Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – November 13th, 2023

We want to remind NHL fans and bettors that there are four games later this week played in Sweden as part of the NHL’s Global Series and the teams featured are the Red Wings, Wild, Senators and Maple Leafs. It’s a homecoming for Ottawa goaltender Anton Forsberg, who is from Harnosand, Sweden. Here are two intriguing early-week matchups around the league and picks.

Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week (November 13th, 2023)

Future Focus: 1 prospect from each NHL team who's off to a hot start https://t.co/vUqWMH493h

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New York Islanders vs. Edmonton Oilers

• When: Monday, November 13th, 2023, 8:30 PM ET
• Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Canada
• TV: NHLPP, ESPN+
• Radio: 88.7FM WRHU (Islanders) // 630 CHED AM (Oilers)
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• NHL Betting Odds: Islanders (+1.5) // Oilers (-1.5)

In no surprise at all, the struggling Oilers fired coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday. The Oilers (3-9-1) are coming off a 4-1 win at the Kraken on Saturday but are seventh in the Pacific Division, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks (2-11-1). They are 2-7-1 in their past 10 games and 0-4-1 at Rogers Place, their lone home win coming when they hosted the 2023 NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 29 (a 5-2 victory against the Calgary Flames).

The 47-year-old was 79-41-13 in 133 regular-season games over three seasons with the Oilers, and 14-14 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He replaced Dave Tippett as coach Feb. 10, 2022, after guiding Edmonton’s American Hockey League affiliate in Bakersfield for four seasons.

Kris Knoblauch was named Woodcroft’s replacement. The 45-year-old coached the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate for four seasons and will guide an NHL team for the first time. He coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid for three seasons (2012-15) at Erie in the Ontario Hockey League. Knoblauch joins an Oilers team that also has McDavid’s former agent Jeff Jackson as CEO of Hockey Operations.

Knoblauch will be the fifth coach in the last eight years and 14 games, reaffirming the Oilers well-earned reputation as coach killers. He will follow Todd McLellan (2015-18), Ken Hitchcock (2018-19), Dave Tippett (2019-22) and Woodcroft (2022-23). He will be the 11th coach in the last 15 years. No Oilers coach since Craig MacTavish in 2009 has survived more than three seasons.

First, second and likely third place in the Pacific Division are probably out of reach, but there is still time to get back in the playoff pack. It’s a doable chase for a team that ran off an 18-2-1 finish last year. . They’ve played well enough to win a bunch of games so far but were let down by the goaltending, which isn’t good enough to overcome this team’s lack of concern for puck management and defensive responsibilities.

Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been average this year. Draisaitl is 44th in the NHL in even-strength production with nine points in 12 games. McDavid, who is playing hurt, has four even-strength points in a dozen games.

The Islanders are major disappointments as well at 5-5-3 and on a four-game skid after a 4-1 home loss to Washington on Saturday. “There’s no question it’s difficult,” said Coach Lane Lambert. “The effort was certainly there. We put almost 100 shot attempts on [Hunter Shepard], and to his credit he played a great game. We just have to find a way to put the puck in the back of the net.”

Alexander Romanov proved to be a bright spot for the Isles in the matchup, as the defenseman netted his first goal and point of the year and stood out on the scoresheet. The 23-year-old recorded 10 shot attempts (four on goal, three attempted and three missed) and one hit.

After a two week stretch where the Islanders went 1-3-2, including an 0-2-2 record at home, the Islanders are looking to shift the focus onto their first extended road trip of the season.

“It’s a big road trip for us,” Horvat said. “We would’ve liked a better homestand, but this is a good opportunity to show what we’re made of and get some wins here on the road.”

These teams split last year, each winning at home.

NHL Betting Pick: Oilers

New Jersey Devils vs. Winnipeg Jets

• When: Tuesday, November 14th, 2023, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, Canada
• TV: NHLPP, ESPN+
• Radio: WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM (Devils) // Power 97 (Jets)
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• NHL Betting Odds: TBA

The Devils come off a 4-2 home upset loss Friday to Washington, their second straight defeat. New Jersey hasn’t lost three in a row this year yet. At least the team got a nice break after that. Vitek Vanecek gave up two goals on only five shots before being replaced by Akira Schmid midway through the first period. While Vanecek can’t be faulted for not stopping the Nicolas Aube-Kubel one-timer that opened the scoring, Beck Malenstyn’s tally only 15 seconds later prompted Devils coach Lindy Ruff to get out his hook.

Vanecek has allowed seven goals on 36 shots over his last two starts since seeing a four-game win streak end, and on the season, the 27-year-old is 6-3-0 with a shaky 3.45 GAA and .887 save percentage. Schmid stopped 20 of 21 shots and probably will start Tuesday. Schmid hasn’t won a game since Oct. 20, allowing six goals on 62 shots in his three appearances since, but with Vanecek struggling, the 23-year-old netminder could get another try.

For much of the Capitals game, New Jersey could not generate much of anything. Lindy Ruff acknowledged a lack of execution hampered his team from the get-go.

“I think if you look at the start of the game, the slot to Jesper (Bratt), we’re 2-on-0 in front of the net, you can either execute, Bratter can shoot it off the pass, he missed the net,” Ruff said, “He could have put that over to the other forward and we probably got the start we wanted. I thought early on we didn’t win enough puck battles. Those 50/50 battles went to them.”

Star Jack Hughes hasn’t played since Nov. 3 due to injury and is not expected Tuesday. Center Nico Hischier missed his sixth straight game Friday and is day to day but forward Tomas Nosek returned after missing 10.

“We have to be serious, some of our offensive creativity, with Nico and Jack out of the lineup, isn’t there,” Ruff said, “But at the same time, you’ve got to have other players step in and replace that creativity and replace those roles those guys were assuming. We miss them, our game has to be different without those two guys, you’ve got to grind your way through.”

Winnipeg had a three-game winning streak stopped Saturday in a 3-2 home loss to Dallas. Cole Perfetti and Brenden Dillon scored for the Jets, Dillon now has goals in three of his last four games. Perfetti is starting to roll with points in six straight games (2G, 5A) and goals in three straight.

Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves. Winnipeg outshot Dallas 16-7 in the third after having 17 shots combined from the first two periods against a smothering Dallas defense. Dillon said after the game it was a lesson for the team going forward.

“They’re a veteran team, they are not going to give you much. The first two periods we were trying to go outside of what’s made us successful for the last couple of games. We have scored some highlight reel goals but they take away the middle,” said Dillon.

It’s the first meeting of the season between the teams. They split last year, each winning at home.

NHL Betting Pick: Jets

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