The Stanley Cup Playoffs gets underway Monday night when the New York Islanders visit the Carolina Hurricanes for Game One of their first round series. Carolina won the Metropolitan Division and earned the second seed in the East. New York secured a spot in the playoffs in their final game and will be the seventh seed. Below is my NHL pick for the Islanders vs Hurricanes.
New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes Betting Pick
The Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -166
This game will be played at PNC Arena at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023.
Why Bet the Carolina Hurricanes:
✅ Carolina has been dominant against the Islanders, winning 13 of their last 15 meetings.
✅ New York has not been good on the road and have lost four of their last five games away from UBS Arena.
✅ Against the Hurricanes, the Islanders have lost six of their last eight games in Carolina.
New York Islanders Looking to Keep it Close
The New York Islanders left it late, but they clinched their spot in the playoffs with a tough 4-2 win, over the Montreal Canadians, in their regular season finale. New York had 10 less wins than the Hurricanes during the regular season, but they play a style that should make it hard for Carolina in this series.
New York struggles to score as they average 2.95 goals per game but allow just 2.65. Brock Nelson did it all this season as he led the Islanders with 38 goals, 39 assists, and 75 points.
The Carolina Hurricanes are Heavy Favorites
Carolina was one of the better teams all season long, but it took until the final day for them to clinch the Metropolitan Division title. The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers made it tough for the Hurricanes as all three teams had at least 107 points on the year. Carolina finished the regular season winning two straight games and will look to carry that momentum into this series.
The Hurricanes won the regular season series 3-1 and that will bring them confidence heading into the best-of-seven format.
Carolina is scoring 3.20 goals per game and allows an impressive 2.55. Martin Necas has had a nice season as he leads the Hurricanes with 43 assists and 71 points. Sebastian Aho scored a team leading 36 goals on the year.
