NHL Prediction: April 4th New York Islanders vs Minnesota Wild

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the New York Islanders taking on the Minnesota Wild. Don’t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2024-25 season.

NHL Predictions

New York Islanders vs Minnesota Wild

Head-to-Head: Islanders 0-1 Wild

Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

TV: MSGSN, FDSNNO, FDSNWIX, ESPN+

This matchup in our NHL predictions features two out-of-conference opponents having opposite results this season. The Islanders holding down sixth place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division through 74 games. Their record stands at 32-32-10, good enough for 74 points. As for the Wild, they are currently battling for fourth place in the Western Conference’s Central Division after 76 games played with the St. Louis Blues. The Wild record is 41-28-7, which has them at 89 points and currently holding a wild card position in the West. This is the second and final matchup between the Isles and Wild. They met on February 8th at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild took that game by a score of 6-3. Tonight, they will meet again inside UBS Arena on Long Island.

The Islanders Story

For the Islanders their season has kind of fallen off the rails a little bit. They are playing some of their worst hockey of the season, in the middle of a six-game losing streak. To make matters worse, head coach Patrick Roy openly ripped Anthony Duclair in the media for “god-awful” effort. Duclair is now stepping away from the team and it is unclear when or if he will return this season. It has been a trying season for him as he has recorded just 11 points in 44 games. The rest of the team hasn’t fared any better, which has them ranked 25th in goals per game with 2.72. Bo Horvat has been one of the only bright spots, he is the teams point leader with a meager 52 in 73 games. However, Horvat is on a two-game point streak and has nine in last 10 games.

Defensively, the team has taken a step back recently. They have been middle of the pack all year but have fallen back to 19th in the league in goals against with 3.07 per game. They have allowed four or more goals in the last six games in a row. This team has gone as Ilya Sorokin has gone. He has struggled in his last few outings, so the team has followed suit. Sorokin has lost his last four games, on the team’s six game losing streak. In those four games he has an .853 save percentage and a 3.76 goals-against average. It has been an up and down season for the Russian goalie who has been worked more than almost any goalie in the league. The season long numbers are still respectable, with a 27-23-6 record, a .904 SV% and a 2.79 GAA.

The Wild Story

For the Wild, they come into this game on a losing streak of their own. They have lost their last three games in a row coming into tonight. Offensively, they are one of the few teams ranked behind the Islanders in goals-per-game. They are 27th with just 2.70 goals-per-game. They are led by Matt Boldy and his 64 points in 76 games.  The rising star has scored 25 goals for the third straight year. He is on a two-game point streak and has nine points in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, veteran second liner Marcus Johansson has heated up as the Wild look to lock up a playoff spot. He has four goals and 11 points in 15 games since the beginning of March.

Defensively, the Wild are one of the better teams in the league. They rank 12th in goals against on the season with 2.84 per game. Their penalty kill doesn’t do them any favours ranking 31st in the league at 72.3%. However, they do a great job at limiting their opponents’ chances. They have allowed the fourth-least amount of high-danger shots, with just 131. A solid goalie tandem holding down the net also goes a long way in that. Starter Filip Gustavsson remains one of the best in the league. Although, he has struggled recently going 1-2-2 in his last five starts. That is despite the fact that his season long numbers remain elite. He holds a 29-17-6 record with a .916 SV% and a 2.54 GAA. Backup Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t seen much action, but he is no slouch. He is 12-9-1 with a .903 SV% and a 2.54 GAA. Expect Gustavsson to go here as the Wild still battle for playoff seeding.

Prediction

Coming into tonight’s game both teams have been struggling. However, one of these teams has something to play for. The Wild have to start playing better as we come down the stretch leading into the playoffs. The Islanders are falling out of the wild card race and at this point are playing for pride. Factor in that the Wild are simply just the better team, and this should be a good get right spot for them to break their losing streak.

Prediction: Wild win 3-2

Prop Bets

Popular sport books somehow have the Wild as underdogs in this game. Their MoneyLine is set at +105, with this being plus money it feels like a good bet. The over/under is set at 5.5. Neither one of these teams light it up offensively and the Wild have strong defence and goaltending. For these reasons we like the under at -122. As far as anytime goal scorers for the Islanders take Bo Horvat at +160. For the Islanders score any goals, he usually is in the middle of it. For the Wild take Matt Boldy at +185, as his team’s leading goal scorer he is a huge threat to score anytime he touches the ice.