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The Carolina Hurricanes have a 1-0 series lead and play game two in Raleigh against the New York Islanders. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with an Islanders-Hurricanes a game two prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Sebastian Aho got the scoring started in game one with a power play goal in the first. To start the second Brent Burns and Martin Necas got their second assists of the night, setting up Stefan Noesen. Then, 24 seconds late, Ryan Pulock caused a turnover and scored an unassisted goal to make it 2-1 in the second period. That was the end of the scoring though. Antti Raanta stopped 24 of 25 shots to get the Hurricanes the win.
Here are the Islanders-Hurricanes NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Playoffs Odds: Islanders-Hurricanes Odds
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-178)
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 5.5 (+116)
Under: 5.5 (-142)
How To Watch Islanders vs. Hurricanes
TV: ESPN2
Stream: NHLPP/ESPN+
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Islanders Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
The Islanders did a lot of things right in their first game against the Hurricanes. First, they were physical. They had 44 hits on the night, and against a team like the Hurricanes, which is not normally as physical, giving out those hits can be huge. They also took care of the puck. The Islanders only had nine giveaways on the night, while blocking 17 shots. Then there was Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin was wonderful in goal on the night. He stopped 35 of 37 shots, saving 94.6% of the shots he faced. It was the third-highest save percentage he has had in his seven playoff starts in his career. It was also the only start he had made with a save percentage over .900 that did not result in a win.
While Sorokin was great, the non five on five situations were bad. The Islanders went 0-4 on the power play last night. They managed just four shots on the four opportunities and failed to score. This is not anything new for the Islanders. They struggled during the regular season to score on the man advantage, scoring just 15.8% of the time. That was 30th in the NHL and is the worst among teams in the playoffs. In the regular season, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee both scored six power-play goals to lead the team. They will need to get one if they get four opportunities in game two if the Islanders are going to steal one away from home.
The Islanders were also bad on the penalty kill. On the season, the Islanders were ninth in the NHL on the penalty kill, stopping teams 81.9% of the time. The Hurricanes got five shots off on the power play, but two of them scored, and that was the difference in the game. The Islanders won 1-0 in non-man advantage situations. If they can get a few more shots off, they can win game two if they can kill penalties, or just not take them.
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
Like the Islanders, there was good and bad in game one. The good is the power play. Part of the Hurricanes' downfall in playoffs past was the power play, and the struggled to score. That was not present last night as the Hurricanes scored both of their goals on the power play, going 2-4 on the night. Last year, the Hurricanes were just 13% on the man advantage in the playoffs, In the 2020-21 playoffs, they were at 18.2%. Both seasons were bad, but this is a great start.
Then there was the sheer volume of shots on goal. They had 37 shots on goal last night. On the seasons, when the Hurricanes shoot 35 or more times, they are 23-2-4 the year. They needed to get those shots off, and they did. Then there was the goaltending. Raanta saved 96.2% of the shots he faces. When Raanta has a save percentage over .950, the Hurricanes are 8-0. It was a perfect formula for the Hurricanes.
Still, there is room for improvement. They gave away the puck more than the Islanders, and one resulted in a goal. They did not score in even strength, even though they had a gluttony of shots. The Hurricanes did not create many high-danger opportunities outside of the power play as well. Aho only got one shot off on the night, it happened to go in. He was also under 50% on faceoffs on the night. Teravainen got no shots on goal, missing one and having one blocked. If they pick up with the performance they just had, this series will be over in four.
Final Islanders-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick
The Hurricanes played a nearly perfect game and came away with one goal win. Sorokin was amazing in the game, and in his career has done well in the playoffs. Raanta has also been a great playoff goalie, so it would not be surprising to see this be a low-scoring series. What was shocking was how the Hurricanes scored. They have historically struggled in the playoffs on the power play, but not in the last game. If the Islanders cannot fix that, they will lose again. In game two, there is more of the same. Aho gets more chances and another goal. The goalies play great, but Sorokin falls again, in a very close game.
Final Islanders-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Islanders +1.5 (-178) and Under 5.5 (-142)
