New York Islanders (16-9-9) vs Washington Capitals (17-10-5)
2023-12-29 19:30:00 EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: New York Islanders -175 / Washington Capitals +139 --- Over/Under: 5.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders meet in NHL action from the UBS Arena on Friday night. Two Metro division rivals square off on Friday night, who comes out on top? Let’s dive in and find out with our Capitals vs. Islanders Prediction.
Washington Capitals Team Preview
The Washington Capitals come into this one looking to rebound from back-to-back losses after a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers last time out. Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals in scoring with 20 points including 6 goals and 14 assists while Tom Wilson has 18 points with 10 goals and 8 assists. John Carlson has 19 points with a team-high 18 assists and Dylan Strome has 20 points with a team-high 13 goals for the Capitals. In goal for Washington, Darcy Kuemper has gone 8-7-2 with a 3.03 GAA and a .896 save percentage while Charlie Lindgren is 7-3-3 with a 2.29 GAA and a .928 save percentage and Hunter Shepard is 2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and a .915 save percentage this season.
Washington Capitals Team Facts
- The underdogs have won each of the Capitals’ last four games at UBS Arena.
- The Capitals have covered the puck line in nine of their last 10 games as underdogs against the Islanders.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Capitals’ last eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The underdogs have won the third period in each of the Capitals’ last four games at UBS Arena.
New York Islanders Team Preview
The New York Islanders come into this game looking to rebound from a 7-0 crushing loss to Pittsburgh last time out. Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders in scoring with 35 points including 10 goals and 25 assists while Noah Dobson has 34 points with a team-high 29 assists of his own and Brock Nelson’s added 30 points with a team-high 16 goals this season. Bo Horvat’s also chipped in 33 points with 14 goals and 19 assists and Kyle Palmieri has 21 points with 9 goals and 12 assists. Ilya Sorokin has posted a 10-5-7 record in goal for the Islanders this season with a 3.27 GAA and a .909 save percentage while Semyon Varlamov is 6-4-2 with a 2.75 GAA and a .919 save percentage this season. The Isles will play against the Penguins and Avalanche after this game.
New York Islanders Team Facts
- The underdogs have won each of the last four games between the Capitals and Islanders at UBS Arena.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the Islanders’ last nine games.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Islanders’ last 10 games.
- The underdogs have won the third period in each of the last four games between the Capitals and Islanders at UBS Arena.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Islanders rank 31st in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (71.84%).
- The New York Islanders rank T1st in the league in short handed goals allowed this season (1).
- The Washington Capitals rank 31st in the league for goals per game this season (2.34).
- The Washington Capitals rank 30th in the league in power play percentage this season (12.09%).
Capitals vs. Islanders Prediction
I’m on the under here. Historically, this has simply been a low-scoring matchup, usually the first to 3 winning it, and I don’t see that changing here. Washington’s scored 3 or less in 6 straight games and are back to having issues finding the back of the net, while the Islanders have had those regressions as well and are starting to slip as well. Give me the under here.
