Monday’s tilt between the Islanders and Penguins is as close as you can get to a playoff game in the regular season.
Only one point separates the Isles and Pens, and both clubs are in the thick of the jam-packed playoff race in the Eastern Conference with the Blue Jackets, Bruins, Senators, Red Wings and Flyers.
The Islanders have eight games remaining, while the Penguins have nine.
The Isles are slight favorites to win Monday’s crucial clash, but the oddsmakers are essentially telling you to flip a coin.
Islanders vs. Penguins odds, prediction
Both the Isles and Penguins come into this one with some injuries to sort through.
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby both practiced Sunday, but they are questionable for the trip to Long Island.
The Islanders will be without Tony DeAngelo, who has become a key cog along the blueline for Patrick Roy’s side.
Obviously, Crosby and Malkin’s status looms large for this contest, but there is also an intriguing storyline emerging on the defensive side of the puck.
The Islanders have suddenly started to trend in the right direction in their own zone, while the Penguins are beginning to leak oil.
On the season, the Islanders have allowed the second-most high-danger scoring chances per game (13.1) at 5-on-5, and they rank 28th in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes (2.92).
Betting on the NHL?
But over their last 10 games, the Islanders have begun to sort themselves out.
The Isles have improved their expected goals allowed per 60 minutes to 2.54, and they’re conceding 12 high-danger scoring chances per game at 5-on-5.
Those aren’t world-beating metrics, but they signal a desperately needed improvement.
The Penguins are going the other way.
Pittsburgh’s season-long numbers are in the middle of the pack.
The Pens allow 2.72 expected goals and 11.8 high-danger scoring per 60 minutes this season. Over their last 10 games, those numbers have crept up to 3.1 and 12.2.
And the real problem is that the Penguins don’t have an Ilya Sorokin to bail them out.
Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs have played admirably in goal for Pittsburgh this season, but their numbers pale in comparison to Sorokin’s.
The Isles could be headed in the right direction at the exact right time. Back them to get these crucial two points Monday.
The Play: Islanders (-126, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
