The Washington Capitals and New York Islanders meet Sunday in NHL action at the UBS Arena. Here’s a Islanders vs Capitals Prediction. This article will include a Islanders vs Capitals Pick.
Washington Capitals Betting Preview
The Washington Capitals lost to the Hurricanes, beat the Blackhawks, and they play the Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, and Islanders next. The Capitals have won 11 of their last 16 games.
The Washington Capitals are averaging 3.62 goals per game and are scoring 22.8 percent of their power play opportunities. Alex Ovechkin leads Washington with 41 goals, Dylan Strome has 50 assists, and Jakob Chychrun has 174 shots on goal. Defensively, the Washington Capitals are allowing 2.68 goals per game and are killing 81.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Charlie Lindgren has allowed 91 goals on 873 shots faced, and Logan Thompson has given up 105 goals on 1,172 shots.
New York Islanders Betting Preview
The New York Islanders lost to the Lightning, beat the Wild, and they play the Predators, Rangers, and Flyers next. The Islanders have lost six of their last seven games.
The New York Islanders are averaging 2.72 goals per game and are scoring 12.7 percent of their power play opportunities. Anders Lee leads New York with 27 goals, Noah Dobson has 28 assists, and Bo Horvat has 220 shots on goal. Defensively, the New York Islanders are allowing 3.04 goals per game and are killing 73.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Semyon Varlamov has allowed 29 goals on 262 shots faced, and Ilya Sorokin has given up 151 goals on 1,583 shots.
Why the New York Islanders will win
- The underdogs have won four of the Capitals’ last five games at UBS Arena.
- The Capitals have lost each of their last three road games following a win.
- The Islanders have covered the puck line in each of their last nine games as home underdogs following a home win.
- The Capitals have failed to cover the puck line in five of their last six games as road favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Capitals have lost the second period in each of their last four games as favorites.
Why the Washington Capitals will win
- The Islanders have lost each of their last nine day games following a home win.
- The Capitals have won 10 of their last 11 games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Capitals have covered the puck line in each of their last eight road games against the Islanders following a win.
- The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six day games at UBS Arena following a home win.
- The Capitals have won the third period in each of their last nine games as road favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Islanders rank 31st in the league in power play percentage this season (12.70%).
- The New York Islanders rank 29th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (73.33%).
- The Washington Capitals rank 1st in the league for goals per game this season (3.62).
- The Washington Capitals rank 7th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.68).
Islanders vs Capitals Injury Report
The Islanders will be without Anthony Duclair.
The Washington Capitals will be without Logan Thompson, while Aliaksei Protas is questionable.
Islanders vs Capitals Prediction
The Islanders got a nice win over the Wild, but they were riding a six-game losing streak before that game. The Islanders can’t keep pucks out of the net, and their season is all but over in terms of playoff chances. The Capitals still have a chance to get the Presidents’ Trophy, and they’re pretty much the same team regardless of where they play.
I understand the Islanders haven’t been eliminated yet, so they’ll be up for this game at home, and early starts usually favor home teams. But who cares. The Caps are comfortably the better team, and it’s a surprise this line is what it is. Give me the Capitals.