April 23rd NHL Odds and Picks – Blackhawks Facing Must Win vs Predators

• There are five NHL games on the schedule for Friday, April 23rd, 2021
• Robert Duff won both of his Saturday picks, leaving his NHL record at 24-19 (+2.82 units won)
• The Chicago Blackhawks face the Nashville Predators in a game with huge Central Division playoff implications

There are just five games listed on the NHL schedule for Friday, April 23rd, but three of them hold significant bearing on the picks for the Stanley Cup playoff race. We’ve got NHL odds for all five games, along with picks for the marquee matchups.

Five points behind the Nashville Predators in the chase for the final Central Division playoff spot, the Chicago Blackhawks face a virtual must-win scenario on home ice at the United Center. Nashville’s six-game winning streak over the Blackhawks came to an end when the two teams met on Wednesday.

The New York Rangers, 6-1 against the spread over their past seven games, look to keep climbing against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Montreal Canadiens could put a dagger into the flagging playoff hopes of the Calgary Flames with a win on Friday.

April 23rd NHL Odds

Odds as of April 22nd

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Hopes Fading For Blackhawks

The good news for Chicago was the 5-4 win the Blackhawks posted over Nashville on Wednesday ended that six-game skid against the Predators. The bad news is that it was an overtime verdict, meaning Nashville also got a point.

Chicago is three points back of fourth-place Nashville in the chase for the final playoff spot but does hold a game in hand. The Dallas Stars, one point ahead of the Blackhawks and with three games in hand on the Preds, are also a factor in this race.

Three consecutive goals and the @NHLBlackhawks have stormed all the way back! #WNH

🇺🇸: https://t.co/jzUb2x6kyu @NHLonNBCSports pic.twitter.com/NLQ7q666qY

— NHL (@NHL) April 22, 2021

Wednesday, the Hawks rallied from a three-goal deficit. They trailed Nashville 4-1 early in the third period.

Chicago forward Dylan Strome was a healthy scratch Wednesday. He’s collected just two points and is minus-3 over his past eight games. Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan reaggravated a hip injury and left the game. His status for Friday’s contest is uncertain.

Nashville is 12-4-1 straight up over its past 15 road games. The Preds are 7-1-3 in their last 11 games at the United Center. Nashville hasn’t lost back-to-back games to the Blackhawks since 2017.

Pick: Nashville Predators (-124)

Rangers On A Roll

The Rangers have played their way back into the playoff conversation. The New Yorkers have gone 6-2-2 over the last 10 games.

Even at that, they trail fourth-place Boston Bruins by six points and Boston holds two games in hand. A 6-1 road loss to the New York Islanders brought a halt to the Rangers’ four-game win streak. The Isles (twice) and Buffalo Sabres (once) are the only teams to beat the Broadway Blueshirts during the month of April.

Matt Martin crushes Jacob Trouba, leaving him spaghetti legged pic.twitter.com/mQjWTdbe6m

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) April 20, 2021

Philly and the Rangers have split six meetings so far this season. All three victories by the Flyers were one-goal decisions. New York took a one-goal verdict but has also posted 9-0 and 8-3 routs.

At home, the Rangers are just 1-3-2 in their last six games against Philadelphia. Overall, the Flyers are a dismal 1-6-1 SU in their past eight games. The Rangers are only -167 favorites to win in regulation in the NHL odds on April 23rd.

The Rangers will be without top defenseman Jacob Trouba. He suffered an upper-body injury when hit by Islanders forward Matt Martin during Tuesday’s loss. Speculation is that Zac Jones, who just signed last week after finishing his college season with UMass-Amherst, will make his NHL debut in Trouba’s spot.

Pick: New York Rangers (-167)