The Jack Eichel saga has finally reached it’s conclusion in Buffalo. Eichel was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier today who, desperately need some offensive production. The Sabres in return got Alex Tuch who is a Western New York native and Peyton Krebs who played with Dylan Cozens on Canada’s world junior squad. The deal also includes some draft picks but overall it was a fairly even trade.
Moving onto tonight, we 9 games that feature a few major matchups. The 5-1-3 Washington Capitals will travel to Florida to take on the 8-0-1 Panthers. We have an in-state rivalry game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Other interesting matchups include Tampa Bay vs Toronto and St. Louis vs San Jose.
New York Islanders @ Montreal Canadiens
| Opening ML | Current ML | Spread | Total | |
| New York Islanders | -140 | -135 | -1.5 (+180) | o5.5 (+120) |
| Montreal Canadiens | +120 | +115 | +1.5 (-220) | u5.5 (-140) |
The New York Islanders have gotten off to a slow start this season with just a 3-2-2 record after making the Eastern Conference finals last year. The biggest issue for the Islanders has been their lack of offensive production. They currently rank T24th in GPG averaging just 2.43. Josh Bailey leads the team with just 5 points while Barzal, Beauvillier, Nelson, and Wahlstrom trail him with 4.
Despite their lack of offense, New York’s defense has been solid to start the season. They’re giving up an average of 2.43 goals per game which is 6th in the league. Ilya Sorokin, who is expected to start tonight, has also been good this year with a +4.0 GSAx.
The Canadians have also struggled to find the back of the net averaging just 2.0 goals per game which ranks 30th. This could be partly due to their lack of shots on goals, averaging just 28.3 per game. They rank in the bottom three of nearly every offensive category (GPG, SOG, PP %, Shooting %).
To make matters worse for them, they have also struggled defensively. They’re giving up 3.09 goals per game and allowing the 11th most shots against. Jake Allen has been confirmed the starter for tonight. He comes into this game with a 3-6 record, 2.58 GAA, .914 SV%, and a +2.6 GSAx. Individually he has played well but, hasn’t received any help.
PICK: NEW YORK ISLANDERS (-135), UNDER 5.5 (-140)
This game sets up for the Islanders to try and correct their offensive woes. They face a Montreal team that has looked out of sorts all season without Carey Price. To make matters worse they are missing their second leading scorer in Johnathan Drouin. The Islanders are currently on a 13-game road trip and have played just once in the last 10 days. They may come out slow but, are well rested and have no injuries.
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting.
