Nine NHL games tonight means plenty of action. It does not mean nine good bets. Our hockey special starts with one price-dependent Rangers lean, two games that need more information, and a reminder that a goalie name on a roster is not a confirmed starter.
Our position right now: no locked-in bet. The Rangers price is above our limit, and key goalie details remain unconfirmed. Keep this as a shortlist to revisit before puck drop, rather than a parlay to place on autopilot.
Research snapshot: October 6, 2026, 9:11 a.m. ET. BetMGM quotes below come from its public October 6 team-page odds block. They are a dated snapshot, not live prices. Starting goalies can change. This special edition supplements today's baseball watchlist.
Tonight's NHL slate
| Game | Puck drop |
|---|---|
| Predators at Maple Leafs | 7:00 p.m. |
| Hurricanes at Canadiens | 7:00 p.m. |
| Senators at Red Wings | 7:00 p.m. |
| Mammoth at Devils | 7:00 p.m. |
| Wild at Sabres | 7:00 p.m. |
| Islanders at Rangers | 7:30 p.m. |
| Blues at Blackhawks | 8:00 p.m. |
| Golden Knights at Kraken | 9:40 p.m. |
| Panthers at Kings | 10:00 p.m. |
Source: the NHL's official dated schedule feed. Times were converted from UTC to Eastern daylight time. Check the NHL schedule again before betting.
Our conditional side: Rangers moneyline, at the right price
Review Rangers moneyline at −140 or better, only if Igor Shesterkin is confirmed to start. That means −135 qualifies for another look; −150 does not. It is a personal review limit, not a model's fair price or proof of an edge.
Rangers outscored opponents 11–3 over three wins. Shesterkin's save percentage is .934 through three games. Islanders won their last game 6–0. Source: the Islanders' official preview.
The Rangers' recent defensive results make them our first team to examine. But three games are a tiny sample, and the visitors' last result is a good reason to keep the confidence dial down. Save percentage is the share of shots a goalie stops; it describes what happened, not what he will stop tonight.
| Market | Quote | Our stance |
|---|---|---|
| Rangers / Islanders moneyline | −150 / +125 | Pass at −150; review Rangers at −140 or better |
| Rangers −1.5 / Islanders +1.5 | +165 / −200 | No puck-line pick |
| Total 5.5 | Over −118 / Under −102 | Wait for both goalie confirmations |
Source: BetMGM's Rangers odds block. Its displayed time differs from the official schedule, so use the NHL's 7:30 p.m. ET start. Check your local sportsbook for the actual available price and market terms.
At −150 you need to win 60% of identical bets to break even. At −140 the threshold is about 58.3%. We have not established the Rangers' true win chance above either number. A better price is a reason to reassess, not a reason to stop thinking.
Why the lean could lose: a goalie change, penalties that give the Islanders extra scoring chances, or a close game that turns on one late bounce. If Shesterkin does not start, this particular lean is off the list. If the price stays −150, we pass.
Hurricanes–Canadiens: goalie news comes first
Carolina's preview leaves the starter unsettled between Kochetkov and Bussi. Jarvis remains in a no-contact jersey. Carolina outshot Philadelphia 40–18 Saturday. Source: Carolina's official game preview.
That shot advantage makes Carolina worth a closer look. It does not tell us how much to pay. Shots, goals, and winning a game are different things. A team can spend a lot of time attacking and still lose to excellent goaltending.
Our stance: watch, without a published bet or price limit yet. We did not verify a current sportsbook quote for this matchup in the same source checks. We will not borrow a number from a different date or turn a practice hint into a confirmed starter.
Before judging a side or total, look for both teams' goalie announcements and final forward lines. If your idea depends on a player returning, wait for an actual availability update. A no-contact practice jersey is not a promise that he plays tonight.
Why a Carolina bet could lose: the shot advantage fails to produce goals, Montreal makes the most of its chances, or a lineup change weakens the case. Without a price, there is no way to judge whether the potential reward is worth those risks.
Senators–Red Wings: do not ignore the schedule
Ottawa plays on consecutive nights, in Boston Monday and Detroit Tuesday. Source: Ottawa's official schedule. Jake Sanderson will miss Tuesday's game. Source: the NHL's injury report.
Those are reasons to inspect the defensive lineup and goalie choice before buying Ottawa as a favorite. They are not automatic reasons to take Detroit. A team playing its second night in a row can still win, and a sportsbook can already account for the situation.
Our stance: no side or total until the current price and starters are verified. We are also passing on player props without a current line. Printing a shots-over pick without its threshold and payout would leave out half the bet.
Make sure you are buying the right hockey bet
A two-way full-game moneyline and a three-way regulation winner are different markets. For the Rangers lean, we mean the full-game winner including overtime and shootout, not a regulation-only bet.
As one official example, MGM Springfield's hockey house rules include overtime unless the market says Regular Time. A shootout adds one goal to the winning team's settlement score and the game total. Player props include overtime but exclude shootouts unless specified otherwise. Those are that venue's rules; confirm the rules for your sportsbook and jurisdiction before placing a bet.
At a total of 5.5, five goals is under and six is over. If your book instead offers 6.0, that changes the outcome at exactly six. Do not compare those prices as if they were the same bet.
The short version before puck drop
- Rangers: a conditional moneyline lean, review only at −140 or better with Shesterkin confirmed. The quoted −150 is a pass.
- Carolina–Montreal: goalie and lineup watchlist; no verified price-based pick yet.
- Ottawa–Detroit: check the rest situation, defense, and goalie; no forced bet.
Keep any eventual bets within a budget chosen before the games. Do not turn this shortlist into a parlay just because the games overlap. For the price math, see our guide to odds and break-even chances.
Follow the hockey you actually chose
Once you have placed a bet elsewhere, BetSlip Live can help you follow supported slips and live stats. Import a supported screenshot, review the detected legs, and keep the numbers you care about together while the puck drops across several arenas.