The Isles and Wild heading into tonight’s contest from a coinflip situation.
Many doubts on the home side
It’s been a solid start for the New York Islanders. The team known for its defensive prowess is currently sitting on fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a 5-2-3 record. Playing over .500 hockey is always a welcome result if you only score at a pace of 2.70 goals per game.
As is often the case with this team, the secret is not in how often you score. It’s in the defensive game, and on that front the Isles have once again brought the goods with just 2.40 goals allowed per 60.
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In today’s game, their defense may have a tougher night than usual. Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, and Bo Horvat will all be game-time decisions. All three players have a positive defensive impact on their team, and missing Horvat would also hurt their chances on offense. The starter hasn’t been confirmed, but backup Semyon Varlamov could get the nod since Ilya Sorokin is certainly starting their next game in Boston.
Wild looking to turn the course
The Minnesota Wild have been one of the early letdowns of the season. The Wild have lost four of their last five and are only ahead of Chicago in the Central Division.
The main problem has been goaltending – an area that was supposed to be strong for the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury has been confirmed as the starter against the Islanders. The three-time Stanley Cup winner isn’t in his prime anymore. That doesn’t mean we’re going to see a .892 SV% and -0.64 goals saved above expected per game from him all season long. Even at 38 years old, Fleury is better than his early season stats suggest.
A few players are missing from the Wild’s best lineup. The only one that truly makes a difference is their top D-man Jared Spurgeon. According to reports, Spurgeon is traveling with the team and nearing a return but will probably miss this one.
Nice odds in a coinflip game
There are some lineup doubts particularly on the home team side that make this game interesting. If all the Isles’ doubts materialize, the Wild would actually enter this game as favorites. For now, it’s safe to say this game is close to a coinflip situation.
Minnesota’s moneyline odds stand at +107 on Unibet. There’s enough edge for a small early bet on the visitors. It’s a good idea to wait for more information on lineups before making a decision on possibly investing more.
Tip: Minnesota Wild moneyline @ +107
Units: 2/10
The match will be played on 11/7/2023 at 7:30 PM EDT.
The odds are from the time of publication of the article and are subject to change.
Esa Kostet
X: @konekostet
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