NY Islanders vs Pittsburgh Prediction: Expecting the Total Over

Prediction for the NHL New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins match, which will take place on February 18th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Islanders are having a very tough regular season. So they are in danger of missing the playoffs again. The Islanders played in the first half poorly, but at the turn of January and February, they finally showed promising results, claiming four wins. They looked like they would be contending for a Cup spot but suffered another setback. In the last three games, Lane Lambert's wards lost to Vancouver (5-6), Montreal (3-4), and the day before to Ottawa (2-3). Three consecutive losses to league underdogs dropped the Islanders to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Pittsburgh also has a challenging regular season. They used to participate in the cup battles, but now they might have problems with that. The aged team alternates successful streaks with unsuccessful ones, constantly sitting near the edge of the playoff zone. The entire season reflects their California trip when they beat Anaheim and San Jose 6-3 and 3-1. But they failed the battle with Los Angeles, 0-6. Pittsburgh now sits seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Islanders and Pittsburgh perform below their expectations, so they should have a healthy final third part of the season. The Islanders have a worse position in the standings. But in the upcoming battle, they might get a positive result, as they traditionally play well with the Penguins at home, winning four of the last five games. Moreover, the Pennsylvanians are coming off a tough road trip to California while the New York team was home. 

The confrontation between the opponents recently turned out to be productive. In the three previous meetings, the opponents scored 23 goals (7.67 average per game). Every time the TO was reached. It would seem that the Islanders have gradually returned to their usual pragmatic style, but their recent games have been productive again.