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Sports Interaction Staff
Islanders vs. Capitals Game 1 Prediction, Stanley Cup Playoff Odds
The qualifying round is over and the playoffs have finally begun.
Former Capitals coach Barry Trotz is leading the No. 6 New York Islanders against the No. 3 Washington Capitals. This will be the first playoff series Trotz has faced the Capitals in since he left the team after leading the Caps to the 2018 Stanley Cup.
Islanders vs. Capitals Betting Analysis
This series could go the distance. The teams split the season series with two wins and 14 goals each. They last met on February 10, which ended in a 5-3 Islanders win after Anthony Beauvillier scored two goals in the first six minutes.
Game 1 sees the Capitals come in at -135 favourites on the hockey odds, with the Islanders at +115. The total is 5.5 goals with the under going at -130 and the over at +110.
New York Islanders
This is a chance for Islanders coach Barry Trotz to seek a little revenge after a dispute during contract negotiations led him to leaving the Caps two weeks after bringing them their first Stanley Cup in 2018. Since then, he has gone 4-4 against his former team. Typical for a Trotz team, the Isles have been defensively suffocating their opponents all season. The top line of Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle, never gave up an even strength goal in the 3-1 qualifying series win over Florida.
Keys to their success against the Caps will be Jean-Gabriel Pageau (a February trade acquisition from Ottawa) and Anthony Beauvillier. They each put up three goals in the qualifying round, including two game winners from Beauvillier. Semyon Varlamov also came up big in the qualifying round, posting a 1.77 GAA and .932 SV. Perennial playoff performer Jordan Eberle is always dangerous on the big stage. He’s posted 12 points in 12 playoff games in his Isles career and chipped in three points (2G, 1A) in the four games of the qualifying series.
Washington Capitals
After going 1-1-1 in the qualifying round-robin and only scoring five goals, the Capitals will need their big guns to step up. Alex Ovechkin went pointless in the round-robin after posting 67 points (48G, 19A) in 68 games this season. Top defenseman John Carlson missed the entire round-robin with an injury suffered in a July 29 exhibition game. Carlson led all defensemen in the league this season with 15 goals and 60 assists for 75 points.
Braden Holtby is the undisputed starter after talented backup Ilya Samsonov was ruled out with an injury sustained just prior to the qualifying round. Radko Gudas led the Caps with two points in the qualifying round. If Caps coach Todd Reirden wants to beat his former mentor, Trotz, he’ll need to find more scoring. Ovechkin is due to light up so an x-factor like Brenden Dillon, who was acquired in a February trade with San Jose, could be the spark this team needs to return to their former dominance.
