Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders Pick and Prediction – April 25, 2024

CAROLINA HURRICANES VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – April 25, 2024 — The biggest question here: Can the Islanders come back from a full-on collapse? New York seemed to be well on its way to getting out of Raleigh with a split after a 3-0 start, and even more so when the Isles led 3-2 with 2:30 left and the Carolina net empty.

Then the Hurricanes struck twice in nine seconds, flipping a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead and completing the comeback. And now the Islanders face a must-win situation at home against a team that smells blood in the water.

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The Hurricanes are also coming to an arena where they’re incredibly comfortable. Carolina has won four straight at UBS Arena, including both meetings this year. The Hurricanes’ only losses in the past nine meetings in this matchup have all come on home ice, and they’ve just held serve twice thanks to New York not finishing the job.

The scariest thing for the Islanders is the way they didn’t finish the job once they had the Hurricanes on the canvas. New York managed to score three times on its first 11 shots, but managed just five shots over the final 40 minutes of the contest. Meanwhile, Carolina put 17 pucks on net in the third period and cashed in four of them. The Islanders weren’t aggressive when they had the edge, and now they’ve got no choice but to be aggressive with the odds against them.

The Odds

Puck Drop

When: Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. EST

Where: UBS Arena, Elmont, N.Y.

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: 75% on Carolina

Public Money: 83% on Carolina

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of April 25th, 2024

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders In-Season Trends

Carolina continues to find ways to win. The Hurricanes have now won seven of eight, and the one loss was a meaningless game in the season finale after the Rangers had clinched the division. Most of those were wins over lesser opponents, but the Hurricanes did beat Boston on the road in that stretch, proving they aren’t just beating bad teams.

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For the most part, the defense has done its job, holding six of its past eight opponents to two goals or less. One of those was the aforementioned season finale, and the other was the early struggle in Game 2. Otherwise, Carolina’s defense has been rock-solid.

The Islanders had won eight of nine coming into this series, but the Hurricanes have been a step ahead of them in this series. The biggest issue for New York is that the defense hasn’t responded. In eight games before the season finale, the Islanders gave up just 13 goals. They’ve given up 12 in their past three, eight to Carolina. That cannot continue.

Players to Watch

Brady Skjei has always been a playoff performer since he came up with the New York Rangers. He matched his career high in assists this season, and he’s already earned three assists in this series. He’s also scored 31 goals in the past two seasons, so the possibility of him getting on the scoresheet via a goal can’t be dismissed entirely. But if you’re looking for a value play, grabbing him at +150 for an assist offers plenty.

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Bo Horvat got on the scoresheet in Game 2, and the Islanders need more from him if they’re going to make this a series. Horvat’s equally likely to score or set someone up, and the Isles will take either at this point. His goal in Game 2 ended a five-game scoreless streak, so this might not be a play to worry about until he shows the skid is over.

The Pick

Sometimes, a team can overcome a tough loss and get back into the series. Sometimes, that’s the end of the road for them. This one feels like the latter. With how Carolina has dominated this matchup, it’s tough to find a path back for New York unless something major changes.

The fact is, the Islanders weren’t the better team at all in Game 2. They just had one good stretch of shooting in the first period and then did next to nothing the rest of the night. That isn’t going to work for getting back into this series. This might be chokehold time for the Hurricanes.