New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction: Expect an exchange of goals

Prediction for the NHL match which will take place on December 8. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Islanders continue to fight for a place in the cup zone, but the regular season is also very difficult. The New York team has a decent roster, but in recent years, they have always been prevented from showing a strong result. In this season's debut, the Blue and Orange lost many points, and in the first half of November, they had a 7-match losing streak. After that, the Islanders finally turned things around, winning five of their last eight games and losing three. So far, that's only good enough for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Columbus is another team that has performed poorly in recent years, being one of the main outsiders in the league. The Jackets started the regular season in their usual manner, rarely picking up points, and in November, they lost nine straight games. It seemed they would continue to lose hopelessly to everyone in a row, hoping to get the highest pick at the next draft, but they have suddenly improved lately. In the previous eight games, they had four wins with four losses, which hasn't affected their position. They remain in the penultimate place in the Eastern Conference, but the progress in the game is noticeable.

Columbus is one of the worst teams in the league, and this is especially true for away games, as they have lost away in 10 of their last 11 battles. Now, it will be hard for the Jackets to expect a positive result, as they will play on the ice of UBC Arena, where they have lost four times in a row with a total score of 6:17. Of course, the Islanders are characterized by a much higher level of ambition, skill, discipline, and experience, which they will use in the upcoming confrontation to achieve ultimate success.

Not so long ago, the Islanders lost to Philadelphia in a shootout - 0:1, after which they decided it was time to change something. In the next four games, the Islanders showed carnival hockey every time, scoring a lot and conceding about the same amount, with a total of 34 shots on goal (8.50 per game on average), and every time they scored at least three times and allowed their opponents to score at least three times. Now, we can expect an open exchange of shots.