The NHL has a jumbo-sized slate tonight, so why not try to capitalize on hitting on some anytime goal scorers?
There are three players tonight that I'm zeroing in on, and they're some of the more active players in the league in a 10-game span. We've done fairly well in the anytime goal scorer series, so let's capitalize again!
Let's dive into my NHL Anytime Goal Scorer picks, prediction, and odds for Saturday, January 29.
NHL Anytime Goal Scorer Picks
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 9:00 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Islanders vs. Rangers
A week or so ago, I bet on Anders Lee to light the lamp because I was seeing trends pointing to a goal.
That never happened, but the opportunities were still abundant.
Here’s the thing about Lee. He doesn’t play a sexy style, but he’s a big body that gets himself in front of the net waiting on deflections or on juicy rebounds.
The New York Islanders aren’t a big play-driving team. They focus mainly on puck possession, so they can find the perfect spot to shoot the puck. In a game where coaches prefer you to fire pucks at the net, coach Patrick Roy wants to keep the puck away from the other team as much as possible.
Not sure how well that’s working, considering his goaltenders are outrageously overworked, but that’s another discussion for another time.
With Lee, he’s consistently been one of the league’s top performers with no numbers to show for it.
In the month of January, he’s only found the back of the net once, yet continues to rank in the top 10 in expected goals, high danger chances, expected goals per 60 minutes, rebounds created and expected goals on rebounds.
Those last two stats are pretty key because the New York Rangers are rolling out goaltender Jonathan Quick, who hasn’t been great when it comes to rebounds and has the worst high danger save percentage in the league.
This may be Lee’s time to get off the schneid. Because the chances are coming.
Pick: Anders Lee Anytime Goal Scorer (+340)
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Mammoth vs. Hurricanes
What has made the Carolina Hurricanes so good for years has been their ability to find and develop young players.
Jackson Blake is among those who continue to prove the Canes’ brass right.
Blake is not a lights out goal scorer – or not yet at least – but he has always found a way to get in position to light the lamp.
Over his past five games, he has points in as many games, including two goals, but it’s not just those numbers that lead me to believe he has a chance to score.
He ranks in the top 10 in high danger attempts in the past 10 games and in the top 20 for expected goals per 60 minutes. He is also a part of one of the NHL’s most productive line combos with Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven.
Currently, that line is generating 59% of expected goals, and should coach Rod Brind’Amour decide to line switch, Blake and Stankoven actually perform better when playing with Nikolaj Ehlers.
Pick: Jackson Blake Anytime Goal Scorer (+340)
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Sharks vs. Oilers
At this point, if you’re not familiar with the outstanding season that Macklin Celebrini is posting, you should get familiar with him pretty quick.
He’s one of the NHL’s most dynamic young stars today, so much that he was named to Team Canada for the Olympics in a few weeks.
And so far, Celebrini continues to rank near the top of the league in goals, points, and assists.
Yet, those numbers aren’t out of pure luck. Celebrini is playing like one of the NHL’s most efficient players and jumpstarting the San Jose Sharks’ rebuild.
In the past 10 games, he’s notched 15 total points, with a 4.8 expected goals rate, and ranking second among all forwards in share of possible ice time.
Coach Ryan Warsofsky may be running his young gun into the ground when it’s all said and done, but at this point, a playoff appearance in the Bay would do numbers.
The Sharks will be taking on the Edmonton Oilers who can always be a crap shoot at times, depending on how the goaltending fares, but I don’t think it’s out of the question that Celebrini finds the back of the net here.
Edmonton’s goalies whether it be Tristan Jarry or Connor Ingram, are nothing short of unspectacular, which makes this pick all the more tantalizing.
Pick: Macklin Celebrini Anytime Goal Scorer (+155)
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