The New York Islanders will be looking to jump ahead of the Boston Bruins in the East Division standings when these teams meet on Monday evening. The Islanders are one point behind the Bruins. This is the last game for New York while Boston has one more after Monday’s contest.
Here you can find the best picks, news, and stats for this East Division battle at TD Garden. Boston is the favorite at -167. This according to PointsBet Sportsbook, which puts New York it +145 as the underdog.
New York has no new injuries. Boston will be without defenseman Charlie Coyle and right-wing Chris Wagner. Defenseman Jarred Tinordi will also be out.
Nelson Leads Islanders Past Devils
Brock Nelson scored two goals to lead the Islanders to a 5-1 victory over New Jersey. Leo Komarov and Oliver Wahlstrom each added two assists. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 of 24 shots in the victory.
New York is 20th in goals per game at 2.73 and is 17th and shooting percentage at 9.4%. The Islanders are 22nd on the power-play at 18.2%. New York is led in scoring by Matthew Barzal, who has 27 assists and 43 points. Nelson is now the team leader in goals with 18 and is third in points with 33.
The Islanders have been outstanding on their own end of the ice, first in the NHL in goals allowed per game at 2.22 and are fourth in penalty killing that 84.0%. Semyon Varlamov is 19-11-4 with a 2.02 GAA and a .930 save percentage. He has allowed five total goals in his last four starts, two of which were shutouts.
Rangers Rally to Down Bruins
Boston gave up four goals in the third period in losing to the New York Rangers, 5-4. The teams combined for seven goals in the final frame. Brad Marchand had a goal and assist for Boston. Charlie McAvoy added two assists. Tuukka Rask struggled, allowing five goals on 23 shots.
Boston is 13th in goals per game at 2.96 and is 24th in shooting percentage at 8.9%. They are 10th on the power-play at 21.9%. Marchand easily leads the team in points with 67. He is also the team leader in goals (28) and assists (39). Patrice Bergeron has 23 goals and 48 points.
The Bruins are fourth in goals allowed per game at 2.41 and are second in penalty killing at 86.4%. Look for Rask between the pipes again. He is 14-5-2 with a 2.29 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
Trends:
New York:
- 5-2 in their last seven games on a Monday.
- 15-6 in their last 21 games following a win.
Boston:
- 4-9 in their last 13 games after allowing five goals in the previous contests.
The Islanders are 5-2 in the last seven meetings between these teams. I look for a big performance from New York, which will leapfrog over Boston and into third place in the division standings. That will leave a must-win victory for Boston on Tuesday to avoid opening the playoffs against Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, that game will be against Washington who can still catch Pittsburgh for the top spot in the division. That could leave Boston with three straight losses entering the playoffs
Pick: Take New York at +145.
The Total:
This game is going to have a playoff feel to it. Expect a lot of tense action, which should keep scoring down. These teams have gone under in six of the last eight meetings in Boston and have gone under in 11 of the last 18 meetings overall. Plus, New York has gone under in 12 of their last 18 games while Boston has gone under in three of their last five against teams with a winning record.
Pick: Go under 5.5 at -135.