Expert NHL Pick on Washington vs NY Islanders

The Washington Capitals head to Brooklyn to take on the New York Islanders on Thursday night, with the puck set to drop at 7:00pm Eastern time. The Capitals (41-10-4) are in first place in the Metropolitan Division and are coming off a 3-1 home win over the Los Angeles Kings. The Islanders (30-19-6) are in third place in the Metropolitan Division and polished off the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night, 4-1. Remember to check more NHL odds by clicking here. Here’s a recap of their first confrontation of 2016, back in January.

Expert NHL Pick on Washington vs NY Islanders and TV Info

When: Thursday, February 18, 8 PM ET. Where: Madison Square Garden, New York TV: MSG+ Stream: NHL.tv Radio:  WRHU 88.7 FM Opening NHL Lines: TBA

Why Should You Bet on the Capitals?

The numbers don’t lie — the Caps are first in the NHL in goals per game (3.3) and power play percentage (23.7). They are second in goals permitted (2.3) and fifth in penalty kill percentage (83.9). Their record has them atop the entire Eastern Conference. Even though they fell in Dallas over the weekend, this is a team that locks down teams on defense and has three legitimate scoring lines that can bring terror to opposing goaltenders. Their easy win over a solid Kings team is a sign that the Caps may be putting aside some of those issues that had them losing a little more than usual in the weeks leading up to the All-Star break and the week or so since.

Why Should You Bet on the Islanders?

The Islanders are working their way up in the Eastern Conference standings, and their convincing win over Detroit shows that they have the mindset of a contender. Their penalty kill is #2 in the NHL at 87.0 percent. Their goals per game have jumped to #6 in the league (2.9). Their defense is still fairly static but respectable at #12 (2.5 goals per game). When they are on their game, they attack the other team in swarms while keeping the blue line locked down. With the Caps in town, they will be motivated to pick up two points on one of the teams ahead of them.

Expert Betting Pick and Final Score Prediction

I like the Islanders to hold court at home and give an increasingly comfortable Capitals team a tough game. I’m picking the Islanders to win at home, 3-2.