The New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes are ready to battle at PNC Arena in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 1, and fans at home can see the game live on NBC Sports Network.
New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes Odds
Carolina comes into the contest as the favorite with a moneyline of -120. The line for New York sits at +100, and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 5 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -125 for the under and +105 for the over.
Netting moneyline bettors 1.2 units, Carolina is 52-39 straight up (SU) overall this year. That early-season winning percentage is a welcomed improvement compared to what the team managed during last year’s regular season (36-46). Of its 91 regular season matches, 50 have gone under the total, while 39 have gone over and just two have pushed. The team is 27-17 SU at home this year.
Following a regular season where they found the net on 16.8 percent of all power-play opportunities (the 20th-ranked), the Hurricanes have connected on 9.4 percent of their extra-man advantages in the postseason. Their penalty kill has gone from 81.0 percent in the regular season to 76.7 percent in the playoffs.
The Hurricanes’ offense attempted 34.1 shots per game in the regular season, resulting in 3.0 goals per contest (ranked 15th overall in the NHL). In the postseason, the team’s dropped to an average of 31.6 shots on goal 2.7 goals per game.
Averaging 24.9 saves per game with a .914 save percentage, Petr Mrazek (29-20-4) has been the top option in goal for Carolina this year. If Carolina chooses to rest him, however, head coach Rod Brind Amour could go with Curtis McElhinney (21-13-13 record, .914 save percentage, 2.54 goals against average).
On the visiting bench, New York is 52-36 straight up (SU) and has earned 20.1 units for moneyline bettors this year. A total of 55 of its games have gone under the total, while 28 have gone over and just five have pushed. The Islanders are 26-17 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Islanders have converted on just 14.6 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s ranked 29th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 20th overall and it’s successfully killed off 80.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
Robin Lehner (27.1 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for New York. Lehner has 30 wins, 22 losses, and six OT losses to his credit, while registering a .932 save percentage and 2.05 goals against average this year.
New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Hurricanes, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in three of their past five games.
- The Hurricanes have averaged the league’s most shots on goal (34.1) while the Islanders have attempted just the 29th-most (34.1).
- Over New York’s last ten games, five of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 5-0 in those games).
- This game features two of the tougher defenses in the league. New York skaters have given out the league’s eighth-most hits per game (26.1) while the Hurricanes have registered the seventh-most (26.6).
