Table of Contents
Monday had a little of everything for bettors: an empty-net hat trick, a couple of tight one-goal games, and OT endings that punished anyone who got cute with “safe” late positions. I kept coming back to the same theme: when teams stayed disciplined and controlled the middle of the ice, they dictated the money moments. When they didn’t, the game flipped fast.
Win More, Guess Less
Your Shortcut to Smarter Betting Decisions
Latest NHL Odds & Lines
Before you do anything else, pull up the board for the latest NHL odds and lines and compare markets across the slate. Totals and puck lines can look steady until you see who is actually controlling the third period. If you’re tracking movement, keep it general and focus on why it’s happening, not the exact number.
NHL Picks of the Day
If you’re building a card, the fastest way to stay organized is to funnel your leans into one place, then decide what’s worth paying for. That’s where hockey service plays help, because you can quickly sort through matchups and see what’s getting backed.
Edmonton Oilers
vs
New Jersey Devils
Open
vs
Jan 20, 2026 22:10 EST
–
Score
–
–
Spread
–
–
Total
–
-159
Moneyline
+128
Los Angeles Kings
vs
New York Rangers
Winnipeg Jets
vs
St Louis Blues
Top Takeaways
- Minnesota’s win was a classic “don’t relax too early” script. They built the margin, Toronto pushed, and the Wild still closed cleanly late with the empty-net dagger.
- Chicago’s shutout win was a reminder that when a team gets the goaltending plus timely scoring, totals and late-game angles can die quickly.
- Philadelphia snapped a long skid by turning Vegas mistakes into breakaway goals. That’s the kind of swing that flips a tight game without needing a ton of volume offense.
- Carolina’s power-play goal decided it. Special teams can be the entire handicap when the game is tight and chances are limited.
- New Jersey and the Islanders both won from the “keep it close, steal it late” bucket. If you’re betting live, those are the games where one bounce decides everything.
If you want a simple framework for nights like this, lean on NHL Betting 101 and keep your focus on what’s actually driving the result: goaltending, special teams, and who controls the third.
NHL Game Recaps
Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: Wild win 6-3
Marcus Foligno registered his first career hat trick as Minnesota took care of Toronto. Vladimir Tarasenko added two goals and an assist, and Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves.
Toronto did make it interesting late by cutting into a four-goal deficit in the third, but Foligno’s empty-netter finished the job. If you were watching for closing ability, Minnesota didn’t panic after the push.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Buffalo Sabres Recap: Hurricanes win 2-1
Seth Jarvis scored the power-play goal early in the third to put Carolina in front, and Andrei Svechnikov added a goal and an assist. Brandon Bussi made 17 saves.
Buffalo struck first through Rasmus Dahlin, but Carolina’s special teams and timing were the separator. This was a one-goal game where a single conversion decided the betting outcome.
Colorado Avalanche vs Washington Capitals Recap: Avalanche win 5-2
Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist to reach 1,100 career points as Colorado beat Washington. Victor Olofsson added a goal and an assist, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 shots.
Washington got a goal and an assist from Ethen Frank and also scored via Jakob Chychrun, but Colorado controlled the finish. The Avalanche answered a two-game skid with offense that came in waves.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Seattle Kraken Recap: Penguins win 6-3
Connor Dewar scored twice as Pittsburgh won in Seattle, with goals also coming from Parker Wotherspoon, Brett Kulak, Justin Brazeau and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins got multiple two-assist nights from Anthony Mantha, Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte.
Seattle got a goal and an assist from Ben Meyers and two helpers from Ryan Winterton, but it wasn’t enough as the Kraken dropped their fourth straight. Pittsburgh’s depth scoring showed up, and that’s usually what breaks a game open on the road.
Philadelphia Flyers vs Vegas Golden Knights Recap: Flyers win 2-1
Travis Konecny scored two breakaway goals, including a short-handed winner, as Philadelphia snapped a six-game losing streak. Samuel Ersson made 24 saves for his first win since Dec. 23.
