The New York Islanders will play the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. New York has lost three games in a row, while Chicago has lost four of their last five. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Islanders vs Blackhawks prediction.
Islanders Preview
The New York Islanders are 19-15-10 this year after they lost to Winnipeg by a score of 4-2 in their last game. New York cut the deficit to only 3-2 in the third period, but allowed an empty net goal in the loss. The Islanders were out shot by a total of 44-37 and went 0-2 on the power play in the game. New York lost to Minnesota by a score of 5-0 and Nashville by a score of 3-1 in the two games prior to Winnipeg. The Islanders are scoring 2.93 goals per game and they are allowing 3.34 goals against per game, while going 23.1% on the power play and 72.6% on the penalty kill. Mathew Barzal has led New York with 12 goals, 33 assists, and 129 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for New York is Ilya Sorokin, who is 13-11-8 this season with a 3.18 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.
Blackhawks Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks are 13-30-2 this season after they lost to Buffalo by a score of 3-0 in their last game. Chicago allowed one goal in the second period and two goals in the third period for the shutout loss. The Blackhawks were out shot by a total of 31-19 and went 0-4 on the power play in the game. Chicago defeated San Jose by a score of 2-1 in the game prior to Buffalo, but lost to Dallas, Winnipeg, and Edmonton before that. The Blackhawks are scoring 2.23 goals per game and they are allowing 3.59 goals against per game, while going 13.1% on the power play and 75.7% on the penalty kill. Philipp Kurashev has eight goals, 15 assists, and 67 shots on goal for the Blackhawks this season. The projected starting goalie for Chicago is Petr Mrazek, who is 11-16-1 this year with a 3.04 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
Chicago Blackhawks Team Facts
- The Blackhawks have lost each of their last 13 games as home underdogs on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in seven of the Blackhawks’ last eight games at United Center.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Blackhawks’ last six games following a road loss.
- The Blackhawks have lost the third period in each of their last five night games following a road loss.
New York Islanders Team Facts
- The Islanders have lost three of their last four games as favorites against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The home team has covered the puck line in five of the Islanders’ last six games.
- The Islanders have lost the second period in each of their last three games as favorites following a road loss.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in nine of the Islanders’ last 10 games as favorites.
Chicago Blackhawks Player Prop Facts
- Connor Bedard has recorded at least one point in each of his last five appearances at United Center.
- Connor Bedard has recorded at least one assist in four of his last five appearances in home games.
- Andreas Athanasiou has scored a goal in three of his last four appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents at United Center.
- Seth Jones ranks 2nd in the Western Conference for average time on ice (25:31) this season.
New York Islanders Player Prop Facts
- Bo Horvat has recorded at least one point in four of his five previous appearances with his team as a favorite against the Blackhawks.
- Noah Dobson ranks 1st in the Metropolitan Division for average time on ice (25:47) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 29th in the league for goals against per game this season (3.59).
- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 27th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (75.71%).
- The New York Islanders rank T3rd in the league in short handed goals allowed this season (2).
- The New York Islanders are one of only three teams to lose 3+ games when leading after Period 2 this season.
Islanders vs Blackhawks Betting Prediction
New York comes into this game looking to snap their three game losing streak, but they will be on the road here. The Islanders have scored a total of three goals in their last three games, but will face a poor Chicago defense in this game. The Blackhawks are also one of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL and they will be on a back to back after playing Buffalo on Thursday. Take the Islanders to get the win by at least two goals here.