James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport

New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First Round

The Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders will open the first round playoff series tonight at the PNC Arena.

The Islanders are back in the playoffs

The New York Islanders finished the regular season in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-27-16 record. They won eight of the last nine games to get to the postseason and are coming off a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Islanders are 18th in the league, allowing 3.15 goals per game, and are ranked four spots lower, averaging 2.99 goals per game. Mathew Barzal is the best player on the team with 80 points, followed by Noah Dobson with 70.

The Hurricanes are ready for big things

The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 52-23-7 record. They They won seven of the last 10 games of the regular season and are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes are one of three teams this season with eight shutdowns; they are ranked second in the league, converting 26.9% of their power play situations, and are fourth, allowing 2.57 goals per game. Sebastian Aho is the best player on the team with 89 points, followed by Seth Jarvis with 67.

Betting Trends

The Islanders have played under the total goal line in 8 of their last 12 games overall and in 4 of the last 6 games on the road. The Hurricanes have done so in 7 of their last 8 home games and in 7 of the last 9 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.

Prediction and Conclusion

For the second season in a row, these two teams will face each other in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Last season, the Hurricanes won 4-2 in the series and are favorites once again against the Islanders. The team from New York is going to the playoffs with high hopes and great shape after winning eight of the last nine games. They are not just here to participate and will look for their chance tonight on the road. Still, the Hurricanes are the team that will control the pace in this game, and the Islanders will try to stay undefeated in the regular 60 minutes. They are tied for the most 60-minute draws in the NHL this season. However, no team will go full speed on offense in this game, which will keep the score under 5.5 goals in total.