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 |