Big Show - Ovechkin Record - Nov. 18 LAS VEGAS -- The New York Islanders opened the season an abysmal 14-18-7, as the turn of the calendar of the year looked bleak for the boys of Long Island. Then they woke up. Since Jan. 5, the Islanders have won 11 of 14 and have outscored their opponents 43-28. Thanks to the surge over the past month, New York has situated itself in fifth place of the Eastern Conference Wild-Card race with 56 points, just five points back of the second-place Detroit Red Wings. It makes tonight's and tomorrow's road games in Winnipeg and Minnesota, respectively, even more important before the 4 Nations Faceoff break. The Isles catching fire and playing as well as they have makes them an interesting look considering Winnipeg - THN's current top-ranked team [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-power-rankings-jets-fly-high-as-trades-start-to-flow] - is tied with Washington atop the league, both with 79 points. Let's do a deep dive into this one: WHY NEW YORK [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/]: During their 14-game surge, the Islanders' 22 points rank fourth in the NHL while their 2.00 goal allowance is tied for second-best in that span along with the Capitals. No. 1, unfortunately, during the same stretch is Winnipeg, which is allowing 1.93 goals per outing. Problem for the Jets is the Islanders have scored three or more goals in 10 of those 14 games, and seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. Playing the best team in the league should bring the best out in them. WHY WINNIPEG [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/]: What's not to like about the Jets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/game-day/line-combinations-jets-vs-islanders-feb7]? They're riding a seven-game win streak into tonight, they're on home ice, and they boast the leading Vezina candidate between the pipes. This is also the Jets' "first half" finale before the 4 Nations break, and considering their barn will be rocking, the energy level will be an 11 out of 10. The Jets are 21-5-3 in Winnipeg, where they're outscoring teams 3.69 - 2.03. All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. THE PICK: OVER 5.5 +100 -- As good as Connor Hellebuyck and as good as Ilya Sorokin have been playing, this could be a high-scoring game. Dating back to the Jan. 5, again, the Jets lead the league with 3.64 goals per game, while the Islanders check in at 11th with 3.07. Momentum means a lot, and with the Jets averaging 4.67 goals per game during their most recent win streak, they're going to be pushing the tempo and will force the Islanders into a shootout. The last two meetings have gone over, with nine and six goals being scored. Look for this one to creep over, even if we get there thank to an empty net in the closing minutes. (Season Record: 14-24-1, Net: -1220$, based on 100$ units)
