NY Islanders (7-4-1) at Washington (5-6-1)
When: Thursday, November 2nd 2017
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Time: 7:05 ET | TV: MSG Plus, NBCSN Washington
Opening Odds: Washington -152/5.5
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The suddenly high-scoring New York Islanders take a one-game road trek down to D.C. to take on the struggling Washington Capitals in a Metropolitan Division clash on Thursday night. New York has scored six goals in each of its last two games – victories over Nashville and Vegas – and have scored at least four in their last six games, while going 5-1. Captain John Tavares has been a major contributor for New York, scoring nine goals and contributing three assists while recording a pair of hat tricks and four multi-point performances over his last five games. The Capitals return home after a 1-2-0 Western Canada trip that concluded Sunday with a 2-1 loss at Calgary. Jakub Vrana scored the lone goal against the Flames for the Capitals, who have dropped three straight at home and seven of 10 overall (3-6-1) since opening the season with back-to-back victories. Captain Alex Ovechkin leads Washington with 10 goals but has scored just once in his last seven games after recording nine over the first five games.
Tavares isn’t the only one racking up the points for New York, as Josh Bailey and Anders Lee are getting in on the action. Bailey recorded three assists in Monday’s 6-3 victory over Vegas, giving him two goals and 10 assists during his seven-game run, while Lee extended his streak to six games (four goals, six assists) by setting up a pair of goals. Bailey has recorded an assist in six straight games, which is three shy of matching the franchise record. New York has recorded five of its seven power-play goals on the season in its last two games but has allowed six short-handed ones so far after 12 games.
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With Ovechkin struggling to find the net, Evgeny Kuznetsov is helping to keep this team out of the division basement. Kuznetsov, who scored 19 goals in 2016-17, has tallied three in as many games following a season-opening nine-game drought. Washington’s losing record in October ended its streak of 24 consecutive months in which it finished .500 or better. Goalie Philipp Grubauer has played nearly 214 consecutive minutes since last owning a lead in his season debut on October 9th, but it’s veteran Braden Holtby who is expected to get the start on Thursday.
THURSDAY NIGHT NFL FOOTBALL PREDICTION
These are two teams that are currently going in opposite directions and the Capitals have been terrible at home thus far. You have to take the underdog in this one with New York.
Pick: Islanders +125
- Islanders are 9-1 in their last 10 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Islanders are 7-1 in their last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Islanders are 5-1 in their last 6 overall.
- Islanders are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Metropolitan.
- Islanders are 9-3 in their last 12 Thursday games.
- Islanders are 5-2 in their last 7 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Islanders are 5-2 in their last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Islanders are 2-6 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.
- Capitals are 63-26 in their last 89 home games.
- Capitals are 23-10 in their last 33 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Capitals are 9-4 in their last 13 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Capitals are 56-25 in their last 81 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Capitals are 68-31 in their last 99 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Capitals are 35-16 in their last 51 Thursday games.
- Capitals are 35-17 in their last 52 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Capitals are 2-5 in their last 7 overall.
- Capitals are 1-4 in their last 5 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Capitals are 2-9 in their last 11 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Over is 6-0 in Islanders last 6 overall.
- Over is 4-0 in Islanders last 4 games following a win.
- Over is 4-0 in Islanders last 4 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Islanders last 6 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Over is 4-1 in Islanders last 5 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1 in Islanders last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Over is 5-2 in Islanders last 7 Thursday games.
- Over is 5-1 in Capitals last 6 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Capitals last 5 home games.
- Under is 9-3 in Capitals last 12 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Over is 5-2 in Capitals last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 12-5-3 in Capitals last 20 vs. Metropolitan.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Washington.
- Under is 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings.
- Islanders are 27-55-3 in the last 85 meetings.
- Islanders are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings in Washington.
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