Following their game against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday at home, the New York Islanders (23-18-4) will play their second game of a back-to-back against the Buffalo Sabres (21-19-3) on the road.
New York has dropped five of its previous six games after Monday's 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.
On Tuesday, Buffalo suffered their second consecutive loss and fifth in the previous six when they lost 4-3 in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Islanders vs Sabres Betting Odds
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Islanders vs Sabres Match Details
Fixture: New York Islanders at Buffalo Sabres
Date and Time: Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 PM ET
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Islanders vs Sabres Key Stats
The NHL's seventh-best team, New York, only allows 2.69 goals per game on average. It ranks 17th that New York limits opponents to 31.2 shots per game on average. When New York is shorthanded, their penalty kill team is the sixth-best in the league, holding opponents without a goal 82.4% of the time.
At 3.02 goals per game, New York ranks 23rd in the NHL in goal scoring average. New York, which is ranked 20th, averages 30.6 shots per game. An unimpressive 18.0% of the time that New York has the man advantage, the power play scores, ranking them 27th overall.
Buffalo is second in the NHL in terms of goals scored per game with an average of 3.77. Buffalo ranks 13th with an average of 32.2 shots per game. Buffalo is fourth in hockey for power play efficiency, scoring 27.1% of the time when they have the man advantage. With 32 goals, Tage Thompson holds the top scoring position.
Buffalo allows 3.49 goals per game on average, ranking 24th in the NHL. They rank 25th in the league in limiting opponents to 33.2 shots per game on average. Only 73.3% of the time do Buffalo's penalty killers effectively keep opponents scoreless, placing Buffalo's unit in 26th place.
Islanders vs Sabres Betting Prediction
Overall, New York has dropped five of their last six games. As of late, New York has struggled to score at a pace of 3.02 goals per game, and things could get worse if they play on consecutive nights.
Buffalo will overcome the formidable New York blue line, which might skate slower as they play their best club in hockey this season, Boston, on Wednesday. Buffalo, on average, is scoring 3.77 goals per game, which is the second-best in the NHL. Buffalo is 3-1 in its previous five home games. Take the home team to cover the spread and win this tie.
Pick: Buffalo Sabres (-120)
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