NHL Thursday (8/20) night Single

Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs are about to be decided and in this single pick, we are looking at the Eastern Conference battle between the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals. More than 4 goals have been scored in 6 out of the Islanders 8 postseason games and the Capitals have successively improved their attacking play and my prediction is that these trends will continue.

08.00 PM ET, Thursday, August 20

New York Islanders were up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup playoff series against the conference rivals from Washington but were unable to close the series on Tuesday. The Capitals won 3-2 in game 4 and the Islanders will have to give it a new try tonight.

The Islanders have won six out of their eight postseason games and started off this series in great style while winning the first two games 4-2 and 5-2. In the two previous games the Capitals have stepped up and the outcome of game 5 is hard to predict. To come out hard and get the advantage early in the game must be the objective for both teams.

Washington Capitals still have their backs against the wall but the 3-2 win on Tuesday might have been the boost they desperately needed to make a comeback in this series.

This win was only their second out of seven games of the postseason. They have not been looking as confident as they normally do but the captain, Alex Ovechkin, proved his skills and leadership, as he scored twice in game 4, and if he can continue playing on that level the Capitals will be dangerous in this game.

Conclusion and betting play: According to me the Islanders should still be considered as favorites in this game but the odds are definitely more even compared to last game. If the Capitals, and Alex Ovechkin in particular, can go on improving from game to game this series is far from over.

It is quite clear that, in general, more and more goals are being scored compared to the beginning of the postseason. The timing of the more skilled attacking players is starting to come back after the long break which is probably one of the reasons for this trend.

More than 4 goals have been scored in 6 out of the Islanders’ 8 postseason games. 6 goals were scored in game 1, 7 goals were scored in game 2, 2 goals were scored in game 3, and 5 goals were scored in game 4 of this series. The Capitals attacking play have improved during the series and I believe they will come out hard in this game, trying to dominate the action. That scenario can open up for counter-attacks for the Islanders and a more open game in general.

Total Goals – Over 4.5 (60 Mins) @ -148