Slumping Islanders Look For First Home Win Vs Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins (9-6-4) visit the New York Islanders (5-9-2) at UBS Arena on Friday in their first meeting of the season. The Penguins come into the contest on a four-game winning streak while the Islanders have lost seven straight, including the first three games at their new arena.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Penguins opened as the road favorites at -105 on the moneyline while the Islanders come in at +105 as the underdog. The total was set at 5.5 goals with the OVER going 7-2 in the last nine meetings in New York.

Pittsburgh News & Notes

The Penguins won their fourth straight game on Wednesday in a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Brock McGinn (1-1-2) and Teddy Blueger (0-2-2) led the scoring as Tristan Jarry made 36 saves to earn the win.

Pittsburgh has turned things around lately, coinciding with the return of Sidney Crosby. Since the captain returned to the lineup, the Penguins are 4-2, outscoring the opposition 15-2 over their current four-game streak. Crosby himself has just a goal and an assist over that span but has certainly allowed the team to spread out its offense.

New York News & Notes

The Islanders lost the most recent battle of New York, falling 4-1 to the Rangers on Wednesday. Andy Andreoff scored the Islanders’ only goal while Semyon Varlamov made 17 saves on 21 shots in the loss.

It’s been a rough few weeks for the Islanders, who own the NHL’s longest active losing streak. They’ve been outscored 31-7 during their seven-game skid and have yet to pick up a win on home ice since their new arena was finally unveiled on November 20.

Brock Nelson (9-2-11) has been putting the puck in the net but hasn’t had much support. Star center Mathew Barzal (4-4-8) has had a disappointing start to the season after putting up 45 points in 55 games in 2020-21.

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How Pittsburgh Will Win

The Penguins are usually known for their offense but they’ve taken a step defensively this season, allowing just 2.63 goals against per game (seventh). A big part of that is due to Jarry, whose .933 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average rank ninth and eighth, respectively (minimum three starts). With the Islanders' offense already struggling, the Penguins should be able to shut them down once again.

How New York Will Win

The Islanders have scored just 2.00 goals per game this season – the second-worst mark in the NHL. Simply put, if they’re going to start picking up wins, they’re going to need to start putting more pucks in the net. A lot of that is going to depend on the big names up front including Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Kyle Palmieri, and captain Anders Lee, who have combined for just 12 goals this season.

Computer Pick: Penguins -145

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