Vegas had its streaks snapped as well, getting its lone goal from Tomas Hertl. The betting angle here was simple: Philly finally flipped the script by cashing high-leverage chances, not by piling on volume.
San Jose Sharks vs Florida Panthers Recap: Sharks win 4-1
Alex Nedeljkovic made 35 saves and even had his first career fight as San Jose won in Sunrise. Will Smith, Vincent Desharnais, Mario Ferraro and Barclay Goodrow scored for the Sharks.
Florida’s lone goal came from Eetu Luostarinen, with Sergei Bobrovsky stopping 24 shots. If you were expecting Florida to dictate this, San Jose’s goaltending and opportunistic finishing said otherwise.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Winnipeg Jets Recap: Blackhawks win 2-0
Spencer Knight posted a 32-save shutout as Chicago blanked Winnipeg, with goals from Jason Dickinson and Connor Bedard. Bedard’s empty-netter sealed it late.
Winnipeg got 22 saves from Connor Hellebuyck but couldn’t solve Knight. From a totals perspective, this is what it looks like when one side gets no traction and the game never opens up.
Anaheim Ducks vs New York Rangers Recap: Ducks win 5-3
Cutter Gauthier scored twice on his 22nd birthday as Anaheim rallied past the Rangers for a fourth straight win. Jeffrey Viel, Alex Killorn and Mason McTavish also scored, and Lukas Dostal made 19 saves.
Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist for New York, with additional scoring from Matthew Robertson and Vladislav Gavrikov. Anaheim’s ability to come from behind and still control the second half mattered more than the early script.
New Jersey Devils vs Calgary Flames Recap: Devils win 2-1 (OT)
Simon Nemec scored his third overtime goal of the season to lift New Jersey, with Dawson Mercer also scoring. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.
Nazem Kadri scored for Calgary, and Devin Cooley stopped 29 shots. Tight game, tight margin, and then one OT mistake becomes the whole story.
New York Islanders vs Vancouver Canucks Recap: Islanders win 4-3
Anthony Duclair scored two game-tying goals as the Islanders came from behind to win in Vancouver. Tony DeAngelo had a goal and an assist, Ryan Pulock also scored, and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.
Vancouver got goals from Max Sasson, Evander Kane and Drew O’Connor, but the Canucks’ skid hit 11 straight losses. If you’re betting this type of game, tying goals are everything because they force the opponent to play the last five minutes differently.
NHL Picks and Handicappers
If you’re betting NHL regularly, the edge usually comes from volume and discipline. You want multiple daily opinions, but you also want to compare styles, not blindly tail one voice. That’s why following sports handicappers matters, especially on busy slates where one angle can be sharp and another can be noise.
A good workflow is mixing a handful of free service plays with deeper writeups and tracking what actually performs over time. When you’re ready to scale beyond casual bets, build a routine around the Service Plays hub, and keep your fundamentals tight using the Bettor’s Handbook.
For a more stats-driven approach, bookmark 5 proven stats for smarter NHL handicapping and use it as a checklist before you lock anything in. If you’re considering premium access, review the pricing packages and match it to how often you actually bet.
Golden State Warriors
vs
Toronto Raptors
Open
vs
Jan 20, 2026 22:10 EST
–
Score
–
-6.50 -110
Spread
+6.50 -110
o+229.50-110
Total
u+229.50-110
-250
Moneyline
+205
Sacramento Kings
vs
Miami Heat
Open
vs
Jan 20, 2026 22:10 EST
–
Score
–
+2.50 -110
Spread
-2.50 -110
o+236.50-110
Total
u+236.50-110
+115
Moneyline
-135
Denver Nuggets
vs
Los Angeles Lakers
Open
vs
Jan 20, 2026 22:10 EST
–
Score
–
+1.00 -106
Spread
-1.00 -106
o+228.50-108
Total
u+228.50-108
+114
Moneyline
-133
