Two studs from the Atlantic Division headline Wednesday’s NHL anytime goalscorer picks.
The pregame narrative: Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield were left off the American 4 Nations Face-Off team and have been on fire since. I’m tapping into their recent form by backing them in great matchups this evening.
Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 12.
NHL anytime goal picks
Best Bet: Thompson to score a goal (+162)
Spite can be a powerful thing.
Thompson was perhaps the biggest “snub” on the American team heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the U.S. could’ve used his scoring touch against Canada in the final.
Buffalo’s 6-foot-6 centre has scored 109 goals and counting over the last three seasons.
He has 33 in 57 games this year, good for a 47-goal pace over an 82-game season.
Thompson has been red-hot coming out of the break, with seven goals in nine games.
He scored twice in his last outing against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and has found the net in four of his last five games.
Tonight, Thompson and the Buffalo Sabres go up against a Detroit Red Wings team with a serious goaltending problem.
Petr Mrazek was acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks and makes his debut tonight.
Sure, he was playing on one of the worst teams in the NHL, but I can’t ignore his dreadful season-long numbers (NHL ranks in parenthesis):
- 3.46 GAA (52nd)
- .890 save percentage (45th)
Maybe a change of scenery will help Mrazek right the ship — but I doubt it.
Key stat: Mrazek’s -14.4 goals saved above expected ranks 92nd out of 94 goalies, per Money Puck.
Quick picks
Caufield to score a goal (+145): Leaving Caufield off the American squad made a little more sense considering his size and position, but Montreal’s winger knows how to light the lamp.
He’s scored in six of eight games since the break and is up to a career-high 32 on the season.
Caufield’s line with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky has a 60.71 GF% this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s not eye-popping but is really solid considering where Montreal sits in the standings.
The Canadiens are on the road against the Seattle Kraken, who are likely starting Philipp Grubauer in net.
Grubauer is one of two goalies with a worse goals saved above expected (-15.5) than Mrazek.
NHL anytime goal picks made at 12:57 p.m. ET on 03/12/2025.
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.