New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils 1/24/21: NHL Hockey free preview, analysis, prediction, odds and pick against the spread.
2021-01-24 19:00:00 EDT
The New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils meet in NHL action from the Prudential Center on Sunday.
The New York Islanders will look to build off of a 4-1 over the Devils in their last outing. Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders in scoring with 4 points coming on 2 goals and 2 assists while Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle, Noah Dobson and Nick Leddy each have 3 points with Lee and Eberle each logging 2 goals and an assist while Dobson and Leddy each have 3 assists. Semyon Varlamov’s seen the bulk of the goal work for the Isles and it’s benefitted New York when he has, going 3-0 with a 0.33 GAA with 1 goal allowed on 82 shots against while Ilya Sorokin has a 5.01 GAA after his lone NHL start.
The New Jersey Devils will look to rebound from their loss to the Isles last time out. Jack Hughes leads the Devils in scoring with 6 points coming on 2 goals and a team-high 4 assists while Miles Wood and Ty Smith each have 3 points with Wood logging 3 goals and an assist with a team-high 13 shots on goal while Smith has a goal and 3 assists. P.K. Subban also has 13 shots on goal for the Devils this season. MacKenzie Blackwood’s seen the majority of the work for New Jersey in goal, posting a 1.90 GAA with a 2-0 record and just 6 goals against on 115 shots against.
New York is 1-5 in their last 6 games following a win and 4-0 in their last 4 games on 2 days rest while the under is 6-0-1 in their last 7 games overall. New Jersey is 6-2 in their last 8 home games and 5-0 in their last 5 Sunday games while the under is 11-4 in their last 15 games overall. New York is 22-8 in the last 30 meetings between these two teams and 11-4 in the last 15 meetings between the two teams in New Jersey.
I think you could make a case for either side as Varlamov’s stopping everything for the Islanders who were conference finalists last season while the Devils are up and coming led by MacKenzie Blackwood. The one common denominator? Solid goaltending and between two teams who are 7-1 to the under this season combined, that’s where I’m leaning. Give me the under in this matchup.
