Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders Prediction, 2/17/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders

Date: Friday, February 17, 2023

Location: UBS Arena in Elmont, NY

TV: MSG

Odds/Point Spread: Penguins (-110) Islanders (-110)

The Pittsburgh Penguins (27-17-9) are hitting the road to UBS Arena on Friday where they will attempt to defeat the New York Islanders (27-23-7). The moneyline on this contest has the Penguins at -110 and the Islanders are priced at -110. The over/under has been set at 7.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will head into their next game feeling good after earning a 3-1 victory against the Sharks in their previous game. Pittsburgh accounted for 4 penalty minutes in this matchup. The Penguins had a middle of the road offensive outing in this win. In addition, they had 3 chances on the power play but weren't able to score a goal. In the game, they earned a goal on 3 out of the 28 shots they put on goal.

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In regard to scoring goals, the Pittsburgh Penguins have racked up 171 goals (16th in the NHL) so far this year and have given up 163. For the year, they have accumulated 63 points and their points percentage comes in at .594. Pittsburgh skates onto the rink with 185 power play opportunities and they have added 40 goals out of those tries, giving them a rate of 21.62%. While at even strength, the Penguins have conceded 130 goals while notching 131 on the offensive side of the ice. Pittsburgh has taken 1,760 shots and holds a shot percentage of 9.7%. The Penguins have seen 1,804 shots taken against them and hold a save percentage of .910. Pittsburgh Penguins opponents have tallied 172 power play opportunities (13th in the league) and have notched 33 goals in those chances.

The player between the pipes for this game is Casey DeSmith. Over the course of his time in hockey, DeSmith has tallied 57 quality starts and his rate for quality starts is .533. He has a save percentage of .913 for his 6,653 minutes on the ice. DeSmith has had 3,564 shots against him and has accrued 3,255 total saves. The opposition has racked up 309 goals against DeSmith in his career and his goals against average per contest is 2.79. He has accumulated a win-loss mark of 53-39-15 and he was named the starter in 107 games. DeSmith has been in net for 122 games over the course of his professional hockey career.

In their last contest, New York played the Senators in a matchup where the Islanders got the tie by a mark of 2-2. They had 6 opportunities on the power play in this one and earned 1 out of those chances. The Islanders netted 2 goals out of the 48 shots on goal they were seeking.

This season, the New York Islanders have notched a total of 164 goals, 61 points, and a points percentage of .535. They have allowed 154 goals to be scored by way of 125 goals at even strength and 29 goals while they were shorthanded. The Islanders have accumulated 136 goals at even strength and 28 goals (26th in the NHL) while having a power play advantage. They have a total of 163 power play opportunities and they have a power play percentage of 17.18%. New York has attempted 1,761 shots (12th in hockey) and has earned a shot percentage of 9.31%, while allowing the opposition 1,804 shots. They have earned a penalty kill percentage of 82.42% on the other teams 165 power play opportunities, and their save percentage comes in at 91.5%.

On the other side of the ice you are likely to see Ilya Sorokin in goal. He has recorded 3,167 saves out of the 3,430 shots tried, which gives him a save % of .923. Sorokin has earned a career record of 56-41-16 and has been in net for 115 games. He was named a starter in 112 games and has accumulated 6,697 mins. Sorokin's percentage of quality starts comes out to 69.6% and he has made 78 quality starts in his career. His opponents are averaging 2.36 goals/game and he has conceded 263 goals in total.

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

Josh's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (-110)

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