The New York Islanders are in great form and are fighting for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Over the past few weeks, the team has been consistently performing well, despite some player trades. After trading one of their key players — Brock Nelson — it seemed that the Islanders’ playoff hopes were slim, but the team managed to regain confidence and earn some important points.
One of the standout players is Bo Horvat, who has been on fire recently. The Canadian forward has contributed points in four out of the last five games and even scored a double in one of their recent matches. With this kind of offense and team play, they are in a strong position to fight for that coveted eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, as they are only two points behind the playoff zone.
Ilya Sorokin, the team’s goalie, continues to be one of the best in the league. He consistently maintains a save percentage above 90%, and occasionally even helps with the offense, making assists. Without his steady performance, the team would definitely be facing more challenges, so his role in their success is invaluable.
On the other hand, Columbus Blue Jackets are going through a difficult phase. The team has been unable to find any consistency, and their current position in the standings is quite worrying. Columbus has not been able to win for over ten days, and with each match, their situation gets worse. In recent games, they have often failed to score, including several matches with zero goals, and their position in the standings is getting them further from a playoff spot.
Elvis Merzlikins, the team’s goalie, although capable of strong performances, has been inconsistent lately. His instability has become one of the main issues for the team, which is reflected in their overall results.
Given these struggles, Columbus is unlikely to pull off a miracle this season, and a win against such motivated opponents like the New York Islanders would be a huge surprise.
The New York Islanders are clearly the favorites in this match. The team is in excellent form, has strong motivation to fight for a playoff spot, while Columbus seems to be in the opposite situation: struggling and lacking confidence. The Islanders are also stronger in attack and have a more stable defense, which is crucial in such important games.
Prediction for the winner: A win for New York Islanders with a probability of around 65-70%. The team is in better shape and has every chance to win this game.
It’s also worth noting that both teams have been involved in high-scoring games recently. In 8 of their last 9 games, the Islanders have scored at least 5 goals, and the same trend is seen with Columbus. Given that both teams will likely try to open up and attack more aggressively, we can expect a match with several goals.
Over 4.5 total goals (with a coefficient of 1.42) is a reasonable bet, considering the playing styles of both teams and the importance of the match for both sides.
Final Prediction: New York Islanders to win. Over 4.5 total goals.
Our prediction: New York Islanders to win. Columbus has been struggling with a series of losses and lacks consistency, while the Islanders are in strong form and fighting for a playoff spot. With Ilya Sorokin in goal and Bo Horvat leading the charge, New York is likely to dominate this match. The expected score is 4:1 or 4:2 in favor of the Islanders.
Place your bets with odds of 2.12.
