NHL Tuesday best bets: Islanders to rebound vs. Senators
The NHL has a jam-packed nine-game slate on the docket for Tuesday night. Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.
Senators (+160) @ Islanders (-185)
To say the Senators have goaltending problems is an understatement. Their current situation is as dire as any in the league.
With Anton Forsberg and Cam Talbot sidelined, Ottawa is being forced to use a tandem of Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese.
Both goaltenders own sub-.900 save percentages in the AHL this season. Sogaard is the more promising of the two, but he's very inconsistent and played in an overtime game against the Flames on Monday night; expecting another quality effort immediately afterward is probably unrealistic.
Unfortunately for the Senators, Mandolese putting forth a competent start is even more unrealistic. It appears to be a lose-lose situation.
While the Islanders haven't exactly been an offensive powerhouse this year, there's plenty of reason to believe an outbreak could be coming.
The Islanders rank top 10 in both shot and expected goal generation at five-on-five over the last 10 games. With a high-end finisher like Bo Horvat recently joining the fray, New York is now better equipped to convert those chances into results. A matchup against an AHL goaltender should also help the cause.
Even if the Islanders sputter offensively, they can rest easy knowing Ilya Sorokin is there to shut the door when necessary. He's hit a bit of a rut recently, but his numbers remain extremely strong.
Sorokin owns a .923 save percentage and ranks second in goals saved above expected this season. He should be able to keep the Senators in check with Ottawa playing the second half of a back-to-back.
Bet: Islanders in regulation (-120)
Panthers (-130) @ Blues (+110)
Things are going from bad to worse for the Blues. This season has been a struggle from the start, yet they appear to be reaching new lows.
St. Loius has won only three of its last 10 games - and deservedly so. The team is playing very poor hockey.
The Blues rank 28th in expected goal share at five-on-five in that time, sandwiched between the Jackets and Canadiens. Not ideal company.
Making matters worse is the goaltending. Jordan Binnington's game has fallen off a cliff since Christmas, as he's conceded three goals or more in 13 of 16 contests. Binnington owns a putrid .880 save percentage in that span.
The Panthers might well be the last team Binnington and the Blues wish to face right now. Their offense has erupted of late, with Florida netting 4.04 goals per 60 minutes over its last 10 games - good enough to sit tied with the Oilers for first in the league.
The Panthers should be too much to handle for a laboring St. Louis team. Binnington is likely to face a lot of pressure - and it's unlikely he can handle it.
Look for Florida to grind out another road victory.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.