New York Islanders vs. Edmonton Oilers - 10/17/13

Edmonton Oilers (1-5-1) at New York Islanders (2-2-2)

NHL Hockey: Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 7:00 pm (Nassau Coliseum)

The Line: New York Islanders -142 / Edmonton Oilers +129 --- Over/Under: 6 See the Latest Odds

TV:

The Islanders deserve better than their 2-2-2 record to start the year but the good news is that they've really shown a lot of promise and should be right in the thick of things at the end of the season. Tuesday night's 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres was disappointing because if you're going to be a club that's going to take that next step you need to find a way to beat teams you're better than on home ice. These are the types of growing pains the Islanders need to get out of the way quickly and ensure they don't happen again. Frans Nielsen, Matt Martin, and Matt Moulson scored for the Islanders but they blew a late lead and couldn't solve Ryan Miller in the shootout. They'll host another young club that's much like they are when the Edmonton Oilers are in town on Thursday night. This isn't the start to the Dallas Eakins era that the Oilers were hoping for as they're off to just a 1-5-1 start to the year but they've at least been competitive. They played the Penguins dead even until a third period goal from Evgeni Malkin sent them to a 3-2 defeat. This is a team that they should match up well against because they aren't going to out muscle them and it should be a game of skill.