- What: Islanders vs Stars
- When: Monday, February 26th, 8 PM ET
- Where: American Airlines Center
The New York Islanders will be looking to end a two-game skid on Monday evening when they travel to Texas to face the Dallas Stars. The puck is scheduled to drop at 8 PM ET at American Airlines Center. NY lost 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday evening and has been struggling lately overall. As for Dallas, they're one of the better teams in the Western Conference and just beat the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend. Continue reading below for the Islanders vs Stars picks.
Before we get into the odds and preview, make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.
Islanders vs Stars Odds
The Stars are a -169 favorite on Monday for an implied win probability of 62.83%. The Isles come back at +150 and have a 40% chance of taking this contest. The total in goals is set at six. Dallas has won three of the last four meetings with New York, but the Islanders won the most recent matchup in late January by a score of 3-2.
Tough Year For The Isles
New York competes in a very difficult division there's no question about it, but they've been a disappointment in 2023-24. The Islanders are second-last in the Metropolitan Division with a 23-20-14 record. Not atrocious, but not good enough to be an Eastern Conference contender. This team really doesn't shine in any particular area, ranking 21st in goals scored and 24th in goals allowed. The Isles are also just 3-4-3 in their last 10 outings.
NY came up against a strong Lightning team last time out and ultimately lost. Tampa Bay took an early 2-0 lead in the first period and never looked back, with NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov notching three points. For the Islanders, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson scored. New York actually outshot the Bolts 34-21 but couldn't put away their opportunities. The Isles had 19 shots in the third period alone. They just aren't finishing at a high enough rate.
Matthew Barzal leads the squad with 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) while Noah Dobson also has 60 points but 53 of them are assists. Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson are the only guys with more than 20 goals apiece. Monday's contest is the beginning of a two-game road trip, with New York heading to Motown after to face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. The Islanders then return home to face the Boston Bruins on Saturday. A few tough games ahead.
Stars Are Elite
Dallas was on the verge of making the Stanley Cup last season and by the looks of it, they'll be in the mix again when the playoffs roll around. The Stars are top dog in the Central Division with an impressive 35-16-8 record, one of the best in the entire league. Peter DeBoer's group is top-10 in the NHL in numerous categories, most notably goals with 3.61 per contest. That's because they have so many different players who can find the back of the net.
Jason Robertson leads the charge with 19 goals and 38 assists, but he's one of three guys with 50+ points. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz are also over that mark. In fact, nine different players have a minimum of 40 points on the Dallas roster. You'll have a hard time finding that type of balance on any other team. This is a huge reason the Stars are seen as a Cup contender. They did just end a four-game losing skid on Saturday though by taking down the Hurricanes in a much-needed victory. Robertson and Wyatt Johnston scored for Dallas while Jake Oettinger made 20 saves in net.
The next week will be busy for the Stars. They also face the Avalanche on Tuesday before games against the Jets on Thursday and Sharks on Saturday. But, the focus for now will be taking care of the Islanders, a team they've enjoyed success against in past years. It'll probably be the easiest game out of the next three considering Colorado and Winnipeg are very good clubs.
Islanders vs Stars Picks
The Stars are 17-8-3 at home while the Islanders are well below .500 on the road. I'll take the Dallas moneyline here. I expect them to come out and win this one.
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