Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the New York Islanders taking on the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to keep an eye on our other NHL Predictions as the 2025-26 season moves forward.
NHL Predictions
New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
How to Watch TV: ESPN+; HULU
2024-25 Season Series: Series was split 2-2
Location: Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina
These two Metropolitan Division rivals meet up for the first time this season. They sit on opposite ends of the division standings early on in this campaign. The Islanders are looking to get back in the win column as they are back in last place in the division. Their record stands at 4-4-1 through nine games. The Hurricanes will look to close the gap on the top Metro teams. They are third in the standings with a 6-3 record through nine games, four points back of the division leaders. These two teams will meet a total of four times this season, the first is tonight in Raleigh at the Lenovo Center.
The Islanders’ Story
For the Islanders, they will look to bounce back in this game after a four-game winning streak has been followed by a two-game losing streak. It won’t be easy, as this is the first of a back-to-back. They will need their offence to show as they were blanked for the last two periods in their last loss. After just two goals, they dropped to ninth in goals per game with 3.56. Bo Horvat continued his strong start to the season. He leads the team with 11 points in nine games after a two-point performance in the last game. They will need him and Mathew Barzal to try and get the power play going. That remains a hindrance to their otherwise strong offensive attack. Their unit ranks 26th in the league, with a success rate of just 15.6%.
Defence remains the weak point for this team. The last game was the second game in a row where they gave up four or more goals. That has them sitting 26th in goals against at 3.56 per game. Hopefully, they can get Alexander Romanov back in one of these two back-to-back games. He has missed the last four games, and his return could help clean some things up. Improved penalty kill play would help, too. They rank 24th in that department with a 71.0% kill rate. They turn to David Rittich on the first leg of the back-to-back. He has been solid when given the chance. He holds a 2-0 record with a .940 save percentage. Ilya Sorokin will take the second game as he will look to right the ship after a trying start to the season. He is 2-4-1 with an .868 save percentage.
The Hurricanes Story
The Hurricanes are looking for a bounce-back themselves in this contest. They come in on a two-game losing streak as well. After starting 5-0, they have dropped three of their last four. The offence remains strong, ranking fourth in the league in goals per game with 3.67. They are led by a high-powered first line, with both Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis leading the team with 11 points in nine games. The next closest player has seven points. This duo does a lot of the heavy lifting for this offence. Aho comes into this game on a heater as he takes a nine-game point streak into this one. All that production even comes with the last-ranked power play in the league at a 10% conversion rate.
Defensively, recently has been the struggle for the Hurricanes. In three of their last four games, they have given up four or more goals. Those recent games have moved them down to 21st in goals against per game with 3.11. On a positive note, they rank ninth in high-danger shots against with just 21. Starting goalie Frederik Anderson has struggled to open the season. In his first six starts, he has given up fewer than three goals just one time. However, he is 4-2 but with just a .892 save percentage. Either he or Brandon Bussi will get the start. Bussi has been solid in just three games; he is 2-1 with a .911 save percentage. Neither goalie has been announced as the starter for this game just yet.
Prediction
This game feels pretty even on paper. Both teams are playing for two important points early in the season. They both have top 10-ranked offences. Both teams also rank in the 20s as far as goals against per game. The Hurricanes also hold the home ice advantage. We feel like this may tilt the game in the Hurricanes’ favour, as the Islanders tend not to play well in this building. They haven’t won in Carolina since 2023.
Prediction: Hurricanes win 4-3
Prop Bets
Popular sports books have the Hurricanes are heavy favourites at -215 on the money line. For better odds, a play could be Islanders +1.5 at -142. They should be able to at least keep it close. The over/under is a high one at 6.5. If there is a game to hit that it would be this one. We would take the over at +104.
As far as anytime goal scorers, for the Islanders, take Anders Lee at +350. He is a main contributor and just had a four-game point streak end. You can look for him to start a new one here. For the Hurricanes, Sebastian Aho remains one of the hottest players in the league. He looks to continue it with a goal in this game, at +150, we think that’s a good bet.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: Oct. 30 New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.