Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders: Islanders must Slow Down McDavid and Draisaitl

• 5The Edmonton Oilers have lost three of the last five games.
• The New York Islanders have won six of their last ten games.
• The Islanders were 2-0-1 against the Oilers last season.

New York Islanders vs Edmonton Oilers Odds

Odds Taken from DraftKings Sportsbook

Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders Picks

New York Islanders beat Edmonton Oilers 4-3

Edmonton Oilers cover

Over 6.5 goals

Head-to-Head: Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders

Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders Predictions

The Edmonton Oilers will travel south of the Canadian border to face the New York Islanders. The Oilers are not elite but have shown some flashes of dominance. They are currently sitting just outside of the Playoff picture but would move into a Wild Card spot with a victory. The Islanders are one of the surprises of the season. They were mediocre last season and missed the Playoffs. However, they are sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division and will likely make the Playoffs this season.

The Oilers have the best center duo in the NHL in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but they struggle defensively and often allow four or more goals a game. In addition, their goaltending duo of Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell is underperforming and needs to become more consistent.

Most hockey fans regard Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as the top center duo in hockey. However, the Oilers have a solid third center in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. McDavid and Draisaitl have a combined 66 points and 27 goals through 19 games, but Nugent-Hopkins also has 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists). These three players make up the NHL's most dominant center trio.

The Oilers have a unique goaltending situation. Jack Campbell started the season as the #1 netminder in Edmonton after signing with them this offseason. However, he has been a shell of himself in his short time with the Oilers. The American goaltender has played in 10 games and is giving up 4.27 goals per game. In his most recent performance on November 10, Campbell gave up seven goals on 32 shots to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Campbell’s poor play has given Stuart Skinner a lot of opportunities. It appears that Skinner is now the #1 in Edmonton, and it will continue to be with the way he has been playing. The 24-year-old is giving up 2.78 goals per game and has a .921 save percentage. Even though Skinner is playing well, this is not an ideal situation for the Oilers. Edmonton only has one goalie they can depend on, and even he sometimes needs to take a day off.

The Islanders’ offense is a little worse than the Oilers’ offense. However, the Islanders have much more competent defensemen and goaltenders.

The Islanders do not have a top center duo like the Oilers, but they have a solid one in Matthew Barzal and Brock Nelson. Matthew Barzal is not much of a goal-scorer but leads his team with 20 assists. Brock Nelson is more of a jack of all trades and has nine goals and 11 assists.

The Islanders have a promising goaltending duo of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. Ilya Sorokin is the #1 and has an 8-5-0 record. He allows 2.37 goals, and his save percentage of .926 is the fifth-highest in the league. Semyon Varlamov is not as good as Sorokin but is a solid #2. Varlamov is 4-3-0 and is giving up 2.97 goals per game.

The Islanders have a significantly more well-rounded team than the Oilers and home-ice advantage. That will be enough to push them to victory.

Why Might the Edmonton Oilers Win?

The Oilers are on the road but can win if they play tough defense and score power-play goals.

As I mentioned above, the Oilers struggle defensively. That narrative needs to change today; the Oilers’ defensemen must play uncharacteristically well.

The Oilers have the second-best power-play unit in the league and convert on over 31% of their opportunities. Almost ⅓ of their goals have come with a man advantage. Edmonton must draw penalties and get scoring opportunities when the Islanders are shorthanded.

Why Might the New York Islanders Win?

The Islanders are the favorites but will win if they slow down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and score the first goal.

The Oilers’ offense is largely predicated around McDavid and Draisaitl. Since they account for such a large part of the Edmonton offense, the Islanders’ defensemen need to prioritize them and slow them down.

The Islanders are playing at home and need to get their home crowd loud and rowdy by scoring the first goal. The momentum will then push in the Islanders’ direction and significantly improve their chances of winning.

Oilers Key Players: (C) Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is often overlooked because he plays behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Opposing defensemen often underestimate him because he is the third center on this Oilers squad. He needs to take advantage of that and look for his opportunities.

Islanders Key Player: (D) Noah Dobson

Noah Dobson may not be on the Oilers’ first line, but he leads all Oilers’ defensemen in TOI. Dobson has a challenging task today, as he has to handle the Oilers’ centers. 

Dobson must step up and make life as difficult as possible for the centers on this Oilers team.

How to Watch Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders

• What - Edmonton Oilers vs New York Islanders
• Where - UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
• When - Wednesday, November 23, 7:30 PM EST
• How to Watch - NHLPP, ESPN+