Welcome to the return of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in. Today we’re looking at the New York Islanders against the Calgary Flames. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions every day there’s hockey this 2024-25 season.
NHL Predictions
New York Islanders (7-7-4) vs Calgary Flames (9-6-3)
Time: 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: ESPN+, MSGSN, SN1
2023-24 head-to-head: Tied 1-1-0
Islanders Look to Stay in Playoff Race
One of the biggest storylines for the Islanders this season has been injuries. The Islanders lost big free agent signing Anthony Duclair, All-Star Mathew Barzal, and top-four defenseman Adam Pelech all for significant amounts of time. These are massive injuries, especially for the Islanders’ offence. New York is filled with veterans and top-tier goaltending which has helped them stay afloat during these injuries. They’ve been getting good contributions from Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat. The Islanders will need more players to step up and fill the void in the short team. They are also missing the Noah Dobson of last season. Dobson had a breakout campaign last season that saw him record 70 points and earn Norris Trophy votes. Unfortunately, this season he hasn’t looked nearly as good. The Islanders have enough to hang around the playoff chase, but they’ll need to get healthy, and see some players find another gear to make the post-season.
Flames Continue to Battle
As mentioned above the Flames were expected to be near the bottom of the league this season. However, this group got off to an incredible start and they still continue to surprise. The Flames’ biggest problem is their inexperience and lack of star power. The coaches have done a great job of motivating this team, and when they bring a full 60-minute effort they’ve proven they can compete with the top teams in the league. The issue for Calgary is that when they don’t have their best effort they don’t have an elite player who can steal them a game offensively. Also, due to their young team, they are susceptible to making too many mistakes. The Flames are getting contributions from both young and old. They’re being led offensively by Rasmus Andersson and Jonathan Huberdeau, while also getting solid contributions from youngsters Connor Zary and Matthew Coronato. If the Flames maintain this pace they could find themselves fighting for a playoff spot come season’s end.
NHL Predictions Islanders vs Flames
The Islanders come to Calgary playing improved hockey, despite a 3-2 loss in Seattle, on November 16th. They should bring a strong effort before they close out their road trip in Detroit.
Calgary is coming off a 2-0 shutout of the Nashville Predators and four days rest. They should be feeling good about their game and themselves. Expect a close contest with the Flames rest outlasting the Islanders.
Prediction: Flames win 3-2
Prop Bets of the Night
We finish up NHL predictions with some prop bets of the night. BET365 has the over/under at 6 goals and the Flames as the underdog at +150. We like taking both these options.
On the New York side, we like Pamieri to continue to lead the way for the Islanders and go over 0.5 points at 1.68. On the Calgary side, we like taking Matthew Coronato over 0.5 points at 2.20.
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Main photo by: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
