The New York Islanders and the New York Rangers meet Sunday in NHL action from Madison Square Garden. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers prediction.
New York Islanders Recap
The New York Islanders come into this one looking to build on a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres last time out. Prior to that game, the Islanders lost three games in a row against Columbus, Anaheim, and Florida. After this game, the Islanders will head home for a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Islanders Bounce Back
Kyle Palmieri has a team-high 8 points with 5 goals and 3 assists while Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each have 7 points with Horvat logging 4 goals and 3 assists while Tsyplakov has 5 assists. Brock Nelson has 6 points with 4 goals and 2 assists and Noah Dobson has a team-high 6 assists while Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal each have 5 points with Lee logging 3 goals and 2 assists while Barzal has added a pair of goals and 3 assists so far this season. Ilya Sorokin has gone 3-2-1 with a 2.00 GAA and a .928 save percentage in goal for the Islanders while Semyon Varlamov is 1-3-1 with a 3.21 GAA and an .876 save percentage this season.
Why the New York Islanders will win
- The underdogs have won five of the Islanders’ last six games.
- The Rangers have lost two of their last three games as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in eight of the Islanders’ last nine games.
- The Rangers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games.
New York Rangers Recap
The New York Rangers come into this one looking to build on their 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators last time out. Prior to that win, the Rangers lost to Washington by a score of 5-3. After this game, the Rangers will welcome the Buffalo Sabres to town.
Rangers Looking For Consistency
Artemi Panarin has a team-high 16 points with 7 goals and 9 assists while Alexis Lafreniere has 10 points with 5 goals and 5 assists on the year. Filip Chytil has 8 points with 4 goals and 4 assists while Will Cuylle has 8 points with 3 goals and 5 assists and Vincent Trocheck has 8 points with 2 goals and 6 assists. Adam Fox has 8 assists while Reilly Smith and Mika Zibanejad each have 7 points with 2 goals and 5 assists apiece and Kaapo Kakko has 7 points with 6 assists. In goal for the Rangers, Igor Shesterkin is 5-2-1 with a 2.25 GAA and a .931 save percentage while Jonathan Quick is 2-0 with a 1.51 GAA and a .953 save percentage this season.
Why the New York Rangers will win
- The Rangers have won each of their last 10-day games.
- The Islanders have lost six of their last seven day games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Rangers have covered the puck line in each of their last seven-day games at Madison Square Garden following a win.
- The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in four of their last five road games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Islanders vs. Rangers Prediction
I’m on the Rangers here. I get the allure of backing the Islanders at this price in a rivalry matchup, but I still have trouble trusting the Islanders with any sort of consistent offense as they’ve been held to one goal or less almost as many times as they’ve scored multiple goals so far this year. I think the Rangers have more stability and being at home I think is the difference here. Give me the Rangers.