The Metropolitan Division is set to be arguably the most competitive in the NHL this season, and on Friday we’ll see a matchup of two exciting teams in our New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals prediction.
The New York Islanders (4-5-1) have been a team of runs early in the 2025/26 season, but with some of the most exciting young talent in the NHL, this will be a team to keep a close eye on throughout the remainder of the campaign.
On Friday, they battle the Washington Capitals (6-4-0), a team that’s looking to replicate the shock success of a season ago, and through their first 10 games, this appears to be a team that’s just as tough to play against this season. Read on to see our New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals prediction.
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Can the Islanders continue their fun start?
The New York Islanders made some changes this offseason, and with the injection of young talent, they’ve suddenly become one of the most exciting teams in the NHL, even if they sit at just 1-3-1 away from home early in the 2025/26 season. With these off-season improvements, the Islanders now rank top-10 in the league in goal scoring with an average of 3.56 goals scored per game, but with their star goaltender taking a step back, they now rank 26th in the league in GAA, which also sits at 3.56 this season.
Leading the way for New York thus far has been star center Bo Horvat with 11 points in 10 games played, and with four other players at seven or more, including No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, the future of this team is looking incredibly bright. Last time out for the Islanders was a tough loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, with goals to Holmstrom and Schaefer not enough to get the job done as David Rittich allowed six goals on 33 shots as the team would be decimated 6-2.
Expected starting goaltender: Ilya Sorokin (3.75 GAA and an .868 save percentage in seven games).Â
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Terms & Conditions Are the Capitals for real again this season?
Last year, many were shocked by the Washington Capitals and their incredible success, and despite some changes in the off-season, they set out looking to prove that it wasn’t a fluke, with the team beginning the new year with a respectable 3-3-0 record at home. Once again, the success of this team hinges on their goaltending, as the group rank No. 1 in the NHL with a 2.20 GAA to this point, but with the offense taking a step back, averaging just 2.70 goals a night, there are things this team needs to figure out.
This season, Washington has been led by the star duo of Tom Wilson (11 points) and Dylan Strome (10 points), and while they may not have the depth they did a year ago, this is still a team getting some good all-around performances to start the year. Last time out for the Capitals was a tight loss to the Dallas Stars, with the team unable to score on 24 shots as Logan Thompson stopped 18 of 19, but it simply wasn’t enough as they came up short 1-0 in a thriller
Expected starting goaltender: Logan Thompson (1.44 GAA and a .939 save percentage in seven games).
New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals picksMoneyline pick for Islanders vs. Capitals Washington -1.5 (5 units)
In recent years, this Metropolitan Division rivalry has been one dominated by the Washington Capitals, with the team going 6-4 in their last 10 head-to-head matchups with the New York Islanders, including a 4-2 victory in their first meeting this season.
On top of that, the Capitals have one of the best goaltending groups in the entire NHL, and with the Islanders having just one win away from home early in 2025/26, expect the home team to pick up a big victory in this one.
Over/under pick for Islanders vs. Capitals
On paper, a goaltending matchup of Ilya Sorokin and Logan Thompson should be a great one, with the under now being 6-4 in the last 10 head-to-head encounters between these squads.
For the Islanders, the under is just 1-9 in their last 10 overall games, with three or fewer goals scored in four of their five road games this season, and for the Capitals, the under comes in at 5-3-2 in their past 10, with two or fewer goals allowed in seven of those games.
Keep it simple, take the under.
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