Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 Odds, Picks, and Predictions: Scoring Suppressed at PNC

The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes continue their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

The Islanders fell behind 2-0 after a pair of penalties led to goals on the man advantage by Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen.

From there, the Hurricanes used the same formula that made them so successful during the season – defense and goaltending.

Will the Islanders be able to level the series at 1-1, or will the Hurricanes continue their dominance on home ice in the playoffs? We’ll discuss in our NHL betting picks for Islanders vs. Hurricanes on Wednesday, April 19.

Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 odds

Islanders vs Hurricanes series odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of April 19

Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 predictions

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour elected to roll with Antti Raanta as his starting goaltender, rather than Frederik Andersen. It might have raised some eyebrows outside of Raleigh, but plenty of Caniacs called for more Raanta late in the regular season.

With a 2-0 lead, Ryan Pulock was able to strike with an unassisted goal at 2:51 of the second period, but that was all Raanta allowed. As a result, he picked up his seventh NHL postseason victory.

Raanta turned aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced, besting Ilya Sorokin, who stopped 35 of the 37 shots Carolina fired his way.

The Islanders were 82.2% on the penalty kill during the regular season, which ranked No. 9 in the NHL, but that was the team’s Achilles heel in Game 1. Carolina ended up going 2-for-4 on the power play, and that was the difference.

New York actually had 44 hits to 39 for the Hurricanes, while faceoffs were nearly even, with Carolina holding a slight 37-35 edge. The shots were in favor of the Canes, but generally, things were fairly even, and that was displayed on the scoreboard.

They just didn’t have a lot of scoring chances, and plenty of solid goaltending. You can get the total at 5.5 at number of shops, and it’s a good idea to go low in Game 2.

My best bet: Under 5.5 (-142 at FanDuel)

Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 moneyline analysis

The Islanders ended up winning three of the final four games in the regular season, but the song remained the same as the last time these teams met in Raleigh.

On April 2, the Hurricanes picked up a 2-1 win behind Andersen over Sorokin. This time, it was Raanta besting the Isles in a 2-1 victory. That’s four consecutive victories for Carolina in this series, with the Islanders winning 6-2 back on October 28 for their only win in five tries this season against the Hurricanes.

The Game 1 loss was a rarity for the Islanders in the Conference Quarterfinals round, as they’re still 10-2 in the past 12 in the first round of the playoffs. But Game 1, and this game, are on the road, and that’s where the trouble has been for New York. It’s dropped four straight on the road, including twice against the Hurricanes during the span.

The Hurricanes have picked up 24 victories in the past 35 games against teams with a winning record, while winning 38 of the past 52 skates at PNC Arena, which is a .731 winning percentage.

The Canes are also 17-7 in the past 24 games when playing on a day off. More importantly, Carolina is 7-2 in the past nine at home against the Isles, and 14-2 in the past 16 meetings overall.

The money line is a little on the expensive side, so take a chance on the puck line for a much better value.

Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 Over/Under analysis

The Under has been a frequent occurrence for both of these teams lately. The Under has cashed in four of the past five road games for the Islanders.

The Under is also 3-0-1 in the past four games in the Conference Quarterfinals round, while going 3-1-1 in the past five against teams with a winning overall record, too.

For the Hurricanes, the Under is 12-3-1 in the past 16 games at PNC Arena, as Carolina has really had a lot of trouble lighting the lamp down the stretch, especially since Andrei Svechnikov went down with a season-ending knee injury in March.

The Under is 9-2 in the past 11 games overall. Carolina also has scored just 11 times in the past five games in front of the home fans, which is just 2.2 goals per game. The good news is that they’ve coughed up just five goals in the past four games in Raleigh, or 1.3 GPG.

Roll with the Under, as that’s the best play.

Islanders vs Hurricanes betting trend to know

Carolina has posted a 14-2 record in the past 16 meetings, while going 7-2 in the past nine home meetings against New York. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs Hurricanes.

Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 game info

Islanders vs Hurricanes Game 2 injuries

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