NY RANGERS vs NY ISLANDERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: NY ISLANDERS , NY RANGERS

Oddsmakers currently have the NY RANGERS listed as 115-moneyline favorites versus the NY ISLANDERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

In what was expected to be a rebuilding year for both franchises, the New York Rangers and New York Islanders are each battling for first place in the tightly contested Metropolitan Division. The Rangers are on a tear and will carry a seven-game point streak into Thursday’s matchup at the Islanders, who have dominated the rivalry since the start of the 2015-16 season.

The Rangers made it two straight with a 2-1 win over visiting Vancouver on Monday night, the team’s fifth one-goal decision during the 6-0-1 stretch. “We can beat any team in the league right now,” goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said. “There’s a few teams that are extremely consistent, and they’ve separated themselves a little bit. The rest of the pack is going to be a battle all year and we’re in it. That’s important.” The Islanders have move into first place in the division following a five-game winning streak, only to drop three in a row before routing the Canucks 5-2 on Tuesday night. The Islanders have dominated the Rangers over the past three seasons, winning 11 of 12 overall and all six meetings at Barclays Center.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus2, MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE RANGERS (9-7-2): Rookies played a huge part in New York’s latest win as 20-year-old Brett Howden delivered the game-winning goal in the third period after Filip Chytil, 19, had tied it with his first career tally. “We don’t look at it as a rebuild year,” Howden said. “We believe we’ve got a great team here and we’re looking to build this year and be a contending team. We’re not looking for three years down the road.” Coach David Quinn changed his lines during Tuesday’s win, shifting Chytil from centering the fourth line to playing the wing on the No. 1 unit.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (9-6-2): New York could be short of bodies for Thursday’s matchup as both forwards Andrew Ladd (lower body) and Casey Cizikas (undisclosed) were not at practice Wednesday after leaving Tuesday’s game due to injuries. “They were a little nicked up, so they are being assessed,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “We’ll see where they are tomorrow. Can’t confirm or deny they’re in or out because I haven’t heard yet.” Forward Matt Martin (upper body) practiced for the first time since he was hurt but Trotz ruled him out against the Rangers.

OVERTIME

1. The Islanders are 6-0-0 against the Metropolitan Division this season.

2. Lundqvist needs one win to move past Jacques Plante (437) for sole possession of seventh on the all-time wins list.

3. Islanders G Thomas Greiss is 3-0-1 in his last four starts overall and 3-0-1 in his last four versus the Rangers.

PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Rangers 3

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NY ISLANDERS vs TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: TAMPA BAY , NY ISLANDERS

Oddsmakers currently have the NY ISLANDERS listed as 180-moneyline favorites versus the TAMPA BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The New York Islanders try to rebound from what first-year coach Barry Trotz called their “worst game of the year” when they begin a quick trip to the Sunshine State against the Eastern Conference-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The Islanders, who also visit Florida on Saturday, coughed up a two-goal lead before losing 4-3 in a shootout to Montreal on Monday but extended their point streak to seven (5-0-2).

“We didn’t do the things we should do. It happens,” New York right wing Leo Komarov told Newsday. “A good team has to lose some nights also and we’ve been playing good so far. A point is important but I think we had a good chance to get two. … We just need to be ready next game.” The Islanders have dropped five of the last six in the regular season against the Lightning, who rolled over Edmonton 5-2 for their third straight win Tuesday and sixth in eight contests at home in 2018-19. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his eighth win of the campaign with 33 saves and captain Steven Stamkos told reporters, “(Vasilevskiy) is undoubtedly the reason why we win a lot of hockey games. He was outstanding again (Tuesday).” Center Brayden Point leads Lightning with nine goals, 19 points and a plus-12 rating after registering 10 points in the past five contests.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (8-4-2): Forward Josh Bailey saw his eight-game point streak come to an end Monday, but leads the team with 15 – two better than captain Anders Lee and three more than Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal. Goalie Thomas Greiss allowed five goals on 101 shots over the last three games and owns the same record (4-2-1) as Robin Lehner, who last played on Oct. 30. Jordan Eberle (four goals, three assists) did not practice Wednesday, but Trotz told reporters he is expected to be in the lineup against Tampa Bay, and fellow forward Matt Martin (upper body) did not make the trip.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (11-3-1): Stamkos and right wing Nikita Kucherov accounted for three goals in Tuesday’s victory and the two All-Stars have recorded eight points apiece in the last five games after relatively slow starts. “The last couple of games we’ve got back to playing with the puck,” Stamkos told reporters of playing with Kucherov. “We try to create room for each other out there. Obviously we’ve developed that chemistry. It was nice to have a couple nice plays and contribute to a win.” Forward Yanni Gourde (16 points) has scored in three straight games since signing a six-year contract extension.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman (upper body) will likely miss his seventh straight game, but coach Jon Cooper told reporters the reigning Norris Trophy winner could return soon.

