Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 1/21/2023

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, NY

Where to watch: MSGSN, BSSO

DraftKings: Hurricanes -170, Islanders +145

FanDuel: Hurricanes -170, Islanders +145

BetMGM: Hurricanes -170, Islanders +145

Caesars: Hurricanes -170, Islanders +145

Hurricanes: 28-9-8

Islanders: 23-19-5

The Carolina Hurricanes will try to win for the fourth time in five games, but will have to do so without a key component in their lineup for likely the rest of the season when they visits the New York Islanders on Saturday.

 

This would normally be a very good time to be a hurricanes fan but I do wonder now that Max Pacioretty tore his Achilles for the second time in a span of seven months if Carolina is just on the mend for some saving grace.

 

The Hurricanes are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday in which Carolina was a heavy favorite at -181 and they already hashed pretty easily. But overall it does suck to know that Pacioretty was looking very good in his short time with Carolina and now has two sit on the sidelines and watch helplessly as his team tries to win a Stanley Cup.

 

Carolina scored five straight goals after trailing one dash nothing in the second. And it was just a barrage of special teams goals for Carolina. Brady Skjei had a power play goal, and Tuevo Teravainen had a shorthanded goal in the span of four minutes And that was all Frederick Andersen needed to have another strong start.

 

"That was his best game, maybe, that he's played for us," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We were giving up too many good ones. Timely saves are so important. He looked really good in there."

 

Carolina did well enough throughout this year to play well and to be a contender without Pacioretty in the lineup. of course they will have to trudge on without him in the lineup again, but it's not going to be easy knowing how well he seemingly fit into that lineup. And who knows if something miraculous will happen over the next course of a little bit but I don't think this is going to lead to any miraculous comeback in the playoffs at this rate.

 

Meanwhile, I don't think the Islanders are capable of scoring ever again. No matter the situation, no matter the personnel, New York is completely unable to get things rolling and look like a contender in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders are two points back of a playoff spot despite having played two games more than the Penguins, but New York is literally being dragged into a playoff spot because of the goaltending that Ilya sorokin and semyon varlamov have been able to accomplish. Hence why New York has now lost three in a row and seven of it's last 8 following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

 

"I don't have frustration," Sorokin said. "Every day is a new game. If you overthink too much, it's not good for you and for your emotional stability."

 

There's only so much gold tending that Sorokin can do and not completely die on the ice. not that I hate ever wish that upon anybody but if you run him into the ground long enough things are gonna get messy. Carolina still has too much firepower. Hurricanes 4, Islanders 2

Hurricanes are 4-0 in the last 4 after scoring 5 goals or more last game.

Over is 8-1 in the Hurricanes’ last nine.

Road team has won the last four meetings.

Seth Jarvis -- Sebastian Aho – TBD

Andrei Svechnikov -- Paul Stastny -- Martin Necas

Jordan Martinook -- Jordan Staal -- Jesper Fast

Teuvo Teravainen - Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Stefan Noesen

Jaccob Slavin -- Brent Burns

Brady Skjei -- Brett Pesce

Calvin de Haan -- Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen

Simon Holmstrom -- Mathew Barzal -- Zach Parise

Anders Lee -- Brock Nelson -- Josh Bailey

Anthony Beauvillier -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Hudson Fasching  

Matt Martin -- Casey Cizikas -- Cal Clutterbuck

Sebastian Aho -- Noah Dobson

Alexander Romanov -- Scott Mayfield

Dennis Cholowski -- Ryan Pulock  

Ilya Sorokin