The NHL officially passed the halfway mark last week, and many teams will face condensed schedules as we approach the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will pause the league for 10 days. In this week’s article, we’ll break down the schedule from Monday, Jan. 13, to Sunday, Jan. 19, highlighting rest mismatches throughout the week.

The table below shows how home-ice advantage was influenced by rest last season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %	Implied Odds
Home >	373	59.0%	55.9%
Home =	690	53.8%	55.4%
Home <	249	47.8%	50.8%

Here’s how rest has impacted home-ice advantage this season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %	Implied Odds
Home >	197	59.9%	56.2%
Home =	354	54.2%	54.8%
Home <	136	44.9%	52.3%

Monday, January 13th

The week kicks off with just three games on Monday, with each team having had one day of rest. However, Chicago’s home game against the Calgary Flames will be the third game in four days for the Blackhawks. Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Flames are scheduled to play again on Tuesday, which could make predicting starting goaltenders a bit tougher than usual.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	FLA	PHI	1
	1	CGY	CHI	1	3/4
	1	LAK	EDM	1

Tuesday, January 14th

Most road teams will face tough matchups on Tuesday, as all but two home teams will be well-rested. Teams like the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Nashville Predators will face opponents playing their third game in four days while coming off two days of rest. Florida, Philadelphia, and Calgary will face even greater challenges, playing the second half of back-to-back games.

The San Jose Sharks are the only road team with a rest advantage, as they take on the red-hot Detroit Red Wings. Tuesday’s schedule also features three games between well-rested opponents, adding complexity to handicapping those matchups.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
3/4	1	TBL	BOS	2
3/4	1	DAL	TOR	2
	2	SJS	DET	1
2/2	0	FLA	NJD	2
3/4	1	SEA	PIT	1	3/4
3/4	1	ANA	WSH	2
2/2	0	PHI	CBJ	2
3/4	1	OTT	NYI	2
2/2	0	CGY	STL	2
3/4	1	VGK	NSH	2
	2	VAN	WPG	2
	2	NYR	COL	2
	2	MTL	UTA	2

Wednesday, January 15th

Wednesday is another light day, but the schedule offers some intrigue. The Buffalo Sabres will return to the ice after a much-needed three-day break but will face a tough challenge against the Carolina Hurricanes, who will have had two days of rest. The Minnesota Wild will have a one-day rest advantage against the Edmonton Oilers as they look to rebound after losing at home to Edmonton on Dec. 12 for the first time since 2019. That said, Minnesota will likely need some key players to return from injury to make that happen.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	CAR	BUF	3
	1	EDM	MIN	2

Thursday, January 16th

Things pick up on Thursday with 13 games, though most matchups feature teams on equal rest. Only the Blackhawks and Kings will enter their games with more than one day of rest. Edmonton faces a tough challenge against Colorado in the second half of a back-to-back. While rest mismatches are minimal, several teams—including the Panthers, Flyers, and Flames—will play their third game in four days. Additionally, the Senators, Ducks, Lightning, Stars, and Kraken will play their fourth game in six days. Thursday will also mark Sheldon Keefe’s return to Toronto, as his new team, the New Jersey Devils, takes on his former team, the Maple Leafs.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	NJD	TOR	1
	1	WSH	OTT	1	4/6
4/6	1	ANA	TBL	1	4/6
	1	DET	FLA	1	3/4
	1	SJS	CBJ	1
3/4	1	PHI	NYI	1
3/4	1	CGY	STL	1
	2	CHI	NSH	1
	1	MTL	DAL	1	4/6
4/6	1	SEA	WPG	1
	1	NYR	UTA	1
2/2	0	EDM	COL	1
	2	LAK	VAN	1

Friday, January 17th

Carolina and Buffalo return to action on Friday after just one day off, putting both teams at a scheduling disadvantage. The Sabres and Hurricanes will face well-rested opponents, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights coming in after two days off.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	PIT	BUF	1
	2	VGK	CAR	1

Saturday, January 18th

Saturday is the busiest day of the week, with 30 of the league’s 32 teams in action. While most games won’t be heavily impacted by rest, a few notable scenarios stand out. Boston will have a two-day rest advantage over Ottawa, while Minnesota holds a one-day edge against Nashville. Similarly, the Blackhawks and Capitals will have a rest advantage in their matchups against the Golden Knights and Penguins, respectively.

Edmonton wraps up its three-game road trip in Vancouver, leading into a six-game homestand. Meanwhile, Calgary and Los Angeles also finish road trips but will have only brief stays at home—one game for the Flames and two for the Kings—before heading back out on the road.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
4/6	1	PHI	NJD	1
	3	BOS	OTT	1
	1	DAL	COL	1
	1	ANA	FLA	1	4/6
	1	TOR	MTL	1
	1	DET	TBL	1
	1	CBJ	NYR	1
2/2	0	PIT	WSH	1
4/6	1	CGY	WPG	1
	1	SJS	NYI	1
2/2	0	VGK	CHI	1
	2	MIN	NSH	1
	1	STL	UTA	1
3/4	1	EDM	VAN	1
	1	LAK	SEA	1

Sunday, January 19th

Sunday’s schedule features just three games but offers an intriguing slate. Ottawa begins a three-game road trip, marking its sixth game in nine days. The Senators have endured a grueling stretch, playing 13 of their last 18 games on the road due to the World Junior Championship. Dallas will also be playing its sixth game in nine days. Fortunately for both teams, their opponents will be equally fatigued, as every team on Sunday’s card will be dealing with a packed schedule.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
6/9	0	OTT	NJD	0	2/2
2/2	0	NYR	MTL	0	2/2
2/2	0	DET	DAL	0	6/9