Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the New York Islanders going out west to take on the Anaheim Ducks. Don’t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025-26 season.
NHL Predictions: New York Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks
Time: 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch TV: MSGSN, KCOP-13; Victory+
2025–26 Season Series: Islanders lead 1-0
This matchup features two out-of-conference opponents who are among the hottest teams in the league currently. Both teams come into this game with matching five-game winning streaks. In the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division, the Islanders currently sit in third place. They hold a record of 35-21-6 after 61 games, which has them at 75 points on the season. Meanwhile, out west, the Ducks are holding down second place in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. After 59 games, their record is 33-23-3, which is good enough for 69 points. This will be the second and final meeting for these teams, the Islanders taking the first matchup on Long Island. Tonight, they will square off at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The Islanders Story
The Islanders, as mentioned before, will take a five-game winning streak into this matchup. They have been playing well, winning eight of their last 10. The offence has been a big reason for their winning streak, scoring four or more goals in four of their last five on this streak. Despite the hot scoring, they still rank 21st in the league in goals for at 2.92 per game. Mathew Barzal and his team, leading 55 points in 60 games, have a big impact on the team. However, their depth has shown up for some timely goals, leading to wins. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has scored in two of the three games since returning from the break. Simon Holmstrom and Anders Lee both provided late winners in their last two games. Holmstrom in overtime against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Lee with 30 seconds left against the Florida Panthers. If that trend continues, they could be a tough team to stop on any night.
Defensively, they have allowed more goals than they would like to recently. Surrendering three-straight games of three or more goals is not their recipe for victory, but their offence has helped them out. Despite the goals recently, they still rank fourth in the league in goals against per game at 2.74. Leading the blueline is the 18-year old phenom Matthew Schaefer, who continues to be the heartbeat of the team. He has four goals in his last three games and reached the 20-goal mark in the last one. With this being the first of a back-to-back for the Islanders, David Rittch will start this first leg of it. He has been a very solid backup to Ilya Sorokin, sporting a 13-8-3 and an .899 save percentage.
The Ducks Story
The Ducks come into this game playing some of their best hockey of the season. They match the Islanders and their five-game winning streak with one of their own. Their offence has been clicking as of late, and they have four or more goals in four of the five games. They sit 13th in the league with 3.25 goals per game. Cutter Gauthier leads the team in points and has been on a goal-scoring tear recently. He has 52 points in 58 games to go with 28 goals on the season, eight of those coming in the last 11 games. Leo Carlsson is playing well, too, and giving that top line an extra punch since returning from injury. He has five points over the last three games since coming back from the break. A familiar face for the Islanders in Chris Kreider has been hot as of late, too. He has five goals and three assists in his last nine games.
Defensively is where the weakness starts to show for this Ducks team. Over the last three games, the Ducks have allowed four or more goals twice. On the season, they rank 31st in the league in goals against with 3.49 per game. Being in the bottom half of the league in penalty killing does not help that problem. They rank 24th with a 77.5% kill rate. However, despite the tough goals against numbers, they have had decent play from their starting goaltender. Lukas Dostal is 24-13-2 with an .896 save percentage. With him having started last night’s game, it will be backup Ville Husso. He allowed five goals last time out, has a 6-5-1 record, and an .882 save percentage.
Prediction
Coming into this game, both of these teams have been playing well, and both find themselves in a playoff position. These will be two important points for both sides. In this game, these teams are pretty evenly matched on paper and record-wise. The Islanders hold the advantages with their defence, goaltending and special teams. While the Ducks have the better offensive numbers and home ice for this matchup. We think the Ducks being on a back-to-back will tip the scales and allow the Islanders to extend their win streak to six.
Prediction: Islanders win 5-2
Prop Bets
Popular sports books have the Islanders as the road favourites. We like them at -113 on the money line. The over/under is set at 6.5. Due to both teams’ hot scoring recently and the fact that the Ducks have their backup goalie on the second of a back-to-back, we expect goals. We would take the over at -110. As far as anytime goal scorers. For the Islanders, take Matthew Schaefer. With four goals in his last three, he has the hot stick right now and we think that continues here. For the Ducks, take Chris Kreider, a former New York Ranger, who has hurt them before and loves to score against the Islanders; we think he does it again tonight.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
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