I’m backing three players to score from Thursday’s NHL slate.
The pregame narrative: Artturi Lehkonen and Cole Caufield are in prime positions to produce against the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers, respectively. I’m also taking a flier on Kirill Marchenko to bury one at generous odds.
Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 6.
NHL anytime goal picks
Best Bet: Lehkonen anytime goalscorer (+155)
If you’ve been reading my NHL picks over the past week, you’ll have noticed a common theme: Fade the Sharks at every opportunity.
San Jose logged consecutive wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres but is still one of the worst teams in hockey.
The Sharks rank near the bottom of the NHL in several key defensive categories on a 60-minute basis, per Natural Stat Trick:
- 32nd in goals (3.61)
- 31st in shots (31.64)
- 31st in chances (66.22)
- 27th in high-danger chances (12.56)
Lehkonen is the Avalanche’s leading scorer since the team traded away Mikko Rantanen in late January, with eight goals in 13 games.
The Finn is on Colorado’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon and on the top power play with MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas and Jonathan Drouin.
That is about as good as it gets for goal-scoring opportunities.
Key stat: Lehkonen has three goals in his last three games.
Quick pick
Caufield anytime goalscorer (+190): Is it officially panic time in Edmonton? I think so.
The Oilers just got shelled, 6-2, by the Anaheim Ducks and are 1-6 in their last seven games while allowing 4.71 goals per game.
Stuart Skinner is starting in net tonight, and he has a 3.42 GAA and .867 SV% since Feb. 1. I can’t trust him and don’t trust Edmonton’s defence to buckle down in front of him.
Caufield is on a nice little run since his perceived 4 Nations Face-Off snub, scoring in four of his last five games.
Marchenko anytime goalscorer (+240): The Columbus Blue Jackets are on fire, and Marchenko is a big reason why.
- Columbus is 7-3 in its last 10 games, averaging a healthy 3.6 goals per game.
- Marchenko has potted six goals in that span and leads all Blue Jackets skaters with 24 goals on the season.
The Russian winger riding shotgun on the first line with Adam Fantilli and is an integral part of the team’s top power play.
The problem is that the Blue Jackets play Sergei Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The netminder has put a slow start behind him with a .921 SV% since Jan. 1.
Still, I expect this to be close with the way Columbus has been playing and Marchenko should be a factor.
Picks made at 10:37 a.m. ET on 03/06/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.