2. New York C Casey Cizikas scored twice Monday after managing two points (both assists) over the previous seven games.

3. The Lightning gave up three power-play goals in the last two games after allowing three total in the first 13 contests.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Islanders 2

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MONTREAL CANADIENS vs NY ISLANDERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 5, 2018
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: NY ISLANDERS , MONTREAL

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as -105-moneyline favorites versus the NY ISLANDERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The New York Islanders attempt to extend their winning streak to six contests when they wrap up their three-game homestand Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. New York, which has earned points in six straight (5-0-1), has allowed only two goals while posting victories over Pittsburgh and New Jersey during the string at home.

Josh Bailey notched a pair of assists in Saturday’s 3-0 triumph over the Devils to increase his team-leading total to 15 points and extend his streak to eight games (two goals, nine assists). Montreal is coming off a 1-2-0 homestand that concluded Saturday with a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay. Max Domi scored 58 seconds into the contest, but the Canadiens were unable to muster any more offense and continued their trend of alternating victories and defeats since posting a three-game winning streak from Oct. 13-17. Montreal has earned at least one point in four of its five road contests this season (2-1-2), posting a 3-0 triumph at Boston on Oct. 27 in its last game away from home.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), MSG Plus 2 (New York)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (7-4-2): Domi is proving to be a solid acquisition after coming over from Arizona for former 30-goal scorer Alex Galchenyuk in mid-June. The 23-year-old son of former NHL enforcer Tie Domi, who was drafted 12th overall by the Coyotes in 2013, leads Montreal with 13 points – notching at least one in eight of his last nine games – and has recorded a goal in six of his last eight contests. Carey Price has won three of his last five starts and is nine victories away from 300 for his career.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (8-4-1): Thomas Greiss, who posted his ninth career shutout on Saturday, has allowed only three goals on 105 shots in his last three starts. The 32-year-old German is tied with Chris Osgood and Kelly Hrudey for seventh place on the franchise list with six shutouts, is even with Glenn Healy for seventh with 66 victories and shares 10th place with Garth Snow at 127 games played. Scoring first has been key for New York, which is 7-0-1 when recording the initial goal and 1-4-0 when allowing it.

OVERTIME

1. Islanders C Brock Nelson’s goal on Saturday was his 106th, moving him past Ed Westfall and Benoit Hogue for 28th place on the franchise list.

2. Montreal has dominated the all-time series of late, winning nine of the last 12 meetings.

3. Bailey’s next goal will be his 128th and snap a tie with Jason Blake for 19th in franchise history.

PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Canadiens 2

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NY ISLANDERS vs FLORIDA
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Monday, December 4, 2017
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FSN Florida
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Panthers 4, Islanders 2

Oddsmakers currently have the NY ISLANDERS listed as -110-moneyline favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

SUNRISE, Fla. — The New York Islanders, who lead the NHL in scoring, expect to go up against one of the league’s all-time great goalies, Roberto Luongo, on Monday night when they face the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center.

The Islanders (15-8-2) are led by center John Tavares, who ranks third in the NHL with 16 goals. His team is first in the league with an average of 3.72 goals per game.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (15-8-2): New York has one more player than Florida with at least 24 points, and the team’s top six scorers all are on hot streaks offensively. Josh Bailey leads the team with 30 points, including 12 in his last eight games, and captain John Tavares is one behind him while Anders Lee has scored four goals in his last three contests and rookie Mathew Barzal has notched 10 of his 24 points over his last eight matches. Defenseman Nick Leddy also has been on a roll with 11 points in his last nine contests while Jordan Eberle is riding a four-game point streak.

And even when the Islanders lose, they usually still score big, as was the case on Friday night when their four-game win streak was snapped in a 6-5 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

“It stings,” New York coach Doug Weight said after that defeat, “but it’s almost a good learning tool.”

