Islanders vs. Maple Leafs prediction: NHL odds, pick, best bets
The New York Islanders have been an absolute roller coaster through the first two months of the NHL season.
The Isles are currently sitting in a playoff spot, but the route they’ve taken to get to this point has been circuitous at best.
They have endured a seven-game losing streak, injuries to three of their top-six defenseman, and their fans calling for head coach Lane Lambert to be canned.
But the Islanders have seemingly weathered the storm and are coming off their best effort of the season in a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Can the Islanders continue their hot run of form against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night?
(7 p.m. ET.)
Like the Islanders, it’s been a wonky season for the Leafs.
Toronto was one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but it was evident pretty quickly that the Leafs had some significant flaws, most notably on defense.
Despite some inconsistent play and a rash of injuries, the Maple Leafs have skated out to a 14-6-4 start and check into Monday night’s tilt in third place in the Atlantic Division.
Toronto does deserve credit for piling up the wins despite inconsistent play and injuries, but there is no question that the Leafs’ record is pretty flattering. Only four teams (Seattle, Montreal, San Jose and Anaheim) have fewer regulation wins than Toronto, which has gone to overtime in 11 of 24 games.
Neither Toronto nor the Isles boast great 5-on-5 numbers right now, but they could both be forgiven for that. When you’re dealing with the kind of injuries that the Leafs and Islanders are at the moment, the process takes a back seat to just getting as many points as possible until you get healthier.
With neither team a safe bet to own the puck at 5-on-5, this game will likely be won on the margins and that’s where the value shows up on the Islanders, who have a distinct advantage in goal, no matter who gets the nod between Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov.
Toronto’s starter, Joseph Woll, was one of the main reasons why the the Leafs are in a decent spot right now, but he’s on the sidelines for the next few weeks with an injury.
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That means that either Ilya Samsonov or Martin Jones will start on Long Island on Monday. Samsonov is coming off a shutout against the Predators on Saturday, but he’s struggled mightily this season, while Jones has been a below-average goaltender for years now.
This game projects pretty close to a coin flip, but the Isles get the nod as a home underdog thanks to their goaltending.
The Bet: New York Islanders (+105, Fanatics)
