The New York Islanders will meet the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’re in Raleigh, sharing our NHL odds series, making an Islanders-Hurricanes Game 1 prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Islanders finished the season with a record of 42-31-9 and claimed the first wildcard spot. Additionally, they went 12-6-2 over the final 20 games of the season. The Islanders went 17-18-6 on the road.
The Hurricanes finished the season with a record of 52-21-9 and claimed the second seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they went 9-8-1 over the final 18 games since Andrei Svechnikov suffered a season-ending injury. The Hurricanes are 28-10-3 at the PNC Arena.
The Islanders are making their 28th playoff appearance. However, they missed the playoffs last season and look to make some noise in their return. The Islanders are two seasons removed from an Eastern Conference Final appearance. However, they have not tasted the Stanley Cup since the 1980s, when they went four Stanley Cup championships.
The Hurricanes are making their 10th playoff appearance. Furthermore, it is their fifth playoff appearance in a row. The Hurricanes fell to the New York Rangers last season and will now try to take down their cross-town rivals. Additionally, the Hurricanes are four years removed from their last Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
The Islanders and Hurricanes have faced off once in the playoffs. Curiously, it happened four years ago when the Canes took down the Islanders 4-0.
Here are the Islanders-Hurricanes Game 1 NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Islanders-Hurricanes Game 1 Odds
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-184)
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 5.5 (+112)
Under: 5.5 (-138)
How To Watch Islanders vs. Hurricanes Game 1
TV: ESPN
Stream: FUBO
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Islanders Could Cover The Spread
The Islanders have endured many struggles this season as they battled hard to make the playoffs. Thus, they overcame adversity to earn their spot and have an offense that needs work.
Brock Nelson is the leading scorer in Long Island, with 36 goals and 39 assists. Ultimately, he helped carry the load over the last two months as the Islanders fought to make the playoffs. Mathew Barzal began practicing Friday after missing nearly two months due to injury. Significantly, he produced 14 goals and 37 assists when he suffered his injury. Anders Lee is their next-best weapon, with 28 goals and 22 assists. Therefore, he is part of a unit that is only 22nd in goals. The Islanders were also 21st in shooting percentage. Moreover, they were dreadfully painful on the powerplay, ranking 30th on the extra-man attack.
Ilya Sorokin is the goalie the Islanders will rely on to help them. Significantly, he finished the season with a record of 31-22-7 with a goals-against average of 2.34 and a save percentage of .924. Sorokin plays behind a defense that is fifth in goals allowed. Also, he has a penalty kill that is ninth in the NHL.
The Islanders can cover the spread if they can find extra chances and capitalize on them. Then, they must not give the Hurricanes too many opportunities.
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
The Hurricanes are still a great team. However, offense will be difficult to find without Svechnikov, and they must find a player that can compensate for his absence, and the Canes must generate pressure.
Martin Necas is their leading overall scorer, with 28 goals and 43 assists. Likewise, Sebastian Aho is another great option, with 36 goals and 31 assists. Defenseman Brent Burns continues to play well, as he finished with 18 goals and 43 assists. Unfortunately, there are not many options besides those three who can consistently score. The Canes were inconsistent scorers, ranking 15th in goals. Likewise, they managed to rank 27th in shooting percentage and 19th on the powerplay. Can they convert on their shooting chances? They must take better angles and produce good screens in front of Sorokin.
Frederik Andersen is the goalie and comes into the series with a record of 21-11-1 with a goals-against average of 2.48 and a save percentage of .903. Furthermore, he plays behind a defense that ranked second in goals allowed and on the penalty kill.
The Hurricanes will cover the spread if they can capitalize on their shooting chances. Then, they must play tight, suffocating defense to have the best shot at winning.
Final Islanders-Hurricanes Game 1 Prediction & Pick
The Hurricanes are still a great team. However, they do not have much firepower and are facing a talented goalie. Expect the Islanders to make the Hurricanes earn this victory.
Final Islanders-Hurricanes Game 1 Prediction & Pick: New York Islanders: +1.5 (-184)
The post NHL Playoffs Odds: Islanders vs. Hurricanes Game 1 prediction, pick, how to watch – 4/17/2023 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
