The New York Islanders (30-28-8) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-31-10) on Tuesday, March 18th. This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and televised on ESPN+. The Penguins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Islanders are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Islanders vs Penguins

The New York Islanders Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders dropped to 30-28-8 this season. The Islanders’ defense struggled, allowing the Rangers to score first at 16:16 in the opening period, and they never managed to catch up.

The total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the combined 7 goals surpassed that mark. The Islanders, as underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover. They scored both of their goals in the second period, but the Rangers added two more in the third to secure the win.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Are Coming Off A Win

With a 3-1 win over the Canadiens, the Penguins improved to 28-31-10. Pittsburgh entered the game as -1.5 goal favorites and covered the puck line. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 4 goals fell short of that mark.

Sidney Crosby scored twice for the Penguins, who had two different players find the net. Blake Lizotte added the third goal with 0:45 left in the game, sealing the victory with an empty-netter.

New York Offense Breakdown

In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders fired 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with just 8 seconds left in the second period.

Despite their 23 offensive giveaways, the Islanders picked up four assists. Pierre Engvall earned his first assist of the season on Cizikas’ goal, and Simon Holmstrom added his fourth. Kyle Palmieri now has four assists, while Anders Lee picked up his third on Nelson’s goal.

Penguins Offense Breakdown

Sidney Crosby scored twice for the Penguins, bringing his season total to 5 goals. He found the net at 4:03 in the first period and added another on a power play at 1:20 in the second period. Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter, his 2nd goal of the season, with just 45 seconds left in the game.

Pittsburgh took 24 shots on goal, and their offense was hindered by 14 giveaways. Lars Eller picked up his 3rd assist of the season on Lizotte’s empty-net goal, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were credited with assists on Crosby’s second goal, giving them 3 and 7 assists on the year, respectively.

New York Team Defense

On the defensive side, the Islanders allowed the first goal just 3:44 into the game and gave up two more goals in the 3rd period, including an empty-netter at 3:23. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with a save percentage of 89.7%. The Islanders’ defense also had 12 takeaways and 17 hits.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Defensively, the Penguins allowed just one goal, which came 5:32 into the 3rd period. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves, posting a 96.2% save percentage. Pittsburgh’s defense also recorded 5 takeaways and 19 hits.

Islanders vs Penguins Trends

• Through their last five road games, New York has an puck line record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 1 goals per game.
• In their last five home games, Pittsburgh has averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 3. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
• Pittsburgh has done well both straight up and vs the puck line when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 puck line in their last three games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Islanders have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 7-3.

Islanders vs Penguins Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Penguins to secure a victory over the Islanders at home. With the moneyline currently set at -112, I’m locking in my bet on the Penguins straight-up.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Islanders to cover. Even if the Penguins manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Islanders should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are 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.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.