The San Jose Sharks and the New York Islanders meet in NHL action from the UBS Arena on Tuesday night. Can the San Jose Sharks win their second road game of the year? Or will the Islanders defend their home ice? Let’s dive in and give out a Sharks vs. Islanders Prediction.
San Jose Sharks Team Preview
The San Jose Sharks come into this game looking to rebound from a 6-5 loss at the hands of the New York Rangers in their last matchup. Tomas Hertl has 4 goals and a team-high 14 assists for his team-leading 18 points while Fabian Zetterlund has 10 points with a team-high 7 goals. Mikael Granlund has 11 points with 9 assists while Anthony Duclair and Mike Hoffman each have 9 points with 6 goals and 3 assists. William Eklund also has 9 points with 5 goals and 4 assists on the year. MacKenzie Blackwood’s gone 3-11-2 between the pipes for the Sharks this season, posting a 3.72 GAA and an .899 save percentage while Kaapo Kahkonen is 3-6 with a 3.99 GAA and an .896 save percentage this season.
San Jose Sharks Team Facts
- The Sharks have lost 12 of their last 13 games following a road loss.
- The Sharks have failed to cover the puck line in 11 of their last 12 night games following a road loss.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in 10 of the Sharks’ last 12 games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Sharks have lost the third period in 12 of their last 13 games following a road loss.
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New York Islanders Team Preview
The New York Islanders come into this game looking to build on back-to-back wins after a 4-3 win over Florida last time out. Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders in scoring with 23 points including 7 goals and a team-high 16 assists while Noah Dobson has 21 points with 16 assists of his own and Brock Nelson’s added 18 points with a team-high 10 goals this season. Bo Horvat’s also chipped in 18 points with 7 goals and 11 assists and Kyle Palmieri has 14 points with 6 goals and 8 assists. Ilya Sorokin has posted a 6-4-5 record in goal for the Islanders this season with a 3.09 GAA and a .914 save percentage while Semyon Varlamov is 4-3-1 with a 2.50 GAA and a .926 save percentage this season.
New York Islanders Team Facts
- The Islanders have lost four of their last five games as home favorites.
- The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last 10 games as home favorites.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Islanders’ last 14 games as favorites against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Islanders have won the second period in eight of their last nine games as favorites against Pacific Division opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Islanders ranks 30th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (72.60%).
- The New York Islanders ranks 27th in the league for goals per game this season (2.78).
- The San Jose Sharks ranks 32nd in the league for goals per game this season (1.88).
- The San Jose Sharks ranks 32nd in the league for goals against per game this season (4.00).
Sharks vs. Islanders Prediction
I’m going with the under. Despite some recent success, the Sharks are still the worst team in hockey and are averaging 1.74 goals per game. The Islanders have strayed from their physical defensive style, but this would be a good spot to get back to basics and tighten up the defense. I think this is a game that hits 5 goals max, so give me the under.
