Tip: Carolina Hurricanes take on the New York Islanders

It was a close match between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes which ultimately ended in a narrow loss for the visiting Hurricanes after Will Cuylle of the Rangers scored the decisive 2-1 puck in the middle of the third period. The New York Islanders are coming from a 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals, a game where they did not impress significantly but Varlamov in goal was outstanding. An exciting clash at UBS Arena awaits and I have a betting tip to share.

Lines in order again

Carolina has been dealing with some injury troubles during the opening rounds of the season, and it has affected their results. Despite this, before the loss to the Rangers, they had begun to build a winning streak again after defeating the Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Philadelphia Flyers. Most notably, Andrei Svechnikov is back in action and returned to the first line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis; a line that caused a lot of problems for opponents last season.

Carolina has a fantastic team on paper, and it's only a matter of time before I think we'll find them climbing higher up in the standings again. The offseason acquisition Michael Bunting, coming from the Toronto Maple Leafs, seems to have found his place on the second line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Teuvo Teravainen. Together with a strong third and fourth line, the Hurricanes have a depth in the forward group that is tough to beat. After all, it's the defensemen who, in my book, are the best in the league. To have Brent Burns, Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, Dmitry Orlov, Tony DeAngelo, and Brett Pesce is a privilege not many have. The latter, however, continues to be listed on the injury roster, otherwise, the Hurricanes are in good form.

Islanders do what Islanders do best

Aside from the overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the New York Islanders have won against the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington Capitals, with all of these matches ending with few goals allowed. The Islanders have the luxury of having a world-class goalie duo. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov "bail out" the Islanders more often than they sometimes deserve. However, the Islanders are very good at what they do, taking few penalties and letting the clock tick away without a lot of stoppages in play. In short, they are a team that is very difficult to play against, even if the quality of the individual players doesn't exactly scream superstars, but they truly play as a team.

In the victory against the Washington Capitals, they had Varlamov to thank again. Even though the Capitals created 5.00 xG (expected goals), they didn't let in a single goal. The Islanders created some chances which, unlike the Capitals, they capitalized on and were thus able to win 3-0. However, it's rarely sustainable in the long run to allow as many chances as they did against the Capitals, and against a team of the Hurricanes' caliber, it's likely to be punished.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

When the Carolina Hurricanes last faced the New York Rangers away, their odds to win in regular time closed around +145, the same odds they currently have against the New York Islanders in tonight's game. If we are to objectively compare the Rangers vs. the Islanders, most people would agree that the Rangers should be considered the better team. I think so too, and when we are offered similar odds to when the Hurricanes visit Long Island, you see where this is going. We should have respect for the Islanders' style of play and the two fine goalkeepers they have at their disposal, but against a revengeful Carolina Hurricanes, I do not think they will manage to hold up.

My bet is Carolina Hurricanes FT (Full Time) @ +145 with bet365.