New York Islanders @ Vancouver Canucks - November 14, 2024

As the New York Islanders prepare to face off against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena, we can glean some insights from the stats that will help us predict the outcome of this matchup.

The oddsmakers have made Vancouver the favorites with a -149 moneyline, and given their recent form—winning four of their last five games—it’s easy to see why. However, let’s delve deeper into both teams’ statistics to uncover potential trends that could influence tonight’s game.

Vancouver has been averaging 3.2 goals per game with a shooting percentage of 11.6%. Their offensive zone percentage sits at an impressive 51.6%, indicating they are effective at maintaining pressure in the attacking zone. The Canucks also have a power play percentage of 20.5%, which suggests they can capitalize on opportunities when they arise.

On the other hand, while New York is scoring only 2.5 goals per game with a lower shooting percentage of 8.2%, their ability to generate shots (31.3 per game) shows they are capable of creating chances even if they’re not converting as efficiently as they’d like. With an offensive zone percentage of nearly 56%, it appears that when they do enter the attacking zone, they’re more likely to sustain possession there compared to Vancouver.

Defensively, both teams show some vulnerabilities but differ significantly in penalty kill performance; Vancouver sits at an 83.7% success rate while New York struggles considerably with just a 64.7% penalty kill efficiency. This disparity could be crucial if either team finds themselves shorthanded tonight.

In terms of goaltending, both teams boast solid save percentages—New York slightly ahead at 89.6% compared to Vancouver’s 88.8%. This might suggest that both teams can rely on their netminders for strong performances; however, considering New York’s recent trend where they’ve allowed more than three goals in several games (including a recent loss where they conceded four), this could be an area for concern.

Given these metrics and trends, I believe we might see an upset tonight with the Islanders taking home the win against Vancouver despite being underdogs in this matchup. The Islanders’ knack for covering spreads—evidenced by their recent performance (4-2 ATS in last six games)—suggests they’re due for a bounce-back after losing close contests recently.

Moreover, looking at how each team’s offense and defense stacks up against one another leads me to predict that tonight’s total score will likely fall under six goals as well since both teams have shown tendencies toward lower-scoring affairs lately—especially given New York’s defensive capabilities compared to what we’ve seen from them offensively.

In summary, expect a competitive match-up where the Isles pull off an upset victory over Vancouver while keeping things tight enough on defense that we end up seeing fewer than six total goals scored during regulation time.