Carolina vs New York Islanders Prediction
🔊 Will the Hurricanes extend the visitors' losing streak? Carolina have slowed down towards the end of the regular season. There's little reason to go all out in every game now-they can't catch Washington, and there's no threat of falling out of the playoff zone. The Islanders, on the other hand, are still fighting for a spot in the Eastern Conference's top eight, but their recent performances have been far from impressive.
Head-to-Head
In the current regular season, the opponents have faced off three times, with the Islanders holding the upper hand, winning twice (4-3, 3-2 OT) and suffering just one away defeat (0-4). The visiting team has had to overcome significant challenges to earn points each time, and when they traveled to Raleigh, they couldn't offer any resistance. The biggest contribution to Carolina's success came from forward Andrei Svechnikov, who managed to score a total of three goals. The Russian isn't setting statistical records this season, having only notched up 44 points in 64 games. These are some of the lowest figures of his career across the Atlantic so far.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Carolina Hurricanes Team Overview
Rod Brind'Amour's squad finds themselves in a bind. Regardless of their current performance, there's no room for movement in the standings. They trail Washington by a significant 11 points in the race for the top spot in the East, making it unlikely to close the gap. Dropping lower in the Metropolitan Division isn't an option either, as New Jersey lags 9 points behind and can't catch up. The team is left to coast through the remainder of the regular season and prepare for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they'll face off against the Devils. The coaching staff's primary concern now is likely making the final decision on their starting goaltender for the playoffs.
Match Results: Carolina Hurricanes
New York Islanders Team Overview
The Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot. However, they've been dropping crucial points too often lately. Patrick Roy's squad have suffered three consecutive losses, with the latest defeat against Vancouver coming in regulation time (2-5). Yet, thanks to slip-ups from their rivals, the visitors still have a chance to catch the departing train. They trail Columbus, who sit eighth in the East, by just one point, with both teams having played the same number of games. This means the fate of the club is entirely in the hands of the players, whom their own management had written off long ago. Trading captain Brock Nelson at the deadline now seems like a completely misguided move. He would have been invaluable.
Match Results: New York Islanders
📌 Projected Lineups
Carolina: Kochetkov - Burns, Slavin - Blake, Aho, Jarvis
Islanders: Sorokin - Romanov, DeAngelo - Palmieri, Horvat, Holmstrom
🥅 Goalies
Carolina's goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is currently struggling in his competition with teammate Frederik Andersen. In two consecutive games, the Russian has failed to stop more than 82% of shots on goal and has suffered two losses. If the former SKA player doesn't turn things around, he might start the playoffs as a backup.
Islanders' goalie Ilya Sorokin had a tough outing against Vancouver. The product of the Novokuznetsk hockey school allowed four goals by the start of the third period and was benched. His final save percentage of 78.9% speaks volumes.
Editorial Prediction
Yes, the "Islanders" are in desperate need of points as they chase a playoff spot and still have a shot at success, but even the unmotivated "Hurricanes" present a formidable challenge. Rod Brind'Amour's team can up the tempo at any moment. The depth of their offense allows the home side to control the pace of most games and consistently drive the puck to the opponent's net. It's unlikely the visitors can handle this pressure. A heavy defeat to Vancouver signals that the team's energy is waning. We recommend betting on a Carolina win in regulation time.
Betting Tips: Carolina Hurricanes - New York Islanders
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