The NHL playoffs begin on Saturday as we continue our NHL odds series with an Islanders-Hurricanes Game One prediction and pick.
The NHL playoffs begin on Saturday with Game One between the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with an Islanders-Hurricanes Game One prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Islanders finished the year at 39-27-16. That got them 94 points and the three seed in the Metropolitan Division. They finished the year on a strong run. They won eight of their last nine games on the season with the only loss being a one-goal loss on the road to the Rangers. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes finished the season at 52-23-7 on the year. That was good for 111 points, three points behind the Rangers in the division. They finished the year winning seven of their last nine.
In the regular season, the Hurricanes and Islanders split their four-game series. The Hurricanes won the first game of the year in November, taking a win in overtime on the road. In game two, the Islanders won on the road in overtime at the end of November. The Islanders would also take game three at the end of December before the Hurricanes took game four. In all four games, the road team won.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
NHL Playoffs Odds: Islanders-Hurricanes Game 1 Odds
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-150)
Moneyline: +188
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+125)
Moneyline: -230
Over: 5.5 (-104)
Under: 5.5 (-118)
How to Watch Islanders vs. Hurricanes Game 1
Time: 5:00 PM ET/ 2:00 PM PT
TV: TBS
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Islanders Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Islanders finished 22nd in the NHL in goals per game this year, with just 2.99 goals per game on the season. Mathew Barzal leads the way this year. He has 23 goals and 57 assists on the year, good for 80 total points. He has been solid on the power play as well, with five goals and 20 assists. The top goal scorer this year is Brock Nelson. He comes in with 34 goals and 35 assists, good for 69 points. He has nine goals and ten assists on the power play. Further, Bo Horvat has 33 goals this year. He also had 35 assists, with ten goals and eight assists on the power play.
The Islanders had three 30-goal scores this year, with Kyle Palmieri being the third. He has 30 goals and 24 assists. Further, he has ten goals and ten assists on the power play. The Islanders also get help on offense from the blue line. Noah Dobson has ten goals but led the team with 60 assists this year, good for 70 total points. He also had a goal and 23 assists on the power play this year.
The Islanders are 19th in the NHL on the power play, with a 20.3 percent conversion rate. The Islanders are the worst in the NHL on the penalty kill, sitting with a 71.5 percent success rate
It is expected to be Semyon Varlamov in goal for game one of the series. He was 14-8-4 on the year with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Varlamov has won each of his last five starts, allowing two or fewer goals in each of his last four, with one shutout.
Why The Hurricanes Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Hurricanes sit eighth in the NHL in goals per game, coming in with 3.38 per contest this year. They are led by Sebastian Aho, who leads the team in points, goals, and assists this year. He has 36 goals, and 53 assists, for a total of 89 points. Aho has also been great on the power play, with 11 goals and 21 assists this year when a man up. Seth Jarvis is second on the team in goals and second in points. Jarvis comes in with 33 goals and 34 assists on the year, good for 67 points. He has 13 goals on the power play, which is the most on the team, while also having seven assists.
Sitting right behind Jarvis in goals is Martin Necas. Necas comes into the game with 24 goals and 29 assists on the year, good for 53 total points. He also has eight goals and five assists on the power play this year. Meanwhile, Teuvo Teravainen has also been solid this year. He has 25 goals and 28 assists overall, good for 53 total points. He has nine goals and eight assists on the power play this year. Further, the Hurricanes also get help from the blue line. Both Brady Skeji and Brent Burns come into the game with over ten goals and 30 assists.
The Hurricanes are second in the NHL this year on the power play. They come in with a conversion rate of 26.9 percent and 67 power-play goals. Meanwhile, they are the best in the NHL when a man is down this year, sitting with an 86.4 percent success rate.
The Hurricanes are expected to start Frederik Andersen in this one. He is 13-2-0 on the year with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. Since. At the start of March, he had just one loss, and it was the only time Andersen had allowed more than two goals in his ten games. Further, Andersen has three shutouts in that time.
Final Islanders-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick
The Hurricanes are the better team in this one. The biggest area in which there is a major difference is the power play. The Hurricanes are great on the power play, and the Islanders are the worst in the NHL on the penalty kill. That will be the difference in this one. Take the Hurricanes.
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Final Islanders-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (+125)Â
