Islanders vs. Panthers Odds
| Islanders Odds | +164 |
| Panthers Odds | -198 |
| Over / Under | 6 -112 / -108 |
Here's everything you need to know about the New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers on Thursday, March 28 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
On Thursday, the New York Islanders head to Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers for the third and final time this season. The Panthers will look to pull even with the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, while the Islanders find themselves six points behind the Washington Capitals for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.
These clubs teams have split their two meetings this season, with the Islanders winning 4-3 in Florida in December and the Panthers winning 3-2 on Long Island two months ago.
Let’s dig into the NHL odds and make an Islanders vs. Panthers prediction.
New York Islanders
Just over two weeks ago, it looked like the Islanders were going to sneak into the playoffs. They entered their March 11 tilt with six consecutive wins and were in possession of a playoff spot. However, everything has unraveled since.
New York has lost seven of its past eight games and now looks to have an outside shot at the playoffs. The Islanders have been shut out three times over that stretch — most recently by the New Jersey Devils on Sunday — and gave up at least four goals in six of those games. The underlying numbers reflect that regression, too.
Over the past eight games, New York's 2.22 xGF/60 at 5-on-5 is the NHL's eighth-worst mark, and its 2.60 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 ranks 19th. The Islanders' 46.06 5-on-5 xGF% during that span indicates they've fallen back on some old habits after a month of much-improved defensive play. New York's penalty kill remains the league's worst, and its .866 all-situations team save percentage across those eight games is the NHL's third-worst.
Although the Islanders are still mathematically alive, they'll need a near-perfect finish to fulfill their playoff aspirations. The past three days of rest should serve them well down the stretch, but Thursday's matchup against one of the league's best all-around teams is sure to be difficult.
Florida Panthers
After winning 14 of 16 games, the Panthers have begun to stumble a bit, albeit against top competition. Florida has lost five of its past six games, falling to the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.
The Panthers' underlying numbers have slipped over this stretch, but there's little cause for concern. The one-goal losses to the Rangers and Bruins came in tightly contested, coin-flip battles, and the game against the Lightning was unusual thanks to a match penalty by Dmitry Kulikov that took a Panthers goal off the board.
Florida has also had some players in and out of the lineup of late. Top defenseman Aaron Ekblad has missed much of March, and Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling missed three and two games respectively before returning against Boston.
Offensively, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart continue to light it up. Tkachuk has 52 points in 35 games since Jan. 1, and Reinhart is up to 51 goals on the season. Carter Verhaeghe has also scored in three straight games after a 14-game drought, giving him 33 goals this year.
With Ekblad on the verge of returning, the Panthers will look to shore up their play in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as they prepare for the playoffs. Bobrovsky was dominant in February, but he has lost his past five starts and given up at least three goals in each.
Islanders vs. Panthers
Betting Pick & Prediction
While this strikes me as a get-right spot for the Panthers, I'm expecting a strong performance from what will be a desperate Islanders team on three days' rest. BetRivers is offering the best price on the Panthers moneyline at -180, but I'll likely pass given the steepness.
Instead, I'm leaning toward two of the Panthers' top goal-scorers to find the back of the net.
Reinhart and Tkachuk have both scored in both games against the Islanders this season, and there's reason to believe they can make it all three. Reinhart's 27 power-play goals this season are eight more than any other player and he should have the chance to add to that lead against New York's putrid penalty kill.
Meanwhile, Tkachuk — who is undoubtedly Florida's emotional leader — will likely look to set the tone after his team blew a third-period lead to a division rival last time out. He has goals in two of the Panthers' past five games after an eight-game drought.
Picks: Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk Anytime Goalscorers
