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Islanders vs. Buffalo: NHL Match Prediction
In New York on December 24, Buffalo will once again try to break its terrible losing streak that has been going on since the end of November. The Islanders haven't looked so good in the second half of the month, but the day before they managed to take two points from Ontario, where Patrick Roy men were stronger than the local Leafs. The teams have already met each other twice this season, and both times it was the Islanders who celebrated success. How will it be this time? We tell you in the forecast for the match
Command Analysis
New York Islanders
USACurrent form
The Isles are trying hard to cling to a playoff spot in the East, but the competition in the bottom half of the table is very high. New York is in 12th place with 33 points after 34 starts. The Islanders played very poorly in November, but since the beginning of winter they have improved their quality of play and have earned a little more than half of the points in games this winter. Patrick Roy team started their last road trip poorly and first lost to Chicago (3:5) and Carolina (0:4). Before returning home, the Islanders pulled themselves together and beat Toronto in Canada (6:3). The then visitors scored three goals in the first and third periods, and that was enough to win.
New York is no longer the conference lowest scoring team, but the Islanders still look pretty lackluster on offense. They've only made 15 shots in their last five games, and their top scorer is only 58th in the league. Anders Lee, as captain, has made a big contribution to the team performance, with 27 assists (13+14).
After Semyon Varlamov injury, Ilya Sorokin is the only player on the ice, and this season will be his fifth since moving from the KHL. The Russian has made only one shutout and has saved 90.34% of the shots, improving this figure over the course of the last few weeks.
Disqualifications and injuries
Mike Reilly and Semyon Varlamov will not be able to take part in the upcoming meeting.
Interesting trends for betting
- The Islanders are winning 55.6 percent of their faceoffs.
The Islanders are good at this metric and take most of the faceoffs.
- The hosts earn only 4.85 penalty minutes per match.
New York takes very few penalties and plays with extreme discipline.
Buffalo Sabres
USACurrent form
Buffalo hasn't won in a long time, so the club from the New York suburbs has settled in the last line of the conference standings. The Blades have a modest 26 points after 34 starts and are four points behind even Detroit, which is in 15th place. The situation for the visitors looks catastrophic and it seems that Lindy Ruff resignation is just around the corner. The Sabres have lost all of their matches since November 28, which is 13 games in a row. In the second half of December, the Sabres lost in Canada to Toronto (3:5) and Montreal (1:6), and two days later they lost to the Leafs on home ice (3:6). Returning home, Rasmus Dahlin team suffered a defeat from Boston (1:3).
The visiting team captain is still injured and they have struggled to get their defense in order. Buffalo has allowed 24 goals in its last five games, while constantly smashing its opponents. James Reimer has only recently joined a new team, but that hasn't helped the Blades. The Canadian goalie has played six games this season and has saved only 90.16% of the shots.
Tage Thompson and Alex Tuck have each scored 25 points this regular season, but they have been unable to help their teammates win. Other visiting players are playing even worse, but we can also note John Peterka, who is not even among the league top 100 scorers (10+14).
Disqualifications and injuries
Jordan Greenway will not be coming to New York. Rasmus Dahlin condition is still in question.
Interesting trends for betting
- Buffalo gets 10.35 penalty minutes per game.
The team has not been particularly disciplined this season and has often been sent off more than five times.
- The Blades allow opponents to shoot 29 times per game on average.
The visitors play second fiddle and rarely outshoot their opponents.
Trends
Bet 1st period: total over 1.5 goals
The Islanders' last three games have featured high-scoring first periods.
1.90Bet 3rd period: Islanders to score
In three out of four matches, the Isles scored in the third period
1.40Tip and bets
The Islanders should return home in a great mood after beating Toronto in Canada. The hosts have been improving their offense lately, despite the remaining problems in defense. Buffalo, on the other hand, is playing very poorly and is unlikely to improve their defense until Rasmus Dahlin returns to action. The signing of James Reimer has not helped Lindy Ruff men start winning. We do not think that the visitors will be able to cling to points in New York. We suggest betting on a victory for the Isles with a zero handicap.
Prediction - Islanders win with Asian handicap (0) for 1.63
Bet on individual total
The Islanders remain one of the lowest scoring teams in the East and the entire league. However, the hosts have improved in terms of scoring chances lately and have not played so badly up front. Buffalo defense is now more like a sieve. On average, the Blades concede almost five times per game and are unlikely to be able to contain their opponents.
We bet on the Islanders individual total over 2.5 goals for 1.58
Total Bet
Matches between the teams are often boring, but this season they were not. The Islanders dictated their rules to the opponent, forcing the Blades to open up. The visitors essentially have nothing to lose with such a weak defensive game, so they will have to go forward and look for their chances. Let play a bet on the total over goals.
We take the total over 5.5 pucks with a coefficient of 1.82
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