take the first step.

The 6-4-4 Stars team will need its defense to step up against a deadly Lightning forward group. One player to keep an eye on is young defenseman Miro Heiskanen for Dallas. He has eight assists this season in 14 games played.

Plus, Heiskanen is a tremendous skater with offensive ability. Expect a shot off of his stick from the point to get tipped home to ignite Dallas.

Play: Miro Heiskanen over 0.5 assists

A West showdown between Vegas and Anaheim takes place Saturday night. The Ducks have fallen into the basement of the division while the Golden Knights sit atop the West.

The Golden Knights are No. 1 in the NHL, allowing just over two goals a game. Helpful to that, the Ducks are second to last in the league in goals forced. This contest should be low scoring resulting in a victory for the under.

Play: Under 5.5 goals


Evan Popalis is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email epopalis83@gmail.com.

 

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About the Contributors

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Evan Popalis

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Evan Popalis is a third-year from Lititz, Pennsylvania, majoring in broadcast journalism. He is a writer, analyst, and play-by-play commentator for the CommRadio sports department. His writings include weekly NHL betting previews along with power rankings for the NHL and NFL. He appears weekly on the NHL Podcast as a host and analyst reviewing the previous week’s action. If you would like to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).