NHL Predictions with Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders
Head-to-Head: Penguins 1 – 0 Islanders
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Penguins Story
Pittsburgh comes into this game off a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. With the loss, the Penguins saw their six-game win streak and nine-game point streak both come to an end following a controversial goal from Claude Giroux. Even with the loss, Pittsburgh sits second in the Metropolitan Division, two points ahead of the New York Islanders wth two games in hand. Although the team’s defensive structure has held up well, the offence was few and far between in this game, with the team registering just one shot on goal over 22 minutes of play at the halfway point of the game.
Recent addition Egor Chinakhov continues to shine in the steel city. The Russian winger put up a goal and an assist in the game against Ottawa. He has three goals and five points over his last five games, and a total of seven goals and 10 points over 16 games with the Penguins. Defenceman Ryan Shea got back into the scoresheet with an assist and has five points in his last five games as well. Watch for Thomas Novak in this game, the centre had a goal against the Senators, and has 10 goals and 29 points in 54 games this season. His production has been on an upward trend since being paired with Evgeni Malkin and Egor Chinakhov on the team’s second line.
With Arturs Silovs starting last night’s game, expect Stuart Skinner to play against the Islanders. He is 8-4-0 through 12 starters for the Penguins with an .895 save percentage. As a disclaimer, please check social media for the latest lineup news and notes before locking in your daily fantasy starters.
Islanders Story
Like the Penguins, the Islanders have been a surprise this season. After selecting defenceman Matthew Schaefer first overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Islanders have quickly accelerated what was thought to be a rebuild, as they now find themselves fighting for a playoff spot. Like the Penguins, New York comes into this game on the second half of a back-to-back following a loss. They lost last night to the Washington Capitals 4-1. Washington, as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets, are a pair of Metropolitan Division teams threatening the Penguins and the Islanders for their divisional playoff spots. With an overall record of 30-21-5, the Islanders hold just a two-point lead over the Blue Jackets for that third spot in the division, making this an important game for both teams.
Mathew Barzal was the lone goal scorer in last night’s game. With his 15th goal of the season, Barzal has 47 points in 55 games this season. A lot of attention in this game is going to go to Calder Trophy favourite Matthew Schaefer. The 18-year-old defenceman has shattered expectations, scoring 15 goals and 37 points in 55 games. Watch for Canadian Olympian Bo Horvat in this game as well. The star centre has 21 goals and 35 points in 42 games played this season.
With David Rittich starting against the Capitals last night, expect Ilya Sorokin to play against Pittsburgh. The superstar Russian netminder has been incredible this season, with a record of 18-13-2 and a .916 save percentage.
Prediction
This is a crucial game for both teams involved as they are directly competing for home ice in a potential first-round playoff series. Both teams are also looking to stave off the Capitals and the Blue Jackets from potentially taking their spots. While both teams will play hard, expect the Penguins to be on their A-game and get a big win in this one.
Prop Bet of the Night
Both of these teams have been playing good defensive hockey as of late. With either team starters expected to play in this one, expect a low-scoring game in which a popular prop bet of goals under six with odds of +235 is a good one.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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