Meanwhile, Florida (10-13-3) relies on Luongo, 38, who is aging gracefully. He ranks seventh in the league this season with a .928 save percentage. For his career, he is fourth in league history with 459 wins.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (10-13-3): Barkov scored his third goal in four games Saturday and trails Trocheck (10) by one for the team lead while remaining one point behind Huberdeau (26) for the top spot on the club. With top-line forward Evgenii Dadonov (shoulder) out of the lineup, defenseman Keith Yandle (13) is the only other player on the team with more than 12 points. Nick Bjugstad scored his sixth goal of the campaign on Saturday, pulling within one of his total from 2016-17, when he missed 28 games due to various injuries.

Luongo, who has battled injuries again this season, is 6-6-1 with a 2.62 goals-against average. He has been even better lately, allowing just 18 goals in his past nine games.

This will be Luongo’s first game against the Islanders this season. Last season, he went 2-1-0 with a 2.30 GAA against New York.

Of course, the Islanders’ offense has improved since last season, when they missed the playoffs and averaged 2.91 goals, 10th in the league. They have scored five or more goals 12 times in 25 games this season.

Weight, brought in last January after Jack Capuano was fired, went 24-12-4 last season and has his team off to a good start.

Yet even with all the good things happening with the Islanders, there is turmoil within the organization. Team owners are primed to end their association with Barclays Center, hoping to get a new arena built at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The other big New York story line involves captain Tavares, 27, who will be a free agent after this season. He is a franchise center and his departure — should it happen — could wreck the Islanders.

That’s why the Monday game — and, frankly, every New York contest — is so important. The Islanders likely need to make a deep playoff run to convince Tavares to stick around past this season.

The Panthers don’t face that kind of pressure. This is shaping up as a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Bob Boughner.

Florida has lost two games in a row, both by one goal. A 3-2 setback at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday was particularly painful as the Panthers allowed the winning goal with just two seconds left in overtime.

“It was a heartbreaker,” Boughner said after the defeat.

Now the Panthers start a three-game homestand.

Florida center Aleksander Barkov, who scored with 1:56 left in the third period to send the Carolina game to overtime, leads the Panthers’ top line along with Jonathan Huberdeau.

Center Vincent Trocheck and wingers Nick Bjugstad and Radim Vrbata power the second line.

Florida’s Evgenii Dadonov (shoulder) is out at least four weeks, leaving a gaping hole on the front line that is currently being filled by 21-year-old Denis Malgin.

The Islanders’ biggest injury concern is center Casey Cizikas (four goals, four assists). He has missed two games in a row due to a lower-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Florida RW Radim Vrbata has gone two games without a point since returning from a facial injury that caused him to miss almost two weeks.

2. The Islanders placed C Casey Cizikas (lower body) on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 25.

3. Barkov needs four points to become the 13th Panther to reach 200 in his career.

STATS AND RECORDS

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NY ISLANDERS vs LOS ANGELES
When: 10:30 PM  ET, Sunday, October 15, 2017
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FSN West (Los Angeles)
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Kings 4, Islanders 1

Oddsmakers currently have the NY ISLANDERS listed as 125-moneyline favorites versus the LOS ANGELES, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

LOS ANGELES — The New York Islanders will attempt to end their lone West Coast road trip on a winning note when they face the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Sunday.

New York (2-2-1) is in the midst of a challenging schedule with five of its first seven games away from Brooklyn’s Barclay Center and are in a stretch of 13 of 15 games against Western Conference opponents.

They conclude their road swing against a more familiar foe — the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

OVERTIME

1. Kings D Oscar Fantenberg notched an assist against Buffalo for his first point in four career contests.

2. Islanders C John Tavares has been kept off the scoresheet in four of his five games this season, including each of the last three.

3. Los Angeles LW Kyle Clifford (upper body) was placed on injured reserve while D Paul LaDue was assigned to Ontario of the American Hockey League.

Both teams are playing the back end of consecutive games. The Islanders defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 while the Kings used a decisive third period power-play goal from Drew Doughty in a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

Thomas Griess came up big for the Islanders by stopping 40 San Jose shots, including 29 in the final two periods. Brock Nelson scored the decisive goal in the second period and Cal Clutterbuck added an empty-net goal to support Griess’ second victory of the season.

“We bent, but we didn’t break,” Islanders coach Doug Weight said. “We needed some big saves from Thomas and he was great in net.”

Nelson like the way his team responded after a 3-2 loss in Anaheim on Wednesday.

“It was a good road win for us,” Nelson said. “Greiss played well and made a lot of big saves. It is a good bounce back from Anaheim and it is nice to come out on top.”

