New York Islanders Travels to Denver to Face the Avalanche

The New York Islanders will roll into the Ball Arena on Tuesday night to take on the Colorado Avalanche in an Eastern vs Western Conference matchup.

The Islanders are sixth in the Metropolitan Division (19-20-8, 46 points), while the Avalanche are firmly leading the Central Division (38-10-4, 80 points). This will be the first of two games in the next week against one another, so this could be a feeling-out process. 

The combination of centers Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, and Nazem Kadri should provide some star power to dominate this game. 

There Seems to be a Huge Divide Between These Two Franchises

The offense for New York needs to step up as a team as they are currently scoring 2.51 goals on 29.5 shot attempts per game so far.

Center Mathew Barzal is leading the Islanders in points and assists as he has 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) and scored six points in their previous five games. When they have the man advantage, they need to be better as they are 22nd in the NHL with an 18.2 power play percentage.

The defense has been keeping them engaged in games as they are allowing 2.83 goals on 30.9 shots per game this season. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been doing well in the net this season as he is 16-11-7, saving 92 percent of all shots and giving up 2.44 goals per game. The Islanders have been doing well as they are 11th in the sport with an 81.4 penalty kill percentage so far, so they should control that aspect of the game.

The Avalanche have been doing extremely well on the offensive side of the ice as they are averaging 3.98 goals on 35.1 shot attempts this season. They are currently being led by center Nazem Kadri, who is fourth in the NHL with 66 points (22 goals, 44 assists) and recorded three points in his last two games. Colorado has done well on the power play as their 22.9 percent is 10th in the sport. 

Goalie Darcy Kuemper has been playing pretty well as he is currently 25-6-2 with 2.47 goals and saving 91.9 percent of shots against him. The Avalanche need to be better at killing penalties as their 77.3 percent is just 21st in the league. It would make them even scarier as the Avalanche are giving up 2.83 goals on 30.9 shot attempts.

Betting Predictions for the New York Islanders at Colorado Avalanche Game

The underlying difference, especially as of late, is the ability to put the puck in the back of the net as the Islanders are scoring 2.8 goals in their previous five games while the Avalanche are scoring 4.3 goals in their last four games.

The Islanders are 9-10-4 on the road, while the Avalanche are an incredible 22-3-2 at home thus far. New York has struggled at covering as they are 19-28 ATS this season, while Colorado is 27-25 ATS.

Go with the Colorado Avalanche to cover the puck line at home as they are the better team and should dominate here.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.