The red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins, riding a four-game winning streak and fresh off a dominant 7-3 victory over New Jersey, welcome their division rivals New York Islanders to PPG Paints Arena in what could be a season-defining matchup for both playoff hopefuls.
Sidney Crosby continues to defy age with 73 points this season, though the Penguins' leaky defense and goaltending woes (ranking dead last in goals against) could prove costly against an Islanders team that's taken two of three meetings this year.
The stage is set for an intense battle as the home team Penguins, six points out of a playoff spot, face off against an away team Islanders squad sitting just four points shy of that final wild card position.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders matchup, our predictive model gives the Isles a 62% chance of defeating the Pens.
Pre-game probabilities
New York Islanders
Moneyline
Win %
62%
38%
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Islanders: 62% win probability
- Better defensive record (196 goals against vs Penguins' 250)
- Higher points per game ratio (1.03 vs Penguins' 0.96)
- More consistent goal scoring (2.71 goals per game vs 2.93 allowed by Penguins)
Pittsburgh Penguins: 38% win probability
- Poor defensive record (250 goals against, 2nd worst in Eastern Conference)
- Recent form struggles (WWWWL shows inconsistency despite wins)
- Negative goal differential (-48, among bottom 5 in conference)
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..
| Pittsburgh Penguins | New York Islanders | |
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| Moneyline |
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders preview
The struggling Penguins host the Islanders at PPG Paints Arena in what's shaping up to be a crucial matchup for both teams' playoff hopes.
Pittsburgh's been on fire lately, riding a four-game win streak including an explosive 7-3 victory over the Devils, with Sidney Crosby showing he's still got it by racking up 12 points this month alone.
The Isles haven't exactly been setting the world on fire, but they're hanging tough in the playoff race - just four points out of a wild card spot after grinding out a solid win against Florida.
While the Penguins' offense has found its groove at home (scoring 22 goals in their last five), their defensive struggles and shaky goaltending could be their Achilles' heel against an Islanders team that's had their number this season.
Keep an eye on Ilya Sorokin between the pipes for New York - he's been rock-solid lately, while Pittsburgh's goalie tandem of Nedeljkovic and Jarry has been less than inspiring with save percentages south of .900.
The season series has tilted New York's way so far (2-1), with the Pens managing just nine goals across those three meetings.
This one's got all the makings of a classic Metropolitan Division slugfest, with both teams desperate for points as the playoff race heats up.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders form
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders head to head
Pittsburgh Penguins
33%
New York Islanders
67%
Dec 29, 2024
Pittsburgh Penguins
3 : 2
New York Islanders
Dec 29, 2024
New York Islanders
6 : 3
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nov 6, 2024
New York Islanders
4 : 3
Pittsburgh Penguins
Apr 17, 2024
New York Islanders
5 : 4
Pittsburgh Penguins
Feb 21, 2024
Pittsburgh Penguins
4 : 5
New York Islanders
Dec 31, 2023
Pittsburgh Penguins
3 : 1
New York Islanders
