Week 1 in the NHL is officially in the books. As expected, this week's action saw plenty of unpredictability from a betting perspective. Whether it be the red hot San Jose Sharks, the ice cold Montreal Canadiens, or the upstart Buffalo Sabres, there's plenty of intriguing storylines to keep an eye on.

Onto today's tilts: The Saturday NHL board is always loaded with tantalizing matchups and today is no different. 13 games on tap including a juicy showdown between the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers (see pick below) that is sure to see its fair share of red lights lit.

With eight teams in action on Friday night, be sure to double-check starting netminders and lineups, hit up our friends at Goalie Post for all the latest on that front. Let's keep things really simple this week and get some wins. Good luck and enjoy the day.

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2021-22 Saturday Record (Complete Record Tracked/Posted on Twitter):

Gold: 0-1
Silver: 0-1
Bronze: 1-0

Side bets: 2-1

Overall: 3-3

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Gold Pick
Carolina Hurricanes @ Columbus Blue Jackets – Pick: Hurricanes

If the Carolina Hurricanes haven't earned your respect as a legitimate contender by now, they likely never will. Don't sleep on this Carolina team, as a strong 3-0-0 start in a Metro Division full of killers has once again put the league on notice: The Hurricanes are very much for real. A top-six forward group stacked with young, skilled, and speedy forwards make Carolina a very difficult club to handle in the offensive end.

No, this isn't a Hurricanes fan blog, but obviously I do have a lot of love for a hockey team that features some of the elite emerging superstars in the game in Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. In terms of this matchups against Columbus, a few things are at play here in terms of laying a nice wager on the Canes. First, Carolina is one of the best road teams in the league over the past few seasons, which includes a 4-1 record in its last five games overall.

Secondly, the Hurricanes are 4-2 overall in their last six when facing off against the Blue Jackets. Two small sample sizes, to be sure, but more than enough for me to feel comfortable investing. Lastly, newly-acquired netminder Frederik Andersen deserves some props here, as his regular-season numbers against the Jackets are surprisingly strong: in 11 games, Andersen reps a 6-2-3 record to go along with a solid .918 save percentage and respectable 2.79 goals-against average.

OK, pro-Hurricanes rant over. Bottom line, they're a dangerous team playing well to start the year, the recent numbers are pointing in the right direction, and Andersen usually holds it down against Columbus. Lock in Carolina as my Gold Pick of the week. Book it.

Silver Pick
Florida Panthers @ Philadelphia Flyers (Over/Under 6.5) – Pick: Over

If you've been following along with my picks so far (@Flips_Picks on Twitter for the goods) this year, you would notice that I've been hammering the Over bets with regularity and some success. One of those teams that always gets my Over brain working is the Philadelphia Flyers with their tendency to allow and score goals in bunches. Sure, the season is still in its infancy, but both Florida and Philly have kicked-off the campaign red-hot when it comes to lighting the lamp.

The Panthers currently sit second in league scoring with 18 tallies in four games and the Flyers are currently tied for third. However, it should be noted that Philly has buried 16 goals in only three games. So, yeah, this one is shaping up to not only be a fun matchup to watch, but one that goalies wish they weren't a part of.

Until Carter Hart establishes himself as a consistent starting goaltender I will continue to favor high-scoring matchups whenever the Flyers take the ice. Same thing goes tonight in what is sure to be a high-flying contest from start to finish. Bet the over 6.5 in this one and don't be shy about the amount.

Bronze Pick
Anaheim Ducks @ Minnesota Wild – Pick: Wild -1.5

At the top, I spoke about Carolina not getting the respect it deserves. Well, here's another team in the Minnesota Wild that is in that same boat. An underrated club turning heads in dedicated hockey circles, but one that's also largely overlooked when it comes to mainstream media coverage. The Wild should not be ignored.

Case in point, a strong 3-0-0 start to the 2021-22 campaign on the backs of a sneaky-good top line that features reigning Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov, veteran stud Mats Zuccarello, and under-the-radar sniper Joel Eriksson Ek. The names sprinkled throughout this lineup won't exactly jump off the page, but that's Minny's style. Solid from top to bottom, methodical, well-coached, and balanced. If you haven't got a little future bet on the Wild to make some noise this year, jump on that train before it gets too late.

As for tonight, the Ducks have only one win in their last 10 games squaring off against Minnesota and I like those struggles to continue this evening. Puck drops on this one a bit earlier, 6 PM EST, so make sure you get your wager in on time. The Wild cruise in this one, by at least two goals.

Side Bets

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Pittsburgh Penguins (Over/Under 6) – Pick: Over

Detroit Red Wings @ Montreal Canadiens – Pick: Canadiens 

New York Islanders @ Arizona Coyotes (Over/Under 5.5) – Pick: Under

Flip Livingstone is a former NHL writer for theScore with past experience at such outlets as Narcity Media, Postmedia, and Hockey Night in Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @FlipLivingstone and @Flips_Picks.