Los Angeles (3-0-1) has taken advantage of a friendly schedule that keeps them in California until its Oct. 21 matchup at Columbus. The Kings will play the second of eight consecutive games against the Eastern Conference.

The three power-play goals they registered in the Buffalo win were their first of the season after starting the season on an 0-for-16 run.

The fast start is rare for the Kings. It is the first time since 1995-96 they have registered points in each of their first four games.

“It’s important. We think you’ve got to get seven points a segment if you’re going to be in the playoff hunt,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “To get points early in the season, it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, those points are extremely important, especially when you’ve got some new people here, you’ve got some young guys in our lineup, you want to get off to a good start, get some points in the bank and hopefully build a little confidence in the group, so I think it’s extremely important.”

Doughty agreed with Stevens that a strong start is important to a team that has missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.

“We want to start the season off right,” Doughty said. “Right now, if we had lost the first three games or lost a couple of them, the mood in the room wouldn’t be where it is right now. We are at a high right now.

“We are really confident in each other and in the team, and we just feel good about ourselves. That all changes if we start losing, so we got to keep pushing forward and keep winning, and we are going to continue having fun if we win.”

Dustin Brown continued his strong start against Buffalo registering a power-play goal for his fourth tally in four games. After scoring only 25 goals in the past two regular seasons, Stevens has made Brown a fixture on a wing for Anze Kopitar and the partnership has paid off.

“Brown has been terrific. He’s getting back to his power game,” Stevens said. “We’re trying to make that a part of our identity as a hockey team and he’s leading the charge. He likes being there.

“The defensemen were shooting pucks and he stood down there in front of the net tipping pucks for a good five or 10 minutes at the end of practice today. He understands the value of being there, he wants to be the guy there, and I think it’s a great example for everybody else to kind of lead the charge of getting more people to the front of the net.”

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Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, MSG-Plus (New York)
PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Islanders 2

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as 115-moneyline favorites versus the NY ISLANDERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

NEW YORK — The last time the New York Islanders hosted the Florida Panthers was April 24, when Islanders captain John Tavares authored the most dramatic hockey moment the Barclays Center has seen by scoring in double overtime to give New York a series-winning victory over the Panthers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Tavares’ dramatic goal will seem a lot further away than a mere 270 days Wednesday night, when the reeling Islanders host the Panthers in the lone game between the teams this season at Barclays Center.

The Islanders fell to the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 in a shootout Saturday. It was the second straight 2-1 loss to a Western Conference also-ran for New York (15-15-8), which lost in overtime to Colorado on Friday.

The losing streak has stalled the momentum the Islanders created before their “bye week,” which they entered off a 4-1-0 stretch. New York has the fewest points in the Eastern Conference a season after reaching the conference semifinals for the first time since 1993.

“Before the break, everything seemed to be going in for us,” Shane Prince told Newsday following Saturday’s loss. “It’s obviously frustrating to get two points and only score two goals.”

The Islanders won’t be alone Wednesday in feeling as if last spring happened long ago. The Panthers, who reached the playoffs in 2015-16 for only the second time in the last 15 seasons, are two points out of third place in the Atlantic Division. But Florida (18-16-8) is only 7-7-7 since Tom Rowe replaced Gerard Gallant, who was fired following an 11-9-1 start.

The Panthers are coming off a 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday, when goalie Roberto Luongo moved into fifth place on the NHL’s all-time list by earning the 448th victory of his career.

Afterward, Luongo was more concerned with the Panthers’ perilous standing in the Eastern Conference than his place in NHL history.

“I think right now, I just want to get some wins,” Luongo said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs, so that’s what my focus is on, 100 percent. The other things will take care of (themselves) and we’ll reflect on them when it’s all said and done. But as a group, we have one goal in mind, and that’s to play good every night, keep collecting some point and try to get back in this thing.”

Luongo is likely to oppose Thomas Greiss in a rematch of the starting goalies in last spring’s playoff series. Greiss, who became the Islanders’ unquestioned starter when Jaroslav Halak was waived Dec. 30 and eventually assigned to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League, stopped 63 of the 66 shots he faced in regulation and overtime of New York’s last two defeats.

The game Wednesday is the first of two straight between the Islanders and Panthers, who oppose each other in Sunrise, Fla., on Friday.

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St. Louis Blues vs New York Islanders
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), MSG-Plus (New York)
PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Blues 2

NEW YORK — The New York Islanders have spent the last week proving they can play with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. On Thursday night, the Islanders will get a chance to see how they stack up against the red-hot St. Louis Blues, who are the second-best team in the Western Conference.

