Islanders vs Anaheim Prediction: NY Won't Let Past Problems Repeat

Prediction for the NHL NY Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks match, which will take place on October 16. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Any problems for the Islanders in the opening round are an excuse to look back at last year's results, when they blew their start to the season and missed the playoffs. Yes, there were objective circumstances, they had an incredibly long road trip because their home arena wasn't ready, and a bout of coronavirus suddenly struck the players. Now the Blue and Oranges are already playing at home and the health problems are minimal, but still in the first game they lost to Florida - 1:3, which makes their fans worried.

Anaheim has been rebuilding for the past few years and now they are almost done. Already during the last regular season the Ducks had their sights set on making the playoffs, but they failed in the second half, finishing only in 13th place in the Western Conference with a solid gap to the top 8. Now they will try to take one more step toward the Cup battles. The young players continue to progress and in the offseason they managed to strengthen the roster with the likes of Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano and John Klingberg. In the first game of the new season, the Ducks beat Seattle, 5:4.

The teams are in different states at the moment. If the Islanders were established and could have claimed the Stanley Cup, the Ducks are still completing the rebuilding phase, so they can hardly solve big problems. In the upcoming confrontation, New York is the favorite. Moreover, in the last regular season, they beat the Californians in their meetings.

The Islanders in the offseason fired Barry Trotz, who put the most pragmatic and defensive hockey, but under Lane Lambert, they did not splurge on goals. In their six preseason games, NY only scored 30 goals (5.00 average). In their first meeting, they lost to the bright and attacking Florida with an under score of 1:3, and Anaheim certainly won't make their opponent play effectively.

Brock Nelson has spent his entire professional career with the Islanders. This season is his 11th (!) in a row, while he has shown a consistently high level of play almost every year. Last regular season, he earned 59 points (37 goals + 22 assists) in 72 games and was the top scorer and sniper for the New York team. He also made an assist in his debut this season.

• We need your feedback! If you enjoy our free betting tips and content, we invite you to write a review on Trustpilot. Find the icon in the footer of the site.