New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals Predictions, Picks And Preview– 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eastern Conference First Round Game 5 – April 23, 2015
The Washington Capitals avoided going down 3-1 in their first round matchup with the New York Islanders by emerging victorious in Game 4. With the series now back in Washington, will the Caps take the series lead on Thursday? Or will the Islanders win and head back to Nassau Coliseum for Game 6 with a golden opportunity to end the series?
New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals Betting Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 — April 15, 7:00 PM ET, New York Islanders 4 at Washington Capitals 1
Game 2 — April 17, 7:00 PM ET, New York Islanders 3 at Washington Capitals 4
Game 3 — April 19, 12:00 PM ET, Washington Capitals 1 at New York Islanders 2 (OT)
Game 4 — April 21, 7:30 PM ET, Washington Capitals 2 (OT) at New York Islanders 1 — view all NHL lines
Game 5 — April 23, Time TBD, New York Islanders at Washington Capitals
Game 6 — April 25, Time TBD, Washington Capitals at New York Islanders
Game 7* — April 27, Time TBD, New York Islanders at Washington Capitals
*If necessary
Betting on the New York Islanders
The Islanders continued to play physical on Tuesday, but the result was different this time around, as they lost to Washington in overtime, 2-1. The series now shifts to Washington, where the Isles are just 4-6 in their last 10 trips there.
[sc:NHL240 ]New York did a great job of keeping the Capitals in check in Game 4, limiting Washington to just 30 shots on goal. This was largely a product of the Islanders relentless checking, as they totalled 50 hits as against the Caps’ 38. And then there was Jaroslav Halak’s solid netminding, as he stopped 28 shots in Game 4 to bring his series save percentage to .930.
New York, however, was obviously held back by its offense, which failed to convert on four power play opportunities.
Power play has been the Isles’ nagging weakness thus far in the series. Through four games, they have yet to net a man advantage goal in 10 tries. John Tavares and company have no option but to take advantage of their dominance in possession and keep on shooting.
Should the Isles net their first power play goal in the series, Tavares may be the one to do so. He led the team in power play goals in the regular season with 13. Brock Nelson and Kyle Okposo were a few steps behind with 10 and six apiece. The Islanders entered the postseason 16th in power play conversion with an 18.7 percent rate of success.
Alex Ovechkin has been a marked man in this series. But New York might also want to ramp up their focus on Nicklas Backstrom, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime for the Caps in Game 4.
Backstrom has played superbly in this series against New York, as he has repeatedly ripped the Islanders’ defense. He’ll take the ice anew on Thursday, looking to add to his collection of three goals and three assists thus far in the first round of the playoffs. Backstrom will have to continue firing the puck so as to ease off some of the defensive pressure the Islanders are giving Ovechkin.
Ovechkin hasn’t been totally shutdown by New York despite its best efforts in silencing the Russian sniper. Ovechkin has two goals and two assists in series. Those totals include a goal and an assist in Game 4. With Backstrom and Ovechkin providing the goals, Washington goalie Braden Holtby’s heroics didn’t go to waste unlike in Game 3, when the Caps lost despite their netminder turning away 40 shots.
Holtby stopped all but one of the Isles’ 37 shots on goal in Game 4 to improve his series averages to 2.00 GAA (goals against average) and .942 save percentage. The Caps are 4-1 in Holtby’s last five home starts against the Islanders.