The Islanders will host the Blues for the only time this season when the two teams square off at Barclays Center. Both clubs won Tuesday, when New York extended its point streak to five games with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers while St. Louis kept rolling with a 3-2 overtime win over the East-leading Montreal Canadiens.

The Islanders (10-10-5) have gone 4-0-1 in their last five games — a stretch in which they’ve beaten the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, all of whom currently occupy a playoff spot — to climb out of the NHL basement and move to the fringe of the East playoff race.

“It gives our guys a little bit of confidence that we can play with some of the top teams, record-wise, in the East,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said.

Despite the recent surge, the Islanders still have a long road ahead if they want to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. New York is eight points behind the Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, who are tied for the two wild card berths.

“Means we’ve got a lot of work still to do,” Islanders center and captain John Tavares said. “We’ve had some ups and downs and some frustration to start the year, some results we didn’t get and some things maybe not go our way. Certainly playing a lot better hockey and we know we can still be a lot better.”

Results-wise, it’s hard to fare much better than the Blues (15-7-4) have lately. St. Louis is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games dating back to Nov. 15 to move within three points of the Chicago Blackhawks, who lead both the Central Division and the Western Conference.

Much like the Islanders, the Blues are looking to see if their recent play is sustainable. The game Thursday begins a four-game road trip for St. Louis, which is just 3-6-1 away from Scottrade Center. Six of its final nine games before the Christmas break will be on the road.

“It’s going to be a real test for us,” Blues goalie Jake Allen said. “Obviously, things haven’t gone great for us on the road this year. It’s a great opportunity to keep this thing going we had on our homestand.”

The Blues would like to keep it going without the drama that accompanied the 4-0-1 homestand that concluded Tuesday. Four of the five games went to overtime.

“My biggest fear is we’ve had to put a lot of energy into these games. a lot of overtimes, a lot of 3-on-3 stuff, a lot of anxiety, a lot of close games,” Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We’ll see where our energy is. We’ve got to be really careful with ourselves right now.”

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Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS
PREDICTION: Penguins 3, Islanders 2

NEW YORK — The Pittsburgh Penguins will be eager to get back on the ice Wednesday night after a three-day break. The New York Islanders are hoping a spate of three games in four days can revive their flagging season.

A pair of teams at opposite ends of the Eastern Conference will meet Wednesday night, when the Islanders host the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins at Barclays Center. Each club earned a win in its previous game. New York edged the Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime on Monday while Pittsburgh beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in the shootout on Saturday.

The three-day break is the third such mini-vacation so far this season for the Penguins (13-6-1), who are four points behind the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division and tied for third overall in the conference, four points free of the second wild card.

And three days off are more than enough as far as Penguins star center Sidney Crosby is concerned, even if he knows fresher legs can help later in the season.

“It’s amazing — after two days you feel it, you definitely feel it,” Crosby said following the Penguins’ practice in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. “You’re used to going every day or every other day, at least, especially with the amount of games we’ve played. I think you feel it even more.

“Ultimately I think it was good for us. It’s important and it’s something that hopefully will, down the road, make a big difference for us.”

Down the road looks murky at best for the Islanders (7-10-4), who entered Tuesday tied with the Arizona Coyotes for the fewest points in the NHL. New York is already seven points behind the Devils in the race for the second wild card.

If the Islanders are to begin turning season around, they’ll have to do so against two perennial Eastern Conference powers. After facing the Penguins, New York travels to Washington to face the Capitals on Thursday night.

“Each game is crucial for us — obviously haven’t started the season the way we wanted to,” Islanders center John Tavares said Monday night. “We know Wednesday’s going to be a good test. If you’re going to have success in the playoffs, you’ve got to beat a lot of the top teams.”

Any chance the Islanders have of crawling out of the hole they’ve dug begins with generating more offense. New York has scored three goals or fewer in eight straight games and in 18 of 21 games overall. The Penguins are 8-0-0 when scoring more than three goals.

“We’re going to have to find some offense and that’s the big thing when you play Pittsburgh,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said. “They can make you look silly, they’ve got a lot of offensive weapons, their power play is dynamic.”

The Islanders may be without defenseman Adam Pelech, who left after the second period Monday night due to an upper body injury. For the Penguins, right winger Patric Hornqvist is expected to return to the lineup after missing the last six games with a concussion.

