Tip: Points will be flying left and right when the Colorado Avalanche host the New York Islanders!

It has been a tough start to the season for tonight’s hosts, the Colorado Avalanche. A heavily injury-stricken home team, however, has opened up great opportunities for a number of player specials as the lines are shuffled. Over the weekend, I saw some success in this regard, and I think it's a great opportunity to focus on these types of bets for tonight's game as well!

Injuries Shaking Up the Lines

The Colorado Avalanche have had a difficult start to the season. In their opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, they conceded 8 goals and lost the game. Against the underdog Columbus Blue Jackets, they let in 6 goals and lost again. To be fair to the Avalanche, it’s not easy to cope with having Jonathan Drouin, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and Gabriel Landeskog on the injury list—a quartet expected to play in either the first or second line. However, that doesn’t mean Colorado lacks offensive talent capable of creating chances. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar need no further introduction; they remain some of the best hockey players in the world at their respective positions.

To fill the gaps in the lineup, Colorado has had to shuffle both the lines and the powerplay unit. For example, Ross Colton has been paired with Casey Mittelstadt on the second line, and they’ve also been playing a lot on the powerplay with MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar, forming one of the sharpest powerplays in the league. As a result, both Colton and Mittelstadt have seen increased ice time. Colton, who averaged 13:43 per game last season, has averaged 17:03 in the first two games this season. Mittelstadt, who joined last season and averaged 15:52, is now up to 21:11 per game. With the team so top-heavy and relying heavily on the first and second lines, there is a solid opportunity to place point bets on this duo.

The New York Islanders Are No Pushovers

Before the season, the Islanders added Anthony Duclair, who has been slotted straight into the first line alongside Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. He has been praised for quickly adapting to Barzal's unique movement patterns, something that has sometimes made it difficult for teammates to predict where the puck will go. Duclair got off to a great start with a goal and an assist in the opener against Utah. In the next game, the team was shut out by the Dallas Stars, which is no shame given how tough the Stars are to score against. Now, facing a Colorado Avalanche team that has been leaking goals in the first two games, the Islanders should have a good chance to find the back of the net a couple of times. Avalanche goalie Georgiev has struggled mightily in the early going, which has caused uncertainty in Colorado’s defense.

Duclair gets plenty of ice time in 5-on-4 situations with the team's first unit, alongside Noah Dobson, Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Maxim Tsyplakov. Dobson, the team's top defenseman, had an impressive season last year, recording 70 points in 79 games. He looks just as sharp this year, with two assists in the opener against Utah. I like the chances of both players being involved in the Islanders’ scoring when they face a shaky Colorado defense struggling to find stability.

Conclusion and Betting Tips

I’ve landed on four different point bets:

Casey Mittelstadt PP point @ +300 bet365

Mittelstadt has always impressed with the ice time he's been given. Now, with increased trust and an important role in the powerplay, it feels like a good opportunity to bet on him getting a point in this specific format. The New York Islanders are generally good at staying out of the penalty box, but when they do find themselves on the penalty kill, they have one of the league’s weakest defenses. Last season, only the Minnesota Wild were worse. Facing one of the best powerplays in the league, Mittelstadt is in good company. If you want to reduce variance, you can settle for him simply registering a point in any format at 1.80.

Ross Colton over 0.5 points @ +115 Bet365

Colton, usually lower down the pecking order, is now getting plenty of trust, playing on the second line and first powerplay unit. Last season, he recorded 40 points in 80 games with more limited ice time. Now, with better company and more minutes, the point bet is too good to pass up!

Noah Dobson over 0.5 points @ +110 Bet365

The team’s top defenseman had a breakout season last year with 70 points in 79 games. He is one of the most important components of the team’s powerplay. With a strong start to the season and up against a shaky Colorado defense, it’s a good opportunity to bet on him scoring again!

Anthony Duclair over 0.5 points @ +125 Bet365

I’m a bit of a fan of the Islanders’ top line. Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat have been a successful duo in the past. Adding Duclair into the mix makes me even more excited about the Islanders’ chances this year. He seems to have found a good dynamic with the pair early on, and with plenty of trust in the powerplay, the likelihood of him registering a point is much higher than the 44.44% that Bet365 is currently offering!