Islanders vs Sharks Prediction NHL Picks 3/7/24
The New York Islanders will play the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. New York has won four games in a row, while San Jose is on an eight game losing streak. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Islanders vs Sharks prediction.
Islanders Preview
The New York Islanders are 27-20-14 this year after they defeated the Blues by a score of 4-2 in their last game. New York trailed 2-0 in the second period, but they scored the last four goals in the game for the win. The Islanders out shot St. Louis by a total of 33-21 and went 1-1 on the penalty kill in the game. New York has also defeated Boston, Detroit, and Dallas during this winning streak. The Islanders are scoring 3.00 goals per game and they are allowing 3.26 goals against per game, while going 22.6% on the power play and 71.8% on the penalty kill. Mathew Barzal has led New York with 19 goals, 46 assists, and 185 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for New York is Ilya Sorokin, who is 21-13-11 this year with a 3.03 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.
Sharks Preview
The San Jose Sharks are 15-39-7 this season after they lost to Dallas in overtime by a score of 7-6 in their last game. San Jose led 6-3 in the third period, but they allowed three late goals to force overtime, where they lost. The Sharks were out shot by a total of 40-20 and went 2-4 on the power play in the game. San Jose has lost eight games in a row and they have allowed at least four goals in seven of them. The Sharks are scoring 2.20 goals per game and they are allowing 3.89 goals against per game, while going 19.3% on the power play and 73.9% on the penalty kill. Mikael Granlund has led San Jose with nine goals, 29 assists, and 95 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for San Jose is Kaapo Kahkonen, who is 6-20-3 this year with a 3.82 goals against average and a .895 save percentage.
San Jose Sharks Team Facts
- The Sharks have lost each of their last seven night games.
- The Sharks have covered the puck line in eight of their last nine games after coming off overtime.
- The Sharks have won the third period in each of their last four night games at SAP Center at San Jose after coming off overtime.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in four of the last five games between the Islanders and Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose.
New York Islanders Team Facts
- The Islanders have lost each of their last six games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games against opponents on a losing streak.
- The Islanders have won the second period in each of their last five night games against the Sharks following a win.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in five of the Islanders' last six games as favorites against the Sharks.
San Jose Sharks Player Prop Facts
- Anthony Duclair has scored at least one goal in three of the Sharks' last four games as underdogs.
- Mikael Granlund has recorded at least one assist in six of his last seven appearances with the Sharks as underdogs against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Tomas Hertl has recorded at least one point in each of his last four appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Nico Sturm has recorded three shots against the Islanders this season - equal-most against any opponent.
New York Islanders Player Prop Facts
- Brock Nelson has scored at least one goal in three of the Islanders' last four games as favorites against Pacific Division opponents.
- Bo Horvat has recorded at least one assist in five of his last six appearances with his team as a favorite against the Sharks.
- Noah Dobson has recorded at least one point in nine of the Islanders' last 10 games as favorites against Pacific Division opponents.
- Mike Reilly has recorded two points against the Sharks this season - equal-most against any opponent.
Matchup/League Facts
- The San Jose Sharks rank 30th in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (73.87%).
- The San Jose Sharks rank 32nd in the league for shots per game this season (25.4).
- The New York Islanders rank 31st in the league for shots against per game this season (33.5).
- The New York Islanders are one of only two teams to lose 15+ games when tied or leading after Period 2 this season.
Islanders vs Sharks Betting Prediction
New York comes into this matchup on a four game winning streak and they are making a strong push for a wild card spot, but they are only 12-12-5 on the road this year. San Jose has lost eight games in a row and is coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Dallas. The Islanders have been much improved on defense and they have allowed a total of eight goals in their last four games. That New York defense should have another strong outing here, as San Jose is only scoring 2.20 goals per game. San Jose does play their best hockey at home, but this New York team is red hot right now. Take the Islanders -1.5 here.
