NHL predictions for October 29: New York Islanders vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Welcome back to another edition of NHL predictions. Our authors are here every day Final word on hockey Watch the games and give an analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines and stats, then makes predictions based on how they could play out. In this edition the New York Islanders meet the Columbus Blue Jackets. Don't forget to catch all the action as our writers continue this series in the 2024-25 season.

NHL predictions

New York Islanders vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

TV: MSGSN, FDSNOH

This match pits two Metropolitan Division rivals against each other. Only one point separates these two in the division standings. Tonight the Islanders have lost four of their last five games. After nine games, New York is in sixth place in the metro with a 3-4-2 record. Additionally, they are one point behind the 4-3-1 Blue Jackets, who are in fifth place. The precious two points will be on the line at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This will be the first of three meetings between the two this season. In the last ten meetings between the teams, the Islanders are 9-0-1 and have won the last three meetings.

The story of the islanders

The Islanders continued to show offensive inconsistency in their game last night, losing 3-1 to the Anaheim Ducks. It was another frustrating loss, with the Islanders outscoring the Ducks 41-22 but only managing one goal. This game was eerily similar to last week's 1-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, which saw the Islanders beat the Ducks 30-11. The latest disappointment came after two games in a row in which they scored three goals. In addition, they are 31st in the league with 21 goals this season. The only goal the Islanders scored came on the power play. This unit was at 1/4 and just wasn't good enough as it currently sits 29th at 13.3%. They want to get more out of their best player, Mathew Barzal. Despite scoring the only goal last night, his first against a goalie, he still doesn't have a 5-on-5 goal this season.

The defense bounced back in the Ducks' game, holding them to just two goals on 22 shots. The only problem is that the penalty kill is just as bad as the power play. An empty net and two power play goals were what defeated them. This drops their penalty kill percentage to 62.5%, which puts them 31st in the league. That's why they wasted the great game of their goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin. After last night, he is 2-2-1 and has stopped 122 of 131 shots for a save percentage of .931. He has a goals against average of 1.80. However, he received an assist goal or less in three of his five starts. The two starts he had more often were wins. After playing the first game in a row, they will turn to the struggling Semyon Varlamov and hope for a rebound. He has a 1-2-1 record with an SV% of .856 and a GAA of 3.72.

The Blue Jackets Story

In this edition of the NHL predictions, the Blue Jackets enter this edition on a high note after an offensive boom with a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Columbus didn't come into this season with high expectations, but they played well early this season. The first eight games alternated between defeats and victories. Offensively, they rank 8/14. Last in expected goals. Despite this, they are still among the top goalscorers in the league with 4.13 goals per game, good for fourth place in the league. They are led by their young draft picks who are developing into rising stars. Kirill Marchenko, a 2018 second-round pick, is off to a hot start as his team has held an 11-point lead through nine games. In addition, two first-round picks also make good contributions. From the 2020 draft, Yegor Chinakhov averaged one point per game with eight in eight games. Finally, Adam Fantilli from the 2023 draft has five points in eight games.

The Blue Jackets are also doing solid defensively. Led by veteran Zack Werenski, another of their first-round picks from 2015, he has eight points per game with eight points in eight games. The team ranks 15th in goals conceded with 3.13 per game, putting them in the middle of the pack. Their underlying numbers are actually slightly better. They are seventh in expected goals against at 16.34. This is due to the limitation of the opponent's quality chances. With 16 dangerous shots they are in 22nd place. On the other hand, their goalkeeping tandem of Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov was fine. Evlis was the better of the two with a 1-2 record, .900 SV% and a 2.76 GAA. Daniil with a 3-1-1 record, a SV% of 0.886 and a GAA of 3.42.

NHL predictions

In a game where both sides are desperate for two points, this game will come down to the Islanders' defense against the Blue Jackets' high-octane offense. We don't think the Islanders' offense will be able to score enough points to keep up with Columbus, which puts pressure on their defense to keep them off the court. Additionally, this thought process took into account that New York would have to travel on the fly, which is not promising for them. Signs point to the Blue Jackets ending their losing streak against the Islanders in this game.

Prediction: Blue Jackets win 4-2

Prop bets

Fanduel has the Blue Jackets' moneyline at +136, so we like the underdog at home here. The over/under is 6.5. Given the Islanders' slow offense, it will be up to the Blue Jackets to beat the over. We don't think that's happening, so take the under. As far as a scorer ever goes for the Islanders, Kyle Palmieri has been a highly sought after player and we think he'll score here. For the Blue Jackets, veteran center Sean Monahan has been good on the top line and we believe that will continue.

Main photo credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

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