We did it, people! Saturday picks are back at Dobber Hockey and that includes your boy Big Flip Livingstone for his fifth season. As always, we will be bringing you our analysis, betting breakdowns, and of course, Gold, Silver, and Bronze selections for every Saturday.

While the summer lull and lack of betting during the offseason almost put us to sleep here in Canada, we're beyond fired up to have another exhilarating campaign of NHL action on tap for all of the degenerate (and also normal) gamblers out there.

I finished off the 2021-22 NHL betting season on an impressive heater. Can I pick up where I left off? Welcome back inside the hockey betting world, everyone, where we are about to find out.

An absolutely tantalizing 14-game betting board awaits us today, ladies and gents, so let's get this paper. Good luck! 

Gold Selection

Auston Matthews Anytime Goal (-135)

You know I had to start the 2022-23 NHL betting season by wagering on the Maple Leafs in some capacity, didn't you? Well, hang with me here and let's just take a quick little look at No. 34's regular-season track record against the Ottawa Senators, shall we? Simply put: Matthews owns the Senators in regular-season action across the 26 games he's faced Ottawa since entering the league.

Matthews has more goals and assists against the Sens than any other team he's matched-up against, posting 23 and 17 for 40 points, 18 of which came at even-strength. OK, stat dump over but you really shouldn't need to hear much else when it comes to backing the best pure goalscorer in the NHL today to have a good night against a Sens group that is improved, but still lacking in the solid blue-liner department.

The Leafs have been both good and bad in their first-two games of the campaign and the same can be said for Matthews, who did squeak one in for the game-winner against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. That cheapy goal could be exactly what he needs to open up the floodgates, which we all know is going to happen much sooner than later for this special offensive player. Good odd (-135), good spot, and a really, really, good shooter against a so-so defensive group that he has a ton of recent success against. Let's get it!  

Silver Selection

Vegas Golden Knights @ Seattle Kraken (Over/Under 6.5) – Pick: Over 6.5 (-110)

If you were one of the many NHL pundits to predict a bit of a step forward from this young Kraken group this season, then the first week of action likely has you getting ready for a nice ol' pat on the back – this Seattle team is really starting to click offensively. Spearheaded by early Calder Trophy favorite Matty Beniers (one goal, two assists so far) and offseason additions in Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky, this Kraken attack suddenly has some teeth.

Now, I completely understand that the Golden Knights were just held to a single goal at the hands of the defensively-challenged Chicago Blackhawks and Alex Stalock (!), but this tilt has all the makings of one going north of the number. Speaking of which, at the time of this article publishing that was sitting at 6.5 at all major sportsbooks, and for -110 I am feeling comfortable sprinkling a little something on a high-scoring matchup between two confident offensive teams to kick-off the campaign. 

The Kraken have put up back-to-back four-spots in the first two games of the season against two solid defensive clubs in the L.A. Kings and Anaheim Ducks, so I like their streaky scoring to continue here at home with the Golden Knights also helping our OVER cause here chipping in with at least a couple goals of their own. This one goes OVER the 6.5 total for my Silver play of the day.

Bronze Selection

Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers – Pick: Flames (+105)

If tonight's schedule of juicy NHL hockey action doesn't have you ready to crack into at least eight-or-nine cold ones and settle in for a solid seven-hour session of sports, then I think you really need to give your head a scratch or two. This showdown between two of the best teams in the league that both also happen to reside in Alberta and be massive rivals is one to definitely tune in to.

Both teams are coming off solid opening night performances but I am a bit more impressed with Calgary, who proved it should be mentioned along with the other top teams in the league with a solid victory against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion in the Colorado Avalanche. I'm also a sucker for a good revenge angle, which the Flames most definitely have on their side after last year's abysmal postseason performance against this very same Oilers group.

The nature in which the Flames were dispatched at Edmonton's hands back in May and the skill they showed earlier this week against a really good Avs group has me on the Flames tonight. I know Calgary's recent track record versus Edmonton might be pointing in the opposite direction here, but this is a brand-new year and the Flames look ready to prove the Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau departures are a thing of the past. An early-season win against your biggest rivals in their building would go a long way to doing just that.

Side Bets

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Pittsburgh Penguins (Over/Under 6.5) – Pick: Over 6.5 (+100)

Matty Beniers Anytime Point (-130)

Columbus Blue Jackets @ St. Louis Blues – Pick: Blues PL -1.5 (+110)

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