The 2021-22 NHL season goes on Wednesday, February 9, with six games around the league, including the non-conference showdown at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, so we have prepared the best Islanders vs. Canucks betting pick and odds.
New York and Vancouver open their two-game regular-season series, and the Canucks search for their third consecutive victory over the Islanders. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, it’s a pick ‘em matchup, so let’s take a closer look.
The Islanders start a four-game road trip Â
The New York Islanders (16-17-6) wrapped up a seven-game homestand last Wednesday, suffering a surprising 3-0 defeat to the Seattle Kraken. They were listed as heavy -220 home favorites, but the Islanders took only 19 shots in what was an abysmal offensive performance.
It was the Islanders’ third defeat in the last four outings. They sit at the sixth spot of the Metropolitan Division standings, 21 points behind the fourth-placed Washington Capitals. The Islanders own the third-lowest scoring offense in the NHL, tallying only 2.36 goals per contest.
On the other side of the ice, New York yields 2.62 goals per game (5th in the NHL). Ilya Sorokin, who’s guarded the cage in three of the Islanders’ last five games, is expected to patrol the crease Wednesday against the Canucks. He’s 13-8-5 with a 2.31 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 2021-22.
The Canucks play without rest       Â
The Vancouver Canucks meet the Islanders on the second day of a back-to-back set. They welcomed the lowly Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night to open a three-game homestand. This Western Conference battle has been excluded from the analysis.
The Canucks have dropped five of their last seven contests prior to Tuesday’s encounter with the Yotes. Vancouver was seventh in the Pacific Division on Tuesday, trailing the No. 4 seed by only six points.
During that seven-game stretch, the Canucks have scored only 14 goals in total. They are the fifth-most inefficient offense in the league, tallying 2.43 goals per game. On the other side of the ice, the Canucks surrender 2.67 goals per game (tied-7th in the NHL). Jaroslav Halak (2-4-2; 2.40 GAA) is expected to guard the cage Wednesday against New York.
Trends:
NY Islanders:
- NY Islanders are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games.
- NY Islanders are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games against Vancouver.
- 2-6 in the last eight games on the road
Vancouver:
- Vancouver are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference conference.
- Vancouver are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games played in February.
New York Islanders vs. Vancouver Canucks Pick
Both New York and Vancouver have played in a poor form lately, so predicting the outcome in this one seems like a difficult task. Furthermore, the Canucks will have to deal with fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back set, though both sides have had some time to rest during the All-Star break.
I lean the Canucks because of the home-ice advantage, but avoiding the side bet looks like the best move. It feels like a coin flip, as both teams have struggled mightily on the offensive end over the last few weeks.
Pick: Take Vancouver Canucks
The Total:
I’ve mentioned how poor these two teams have been offensively as of late, so I’m taking the under as my best Islanders vs. Canucks betting pick. Five of the Islanders’ last seven contests and six of the Canucks’ previous eight have produced fewer than six goals in total.
When it comes to their head-to-head duels, the over is 7-1 in the last eight. However, the Islanders and Canucks haven’t met each other since March 2020. The under is 10-3 in New York’s last 13 games overall, and it is 7-3 in Vancouver’s previous ten.
Pick: Go under
