Islanders vs Bruins Prediction
The New York Islanders and Boston Bruins face off on Thursday in an NHL showdown at TD Garden.
Islanders Look to Bounce Back
The Islanders come into this game with a 5-3-3 record overall, but they are coming off a loss in the last against the Minnesota Wild. The Islanders scored two goals but the defense gave up four goals. Semyon Varlamov saved 27 of the 31 shots that he faced. The Islanders are averaging 2.64 goals while their defense is giving up 2.82 goals per game. The offense is ranked 26th in the league, while the defense is ranked 8th. Bo Horvat is dealing with a lower body injury and he is questionable for this game.
Bruins Continue to be in Close Games
The Bruins continue to be in close games and in each of the last four games have been decided by a goal. In the last game against the Dallas Stars, the Bruins scored three goals and that was enough to win by a goal. Brad Marchand had five shots on goal and one goal. The Bruins are averaging 3.17 goals, while their defense is giving up 1.92 goals per game. The offense is ranked 16th in the league, while the defense is ranked 1st. In this game, the defense is going to need to step up.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Boston Bruins ranks 1st in the league for goals against per game this season (1.92).
- The Boston Bruins ranks 1st in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (94.00%).
- The New York Islanders ranks T26th in the league for goals per game this season (2.64).
- The New York Islanders ranks T7th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.82).
Shane’s Free Pick
The Bruins are going to get the job done here, and they are going to win by a couple of goals. The Islanders defense was a problem against the Wild, and it’s going to be a problem again here. The Bruins are giving up 1.92 goals per game, and the Islanders are going to really struggle to score here. Look for a 3-1 or 4-1 type of game and the Bruins are going to get the job done. Back the Bruins -1.5 to cash here.
