New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, 2/20/2021 NHL Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Date: Saturday, February 20, 2021

Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: MSG+

Odds/Point Spread: Islanders (+105) Penguins (-116)

Semyon Varlamov and the New York Islanders (8-5-3) are headed to PPG Paints Arena on Saturday where they'll meet the Pittsburgh Penguins (8-6-1). The Penguins open this matchup at -116 while the Islanders are priced at +105. The total has been set at 5.5.

The Islanders will look for better times on the ice after their 4-1 defeat against the Penguins the last time they stepped on the ice. The Islanders had an offensive game that was below their expectations in the loss. In the game, they converted 1 of the 32 shots they attempted. Additionally, they had 3 power play opportunities and were able to score 1 goal. New York compiled 21 minutes in the box in this outing. The Corsi for the Islanders came in at 43 and the Corsi against was 46 meaning they had a Corsi rate of 48.3%. Their Fenwick came in at 30 and the Fenwick Against sat at 33, meaning they had a Fenwick rate of 47.6%. They recorded 17 face-off wins when at even strength and lost on 21 opportunities to win the puck. Their starts in the offensive zone were at 37.9% and their PDO was 84.6 for this one.

The Islanders have had 448 shots attempted against them and hold a save percentage of .917. While playing at even strength, the Islanders have allowed 30 goals while notching 28 themselves. New York Islanders opponents have totaled 41 power play tries (28th in professional hockey) and have come away with 7 goals in those chances. For the current season, they have 19 points and their points percentage comes in at .594. New York has taken 476 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 8.2%. Pertaining to their scoring capabilities, the New York Islanders have racked up 39 goals (23rd in the league) on the season and have allowed 37. New York has accumulated 49 power play chances and they have scored 11 goals out of those attempts, garnering them a rate of 22.45%.

The man protecting the goal in this game is Semyon Varlamov. From the beginning of his pro career to now, Varlamov has recorded 269 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .558. His save percentage currently is .916 for his 28,913 mins between the pipes. Varlamov has had 15,180 shot attempts against him and he has 13,901 saves. The opposition has racked up 1,279 goals against Varlamov in his professional hockey career and his goals against rate is 2.65. He has earned an overall mark of 239-186-58 and he has gotten the start in 482 games. Varlamov has played in 505 contests over the course of his pro hockey career.

In their win over the Islanders, the Penguins had 4 power play opportunities in this one but weren't able to put one in the back of the net. The Penguins notched 4 goals of the 37 shots on goal they attempted. Their PDO at even strength was 115 and their percentage of oZS was 62.1%. Pittsburgh had a 51.7% Corsi rating. These Corsi stats tell us the story of the kind of game Pittsburgh had and they put on a good performance in this one. Their Fenwick rate came in at 52.4% with a Fenwick of 33 and the Islanders finishing with a 30 Fenwick.

The Penguins have accumulated 39 goals at even strength and 6 goals (27th in the league) while on the power play. Pittsburgh has attempted 450 shots (17th in pro hockey) and has a shooting percentage of 10.00%, while allowing the opposition 430 shots. For the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have earned 45 goals, 17 points, in addition to a points percentage of .567. They have earned 46 power play chances and they have a power play percentage of 13.04%. They have earned a penalty kill rate of 73.47% on their opponents 49 power play opportunities, and their save percentage currently sits at 88.1%. They have allowed 51 goals to be scored by of a combination of 38 goals at even strength and 13 goals while they were shorthanded.

On the other side of the ice you will find Tristan Jarry protecting the goal. He has gathered 1,856 saves out of 2,039 shots attempted against him, giving him a rate of .910. Jarry has compiled a lifetime mark of 38-25-5 and has been in net for 72 contests. He has started in 67 games and has played for a total of 4,027 minutes. Jarry's quality start percentage comes out to 58.2% and he has accumulated 39 quality starts in his pro career. Opponents are averaging 2.73 goals/game and he has yielded 183 goals in total.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take New York (+105)

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