Ducks Bring a Busy Attack and a Three-Game Skid to Long Island
Anaheim has made more happen than New York, but the Islanders are strong at UBS Arena and their goalies keep closing gaps.
Written before the game
The Anaheim Ducks have generated more than the New York Islanders so far. They arrive on Long Island on a three-game losing streak anyway, while New York sits above them in the standings.
Over eight games, Anaheim has averaged 3.16 expected goals per night, a measure of how many goals their chances were worth. New York sits at 2.59. Both teams give up about the same, roughly three and a half per night, and both have won four times. The Ducks also attempt more shots, about 57 per game against New York's 52.
So why are the Islanders ahead? Their chances are thinner, yet they carry a +6 goal differential, while Anaheim is at -2. That points to New York finishing better and getting good goaltending, with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov sharing the net. Anaheim's chances have been better than its scoring, and Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier look like the players most likely to cash in.
The Islanders are 3-1-0 at home, and they are without Matias Maccelli and Calum Ritchie. Anaheim has been better away from home at 3-1-0. New York holds the Eastern Conference's fourth wild-card spot with 9 points. The Ducks, fifth in the Pacific with 8 points, need a win to end the slide.