This is the third of four meetings this season between the Islanders and Penguins. Host Pittsburgh beat New York 4-3 on Oct. 27 before earning a 3-2 overtime win at Barclays Center Nov. 18. The season series is scheduled to conclude in Pittsburgh on March 24.

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Calgary Flames vs. New York Islanders
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, November 28, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Calgary), MSG Plus (New York)
PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Flames 2

Oddsmakers currently have the Islanders listed as 155-moneyline favorites versus the Flames, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

NEW YORK — The Calgary Flames are staying afloat during a six-game Eastern Conference road trip. They will try to close the trek out in winning style Monday when they face the skidding New York Islanders at Barclays Center.

Both teams are coming off losses. Calgary fell to the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 Sunday night, while New York dropped a 3-2 decision to the Sharks in San Jose on Friday. The Islanders return home to open a brief two-game homestand.

The Flames already ensured themselves of at least a .500 trip (3-2-0). They enter play Monday two points behind the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

“It’s a disappointing loss, but we have back-to-back games and we’ve got to finish this trip off on the right note,” Flames defenseman Mark Giordano said Sunday night. “If we win (Monday), it’s a 4-2 trip, and that’s a good trip.”

The Flames (10-13-1) should have some added motivation after giving up three unanswered goals in the second period Sunday night as the Flyers turned a tie game into a rout.

“I was very disappointed with our guys after the first,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. “I let them know that and it didn’t get any better in the second. There’s no system for being outworked.”

If there were, perhaps Islanders coach Jack Capuano would feel better about his team’s fortunes. New York, which reached the second round of the playoffs last spring for the first time since 1993, enters Monday with a 6-10-4 record. The Islanders have the fewest wins and points (16) in the NHL.

Eight of the Islanders’ losses were by one goal. New York allowed the go-ahead goal in the final three minutes of the third period five times, including Friday, when the Islanders tied the score with 57.2 seconds remaining, only to give up the winning goal to the Sharks with 22.5 seconds to play.

“It’s just mind-boggling,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “We played one of the best games we’ve played. We came in here against San Jose — Stanley Cup finalists — (and we) dominate the third period. No puck luck right now. There is no explanation.”

Also a fact for the Islanders: They are all but buried in the playoff race already. New York is a whopping nine points behind the New Jersey Devils in the race for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The goalie matchup Monday likely will pit the Islanders’ No. 1 netminder, Jaroslav Halak, against Flames backup Brian Elliott.

Halak didn’t play Friday but started eight of the Islanders’ first 10 games in November. He is 8-5-1 in his career against the Flames. He stopped 31 of 32 shots to earn the win the last time the two teams played on Feb. 25, when New York captured a 2-1 victory at Calgary.

Elliott lost his job to the surging Chad Johnson, who took the defeat Sunday to fall to 6-3-0 this month. A start Monday would be just the sixth in November for Elliott, who is 4-1-3 in nine career appearances against the Islanders. He last faced New York while playing for the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 4, 2015, when he stopped 24 of 25 shots but took the loss in the shootout as the Blues fell 2-1.

The post Calgary vs. NY Islanders Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

New York Islanders vs. Winnipeg Jets
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus2 (New York), TSN (Winnipeg)
Prediction: Islanders 3, Jets 2

Oddsmakers currently have the Jets listed as 142-moneyline favorites versus the Islanders, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

Although former franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro fared well in his season debut versus the Bruins, New York will likely turn to Evgeni Nabokov on Sunday. The veteran Russian netminder has dominated the Jets’ franchise, posting a 7-1-2 career mark with a 1.87 goals-against average. Keith Aucoin has three goals in his last two games to match Michael Grabner for the team lead.

In their last action, New York was a 4-2 loser on the road against the Bruins. Bettors on Boston at -190 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (6) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Team record: 2-1-1 SU, ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 11 of last 15 games
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing NY Rangers are 1-9
After playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After a win are 3-7

Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien netted his second power-play goal this season in Friday’s victory. Winnipeg’s play with the man advantage has come alive after a 1-for-10 start to the season. The Jets have converted three of their seven opportunities on the power play during their modest win streak. Byfuglien’s five points are matched for the team lead with defenseman Tobias Enstrom, who has recorded four of his five assists in the last two games.

In their last action, Winnipeg was a 4-2 winner at home against the Penguins. Bettors on Winnipeg at +120 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (6) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Team record: 2-2-0 SU, ATS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 5 games on the road
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing New Jersey are 3-7
After playing Boston are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6

The post New York Islanders vs. Winnipeg Jets Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.