New York Islanders vs Chicago Blackhawks Prediction: The Blackhawks don't have any motivation

Prediction for the NHL New York Islanders vs Chicago Blackhawks match which will take place on April 3rd. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Islanders still have a chance to make the playoffs at the end of the regular season, but they don't look like they have much luck. Another season in a row goes badly for the Islanders, as their level of ambition is very high, but it's not enough to be in the Cup battles. A change in head coach seemed to give the team a new lease on life, but the boost was short-lived. At first, Patrick Roy made progress from the players, but in the second half of March, they spent again poorly, and a terrible stretch came at the equator of the month when the Islanders lost in six consecutive battles. Now, they continue their pursuit of the Cup Eight.

Chicago had no intention of contending for a Cup this season as the club continues to rebuild seriously. The leaders of the past few years have left the team, promising youngsters are just getting the experience they need to become genuine contenders in the foreseeable future, and numerous injuries have added to the already bleak situation. At the same time, we saw the Hawks' last weak stretch at the turn of February and March, after which their business went sharply uphill. In the previous 12 meetings, Luke Richardson's men have won seven and lost five, an excellent indicator for an underdog. The Blackhawks now are in 15th place in the Western Conference standings.

They approached the end of the regular season with a completely different level of tournament motivation. The Blackhawks don't have any, and they are in last place in the Western Conference with no chance of making the playoffs. The Islanders aren't as likely to make it to the Cup Eight, but they're going to fight until the very end, and a game against the league's underdog is an excellent opportunity to pick up two points that could come in handy. 

Chicago has played a fun and open style all season, trying to score a lot and give up even more, but lately, the Hawks have become very pragmatic. In their last five games, the Blackhawks have managed just 24 shots on goal, an average of 4.80 per game. Don't expect a high-scoring game either, as Chicago has been stingy with goals: in the last five meetings, the rivals have combined to score only 22 goals (4.40 per game average).