The Pittsburgh Penguins have their backs against the wall in Game 4 at PPG Paints Arena against the New York Islanders. Pittsburgh has dropped the first three games of this first-round series and is looking to avoid its first Sportsbook-round exit since 2015, while New York is looking to advance to the second round for the first time since 2016. The Pens are a -165 favorite with the Islanders coming back at +145 and the total Sportsbook at 5.5 goals.
Islanders vs Penguins Game Center
Standout Stats
- For the first time since early February, the Islanders are riding a three-game winning streak and now have the Penguins on the ropes. New York has outscored Pittsburgh 11-5 in the series with only Game 1 being a one-goal game.
- The total has been set at 5.5 in each of the games in this series, including tonight’s match, and the total has gone UNDER in two of the first three contests. The average combined score has been 5.33 with only the Sportsbook game going OVER 5.5 with a combined score of 7.
- Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby hasn’t been playing like himself, failing to record a point while going -5 in the first three games of the series. Similarly, Penguins goaltender Matt Murray has been off his game as well. During the regular season, he sported a .919 save percentage and a 2.69 goals-against average but in the postseason he has a .897 save percentage and a 3.35 GAA.
- Islanders right-winger Jordan Eberle is leading the squad with three goals and five points in the playoffs to rank tied for second in goals and for fourth in points in the league. Netminder Robin Lehner has stepped up his game following a strong regular season in which he had a .930 save percentage and a stingy 2.13 GAA. In the playoffs, he sports a .951 save percentage and a 1.62 GAA.
- The power play has been nearly non-existent for Pittsburgh in the series, going just 1-for-8, but New York hasn’t been that much better, going 2-for-10 on its extra-man opportunities. The Penguins have also had more turnovers, committing 60 giveaways to New York’s 50.
My Best Bet for New York vs Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Moneyline
I think Crosby is going to put the team on his back tonight and force a Game 5. Pittsburgh has had its opportunities in this series with an equal number of shot attempts per game but hasn’t been able to find the back of the net. I anticipate that to even out tonight. Additionally, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Islanders would like to move on to the second round in front of their home crowd in what has been a raucous Nassau Coliseum.
