Islanders vs. Penguins Game 2 Prediction
Despite dropping Game 1 of their divisional round semifinals matchup, the Penguins are favored over the Islanders again for Game 2 on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. Will Pittsburgh rebound or will New York go up by two games in this series?
Game Snapshot
013 New York Islanders (+115) at 014 Pittsburgh Penguins (-135); o/u 5.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
New York Islanders DFS Spin
Semyon Varlamov (undisclosed) was on the ice Monday for an optional team skate. Varlamov didn’t suit up in Sunday’s playoff opener against Pittsburgh and his status for Game 2 is uncertain at this time. Coach Barry Trotz said that Varlamov is “very close. I trust both our goalies. … Whoever we put in net we feel pretty comfortable with.” Ilya Sorokin stopped 39 of 42 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over the Penguins in Game 1. It wouldn’t be a surprise at this point if Sorokin got another start, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Pittsburgh Penguins DFS Spin
Evgeni Malkin (undisclosed) is still listed as day-to-day and he is slated to be a game-time decision for Game 2 versus the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. “His status is still day-to-day. He’s a game-time decision,” said coach Mike Sullivan on Monday. “He practiced with us today, and we’ll take each day as it comes.” Malkin stayed out late to get extra work done during Monday’s session, which isn’t a particularly good sign. He also didn’t participate in line rushes and he wasn’t on the top power-play unit. All of this doesn’t bode well for his availability after he missed Game 1 on Sunday.
Islanders vs. Penguins NHL Prediction
Despite the Islanders’ upset over the host Penguins in Game 1, the home team is still 5-2 in the last seven meetings between these two teams. The Islanders are also 2-6 in their last eight games versus the Penguins and are 16-35 in their last 51 games in Pittsburgh.
NHL GAME 2 PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS -135