Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Thursday’s matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders.
Oilers vs. Islanders Odds
- Edmonton Oilers Moneyline: -140
- New York Islanders Moneyline: +126
- Puck Line: Oilers -1.5 (+176), Islanders +1.5 (-203)
- Game Total: 6 (Over -108, Under -104)
Game odds courtesy of Pinnacle.
Handicapping the Oilers (37-28 SU, 23-42 ATS, 29-35-1 O/U)
It’s getting harder and harder to write anything good about the Oilers, so I’m not going to try. This team has been in freefall mode for the last month and change, going 5-9-1 since Jan. 30.
Edmonton didn’t perform badly, necessarily, on Thursday in New Jersey, owning 60 percent of the shots and 55 percent of the expected goals at five-on-five, but it was another game where the Oilers couldn’t score enough goals. The Oilers have scored three or fewer goals in 12 of their last 15 outings and they’ve lost nine of those games.
Depth scoring continues to be a big issue, one that wasn’t really addressed at the trade deadline, as only four players have scored five goals or more during this 15-game stretch. The Oilers have scored 43 goals since Jan. 30. Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, Connor McDavid, and Jeff Skinner have scored 33 goals. The rest of the team has combined for 10 goals.
Additionally, Stuart Skinner has rarely bailed the Oilers out. The 26-year-old has gone 4-8-1 with a 3.29 goals against average and a .884 save percentage over his last 15 games. He’s posted a save percentage above .900 in just four of those outings, and just once in his last nine starts. Calvin Pickard will get an opportunity to rebound on Friday, though, after losing three of his last four starts. Pickard hasn’t started since March 4 when he allowed four goals on 11 shots in the first period against Anaheim.
Handicapping the Islanders (29-35 SU, 32-32 ATS, 30-31-3 O/U)
New York is back from its three-game California road trip following back-to-back 4-1 losses in Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Islanders will play six of their next seven games at home, starting with Friday’s tilt against the Edmonton Oilers. They’ll have a two-day rest advantage over the Oilers.
The Islanders are still in the Eastern Conference wild card race, as they are just five points back of a playoff spot, but it’s looking bleak. They’ll have to jump over five teams, and they seem to take a step back every time they make up some ground. New York won 10 of 12 games, including seven in a row, between Jan. 5 and Feb. 1, but then lost eight of its last 13 games.
The team is still missing a couple of key pieces, too. Forward Mathew Barzal was injured on Feb. 1 and he is not guaranteed to be back by the end of the regular season. Additionally, goaltender Semyon Varlamov hasn’t played since Nov. 29 and is unlikely to return this season, which puts a lot of pressure on Ilya Sorokin, who has started 17 of the last 19 games.
Since Feb. 1, the Islanders have scored just 2.57 goals per 60 minutes, which ranks 26th, and they are also ranked 25th in goals against per 60. They’ve scored three or fewer goals in 16 of their last 20 games, and they’ve allowed four or more goals in nine of their last13 games dating back to the start of February.
Best Bet for Oilers vs. Islanders
Moneyline Regulation – Draw (+326) at Pinnacle
The Oilers have lost four of their last five trips to Long Island, but they defeated the Islanders on Nov. 12, 4-3 in overtime. The Oilers have what it takes to defeat them again, but between New York’s rest advantage and the fact that neither team has been able to score many goals as of late, this should be another close game.
