Fridays NHL slate may be compact with only four games, but its stacked with excitement, featuring fast-paced action, dramatic finishes, and plenty of highlight-reel potential.
One of the most intriguing matchups showcases the red-hot New York Islanders, who have put together three straight wins, taking on the Utah Mammoth. Utah started the season strong but has stumbled recently, dropping five of its last seven games. It will be a demanding back-to-back for New York, traveling from Las Vegas into the mountains for a tough matchup the very next night.
Were looking to build on our early-season success after putting together multiple wins in the Pad Stack Challenge and holding a strong 9-2 record so far. That momentum has carried over into our other picks as well, including a 2-1 performance in Los Angeles 4-3 victory over Toronto.
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Count On Canucks Matching Hurricanes’ Offense in Scoring Frenzy Canucks face Hurricanes in a potential scoring duel. Despite injuries, Vancouver’s offense thrives, aiming to match Carolina’s firepower and build their betting bankroll.
Islanders ML (+170)
Bo Horvat Over 0.5 Points (-167)
Matthew Schaefer Over 0.5 Points (+100)
Over 6.5 Goals (-110)
The travel schedule will be tough on New York, but they should still be able to set the tone early against a Utah defense that has been struggling. The Mammoth have surrendered 28 goals during their difficult seven-game stretch and will try to contain an Islanders offense that has suddenly caught fire. Over their last seven contests, New York has gone 5-1-1 while scoring 23 goals, which is the fifth most in the NHL during that span. They should be able to stay competitive and even the all-time series at one win apiece in their second meeting with Utah.
A major catalyst for New Yorks surge has been Bo Horvat, who looks every bit like the player who posted 68 points in his first full season with the Islanders in 202324. The 30-year-old, already a three-time 30-goal scorer, is currently on pace for a 50 plus goal campaign with 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 17 games. He is also riding a seven-game point streak, tallying six goals and five assists over that stretch.
Horvat is not the only spark, though. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has become something of a good-luck charm. The Calder Trophy frontrunner leads all NHL rookies with six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 17 games, edging out Montreals Ivan Demidov by a point. The 18-year-old Hamilton native is heating up as well, posting a goal and two assists over his last two outings, while leading the entire team in ice time at more than 22 minutes per night.
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