The New York islanders are not dead yet, but they are close.
Isles enters Sunday's game with the Florida Panthers scoring six points from the playoff spot, but they have the game on hand for their previous team in the wild card race.
Isles has a game left in the Blue Jacket, Rangers and Canadians, all standing between the islanders and the final wild card spot.
For these games to mean anything, the islands need to start picking up victory.
The islanders are the underdogs of the +118 home that will face the Florida Panthers on Sunday.
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The Islanders vs. Panthers Prediction
We don't hide what islanders have been sick lately. It's a familiar problem for this team, and has only extended a handful of seasons. The island doesn't score enough.
The Islanders have scored just three goals in the last three contests, and have scored one or fewer goals in four of the last six contests.
This is not a new issue for the island. They are ranked 28th in the NHL for goals per game this season, and are the last ones to die in power play.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been in good shape recently, but he is now asked to do too much for the island. If Sorokin raises multiple targets, the islanders will lose.
Islanders vs Panthers Pick
On Sunday nights, things don't become easy for the islanders.
The Panthers are in a tough schedule spot where they play their third game in a row over four nights, but they are the defending champions and favorites to win the Stanley Cup in most sportsbooks.
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You know they can't go to chance with the cat, so expect the islanders to do everything they can to slow this game down. At least a low event contest gives the islands an opportunity to at least instil themselves.
It's hard to trust the islanders of this place, and the number of Panthers is a bit expensive given the location of the schedule. Instead, I'll back this and stay under the total.
pick: Less than 6
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Why trust New York Post Beds?
Michael Lubov is a patient and abundant islander fan, but is a long-time for-profit sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters acquire a pool of brackets, find long shots, and learn how to win the market in mainstream and niche sports.
