Before I tip my cap to the winner, let's dance a bit with the details. In the spotlight today, we've got the New York Islanders hitting the ice against the St. Louis Blues.
Now, the steely eyes in nets are worth noting. For the Islanders, we've been treated to the twitchy gloves of Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin. Varlamov slipped a bit from his 91.6 save % last season to a slightly less invincible 86.5% last month, though Sorokin seems to be compensating with a commendable 94.1% save ratio.
Opposing them, St. Louis has Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer as their last line of defense. Binnington posts a decent, yet not too deep, save percentage this season with 89.7%, while Hofer's last season stats bore a 91.2% save progression. They will strive, I presume, to keep it like that.
Getting a bit nosy into players' stats, Islanders' Anthony Duclair and Brock Nelson appear to have synced their stats this season, while Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat have been feeling a bit modest. Maybe they're just saving their best for later – always adds some spice to the game.
For St. Louis, dapper lad Jordan Kyrou has a leg up this season with 2 goals and 4 assists, and Robert Thomas could do with some improvements. Keep an eye out for Pavel Buchnevich, though, he's been on a roll.
Looking at the scoreboard of the past, Islanders clapped back at Blues' home turf last time with a 4-2 win after a crushing 4-0 loss at their own fort. In terms of recent wins and losses, our dear Islanders have been dancing to the tune of 1-1-1, while the Blues follow at a close 2-0-2.
With recent games in memory, Islanders made the Avalanche look like a snowball in their last game, while the Blues were chilled out in their recent game with Minnesota.
So, bringing everything into consideration, here's the punchline. Albert’s Prediction: New York Islanders by 2. Just remember, I might be wrong. If I were right all the time, I'd be selling these predictions, not gabbing about them on air.