The San Jose Sharks return to SAP Center looking to bounce back from a brutal 7-3 loss to Colorado, while facing an Islanders squad that's won three of their last four games including an impressive victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Despite trading away veteran center Brock Nelson, the Islanders maintain their playoff push against a depleted Sharks defense that just shipped Jake Walman to Edmonton and continues to allow the most goals in the NHL.
The stage is set for an intriguing late-night showdown between a home team desperate to prove themselves and an away team fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive.
San Jose Sharks vs. New York Islanders prediction: who will win?
For tonight's San Jose Sharks vs New York Islanders matchup, our predictive model gives the Isles a 72.5% chance of defeating the Sharks.
Pre-game probabilities
New York Islanders
Moneyline
Win %
72.5%
27.5%
San Jose Sharks
New York Islanders: 72.5% win probability
- Better defensive record (182 goals against vs Sharks' 241)
- Higher points percentage (63 points in 61 games vs Sharks' 43 in 64)
- Superior goal differential (-14 vs Sharks' -72)
San Jose Sharks: 27.5% win probability
- League-worst defensive record (241 goals against)
- Poor home record (bottom of Pacific Division with 43 points)
- Struggling offense (169 goals scored, lowest in Pacific Division)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts..
| San Jose Sharks | New York Islanders | |
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San Jose Sharks vs. New York Islanders preview
The struggling Sharks return home to SAP Center after a tough 7-3 loss in Colorado, hoping to bounce back against a surging Islanders squad that's fighting for their playoff lives.
New York's recent momentum has been impressive, taking down powerhouses like Boston and Winnipeg, though they'll need to adjust to life without Brock Nelson after his trade to Colorado.
The Sharks' defensive woes continue to haunt them - they're dead last in goals against, and shipping out Jake Walman to Edmonton only compounds their blue-line troubles.
Ilya Sorokin has been a workhorse for the Isles with nine straight starts, and he'll look to build on his solid .905 save percentage against a Sharks offense that's shown flashes of life lately, scoring multiple goals in nine of their last eleven games.
The last meeting between these teams wasn't pretty for San Jose, as they got thumped 4-1 in New York, and their goaltending situation hasn't exactly improved since then.
With the Sharks' penalty kill leaking goals (they've given up a league-worst 50 power-play markers), this could be the perfect opportunity for the Islanders' struggling power play to find its groove.
Look for the Islanders to come out aggressive - they threw 34 hits against Winnipeg, and that physical style could wear down a depleted Sharks defense.
San Jose Sharks vs. New York Islanders form
San Jose Sharks vs. New York Islanders head to head
San Jose Sharks
33%
New York Islanders
67%
Jan 19, 2025
New York Islanders
4 : 1
San Jose Sharks
Mar 8, 2024
San Jose Sharks
2 : 7
New York Islanders
Dec 6, 2023
New York Islanders
4 : 5
San Jose Sharks
Mar 19, 2023
San Jose Sharks
1 : 4
New York Islanders
Oct 18, 2022
New York Islanders
5 : 2
San Jose Sharks
Feb 25, 2022
San Jose Sharks
4 : 3
New York Islanders
