Florida Panthers – New York Islanders Odds & Picks

Read our prediction on Florida Panthers-New York Islanders (NHL, ), bet with free bets bonuses at the listed below sportsbooks.

Panthers vs Islanders Preview

It’s certainly not the most talked-about among the NHL’s eight Stanley Cup qualifying round series but this best-of-five affair between the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders might be the most evenly-matched and perhaps even the most intriguing among this octagon of opening postseason sets.

At Pointsbet, the oddsmakers are calling it a virtual toss up. The Panthers are slightly favored with a betting line of -102. The Isles aren’t far off that rate at -120. This is the only one among the eight series where both teams are being offered at negative odds.

Over at William Hill, their bookmakers are leaning more prominently toward the Panthers. Florida is the +100 chalk, while the Islanders are -120 underdogs. 

There’s even recent history at work in this set. Florida’s last playoff appearance was in 2016. The Panthers dropped a six-game first-round series to the Isles. 

That was the first postseason series win by the Islanders since 1993. They’ve since also won a round last season but haven’t been past Round 2 since their run to the Eastern Conference final in the spring of 1993. The Panthers haven’t won a playoff series since reaching the 1995-96 Stanley Cup final.

Both teams have Stanley Cup winners behind the bench, albeit with other teams. Florida’s Joel Quenneville guided the Chicago Blackhawks to three titles. Barry Trotz of the Islanders coached the Washington Capitals to the 2017-18 NHL title.

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The Islanders launched well this season, opening 16-3-1. However, they were skidding along at 2-7-4 when COVID-19 paused the season on March 12. 

Florida put together a six-game winning streak in January but were an inconsistent squad most of the season. The most significant difference between the two teams involves putting pucks in nets at each end of the ice. 

Panthers vs Islanders Prediction

The Islanders, who won the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL in 2018-19, ranked sixth in that department this season, surrendering 193 goals. Florida (228 goals against) ranked a dismal 28th. On the other hand, the Panthers were seventh in scoring (231 goals). The Isles were 23rd (192).

Defense wins in the playoffs. The Islanders are solid underdog play.