The New York Islanders (35-21-5) and Los Angeles Kings (24-22-14) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. EST at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
The Kings are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-105o / -115u). The Kings are a -150 favorite to win outright, while the Islanders are +125 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Islanders vs. Kings predictions and NHL picks.
Islanders vs. Kings Odds, Pick
| Islanders Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -205 | 5.5 -105o / -115u | +125 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 5.5 -105o / -115u | -150 |
- Islanders vs. Kings Spread: Kings -1.5 (+170 ), Islanders +1.5 (-205)
- Islanders vs. Kings Over/Under: 5.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Islanders vs. Kings Moneyline: Islanders +125, Kings -150
Islanders vs. Kings Preview
New York Islanders
New York's five-game winning streak was snapped last night, but it has a chance to quickly get back on track with Ilya Sorokin expected to start after David Rittich handled the crease Wednesday.
Furthermore, the emergence of Matthew Schaefer continues. He scored twice against Florida on Sunday, bringing him to the 20-goal mark in what has been an outstanding rookie campaign.
Hand up, I picked the Panthers in that one and paid a heavy price with the line closing around -140. Definitely disappointing considering Florida gave away two separate leads with its season essentially on the line, but I digress.
When the season began, the Islanders were expected to be in rebuild mode. Largely due to Schaefer’s breakout year, it sits in a very different position.
That raises an interesting question as tomorrow's trade deadline approaches. The Eastern Conference is fairly up for grabs, and the Islanders could find themselves debating whether to push some chips in. While still likely to be a step or two behind Tampa Bay and Carolina, it’s hard to argue against giving this roster a quality chance at playoff exposure — and sometimes all it takes is a hot goalie to make a run, a possibility that certainly isn’t far-fetched for New York.
Sorokin’s performance is the other reason the Islanders are in this position. He has been spectacular on high-danger chances, stopping 87.2% of those opportunities compared to an expected SV% of just .709.
Beyond typical metrics, he leads all goalies in WAR at 4.63. He’s the only goalie above 4.0 and one of just three above 3.0. Maybe more of a baseball stat, but with Opening Day around the corner, it’s a fun one to highlight.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have hit a slump at a difficult point in the season, losing six of their last seven and still searching for answers on offense.
The recent move to acquire Artemi Panarin hasn’t produced immediate results, though it’s still early. In the four games since joining the lineup, Los Angeles has managed more than two goals just once. It’s a small sample size and Panarin has provided some offensive spark; however, it highlights a problem that has lingered throughout the year and one addition isn't likely to fix it.
That lack of offense ultimately led to a coaching change. The Kings fired head coach Jim Hiller on Sunday in the midst of its prolonged slump and a second straight underwhelming season behind the bench. Associate head coach D. J. Smith has taken over on an interim basis as the team looks for some hope down the stretch.
The first game under Smith at least showed some light. Facing Colorado is not an ideal matchup for a debut, especially while missing seven players, but Los Angeles battled back from a 2–0 deficit to tie the game before ultimately falling 4–2 on a late third-period goal and an empty-netter.
Considering the Kings suffered an ugly 8–1 collapse against Edmonton just a few days earlier, the effort was a small but encouraging step.
Still, the underlying issue hasn’t changed. The Kings rank 30th in goals scored per 60 minutes this season, while allowing the third-fewest goals at 5-on-5. That imbalance puts significant pressure on the goaltending tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg.
Both goaltenders were steady for much of the year, but recently that stability has started to slip. Kuemper, in particular, has struggled over his last ten games, posting a -10.6 GSAx with a .856 SV% during that stretch.
Kuemper missed the last game due to illness. While no starter has been officially confirmed, early indications suggest he should be available if the team chooses to give him the nod, with Forsberg having started the previous two games.
Islanders vs. Kings Prediction
I’ve learned to be cautious with the Kings this season, especially at home, where they are just 9-14-7.
On top of that, it’s dealing with several injuries. Kevin Fiala is out for the season, while Quinton Byfield will miss tonight’s game, and Joel Armia's status is cloudy.
It's the second night of a back-to-back for the Islanders, so fatigue could be a factor. Still, with Sorokin in net, I’m willing to overlook the scheduling spot and trust the better overall team. Sorokin has been excellent during his recent run, winning four straight while stopping 103 of the 114 shots he has faced.
The Islanders are also 26-13-3 as underdogs this season, and I expect them to add another to the win column in that category tonight.
Pick: Islanders Moneyline (+115)
