Islanders vs. Bruins Odds
| Islanders Odds | +176 |
| Bruins Odds | -215 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | SNE |
The New York Islanders and Boston Bruins are set to meet for the first time this season on Tuesday night in Boston. Both teams have only won two of their last four games.
The Bruins are returning home after a three-game road trip and the Islanders will be playing their first game of what will be a five-game road trip, so they are hoping to get started on a positive note.
Ilya Sorokin will be in goal for New York and he has been one of the best goalies in the league this season, giving the Islanders a chance to win every night.
It is uncertain who will be in goal for the Bruins, though I am led to believe it will be Jeremy Swayman. Whether it's him or Linus Ullmark, this should be a strong goalie matchup.
Islanders Ride Sorokin's Shoulders
The New York Islanders have started to adjust to their new head coach's systems and seem to have found their identity. They have been solid on the road this season, skating to an 8-6-0 record as the away team, but they will have their work cut out for them tonight against the best home-ice team in the NHL.
The story for the Isles this season has been their goaltender. Sorokin's record might not be all that impressive as he is skating to a 10-9-0 season, but his numbers have been some of the best in the NHL. He enters this game with a .925 save percentage along with a 2.36 goals against average to go with his +13.8 goals saved above expected.
The guys in front of him have been a huge help, too. The Islanders have been one of the best defensive teams this season, only allowing 2.76 goals against per game, but their biggest strength has been their penalty kill, currently ranking sixth with a 81.8% success rate.
The last few games haven't been the prettiest for the Islanders, but Sorokin has shown time and time again that he can be relied upon.
Bruins Elite Across the Board
As everyone knows by now, the Boston Bruins are the best team in the National Hockey League. That being said, they haven't been finishing as consistently as of late and they are coming off of a road trip that wasn't very easy for them.
The B's have been nearly perfect on both ends of the ice this season. Their offense has had a lot of jump, but what's been even more impressive is their ability to shut down their opponents.
Entering this contest, the B's allow the third-fewest scoring chances against, only surrendering 9.38 chances against per game, and they also have the best team goals against average in the league (2.11 against per game).
Swayman is the expected starter for the B's, he hasn't had the best of luck in his last two starts, but if they decide to start Ullmark, the Islanders will be in very big trouble.
Ullmark has been as close to perfect as there is this season, boasting a 16-1-0 record with a .941 save percentage and a 1.77 goals against average. Absolutely ridiculous.
The Bruins are going to make life difficult on the Islanders forwards, but the Bruins' group of goal scorers will have to work extra hard to get the puck passed Sorokin.
Islanders vs. Bruins Pick
Neither of these teams has necessarily been at their best as of late, but one thing that has been consistent, which they both have in common, is their defense and goaltending.
There has been a common trend for the Islanders against opponents in the Atlantic Division and that is the fact that the under has hit in their last four games.
The Bruins will definitely get their fair share of scoring chances, but we have seen Sorokin stand on his head multiple times this season and this could be another one of those games that he steals.
I see this game being very tight and low scoring, between two hard-working teams with strong goaltenders.
Pick: Under 6 (-120) |
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