Sunday evening, National Hockey League action, and we have a Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders Prediction ready to rock and roll. Columbus comes in off a 3-2 home win over St Louis to move to 7-4 on the year. The Islanders come in at 5-6 on the year and a off a 3-1 road win over Washington. Read on to see our Blue Jackets vs Islanders prediction.
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Jackets Hold Off The Blues
Columbus has quietly put together one of the steadier starts in the Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s 3-2 win over St. Louis was another example of how this group is learning to close out tight games. Charlie Coyle opened the scoring, Zach Werenski added a blast from the point, and Sean Monahan buried the game-winner on the power play midway through the third. Elvis Merzlikins wasn’t overly busy, but he came up with 27 saves and a couple of key stops late to preserve the win. That result gave the Jackets their fourth straight victory and pushed them to 7-4 on the year, a strong response after a rocky opening week.
The offense has been balanced, which is a big reason for the turnaround. Werenski has been driving play from the back end, already with four goals and six assists, while Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov have chipped in timely scoring. Coyle has fit in seamlessly as a veteran presence down the middle, and Cole Sillinger continues to show growth in his all-around game. Columbus isn’t blowing teams out, but they’re finding ways to score in different situations—whether it’s even strength, on the power play, or in transition. That versatility has made them a tougher out than in recent seasons.
Defensively, the Jackets have tightened up considerably. They’ve allowed just 33 goals through 11 games, ranking them in the top third of the league in goals against. Merzlikins has been steady, and the blue line has been more structured with Werenski and Ivan Provorov logging heavy minutes. The penalty kill has been a bit shaky at times, but when they stay disciplined, Columbus has shown they can dictate pace and frustrate opponents. Heading into UBS Arena, they’ll look to keep that defensive structure intact against an Islanders team that thrives on grinding games down.
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Terms & Conditions A Big Road Win Over The Capitals
The Islanders snapped a three-game skid on Friday night with a much-needed 3-1 win in Washington. It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the kind of performance they needed. Ilya Sorokin was sharp, stopping 22 of 23 shots, and the penalty kill came up huge with a shorthanded goal from Jean-Gabriel Pageau to swing momentum. Bo Horvat added the go-ahead tally in the third, and Mathew Barzal sealed it with an empty-netter. After giving up 15 goals in their previous three losses, the Islanders finally looked like themselves again—structured, opportunistic, and leaning on Sorokin to steady the ship.
Offensively, New York is still trying to find consistency. Horvat has been their most reliable scorer with seven goals already, while Barzal continues to create chances even if the finishing touch hasn’t always been there. Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri have chipped in, but the power play has been a sore spot, converting on just 14% of its chances. The addition of Emil Heineman has given them some speed on the wing, and Pageau’s short-handed effort against Washington was a reminder of how dangerous their bottom six can be when they’re engaged. If the Isles can get more secondary scoring, they’ll be a tougher matchup night to night.
Defensively, the Islanders are still a work in progress. They’ve allowed 39 goals through 11 games, which is higher than they’d like, and lapses in coverage have been costly. That said, Sorokin remains one of the league’s best goaltenders, and when he’s locked in, he can erase a lot of mistakes. The penalty kill has been solid, and their physical style still makes them difficult to play against. Hosting Columbus, the Islanders will try to build on Friday’s win by tightening up in their own zone and leaning on their veterans to set the tone.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders PickBlue Jackets vs Islanders Moneyline Pick
Columbus +116 (4 Units)
Taking Columbus at +116 has real appeal given the way they’ve been playing lately. The Blue Jackets have strung together four straight wins, and what stands out is how balanced they’ve been in those victories. Zach Werenski is driving offense from the blue line, Sean Monahan has given them a reliable presence on special teams, and Elvis Merzlikins has been steady in net, keeping them in games even when the shot totals tilt the other way. They’re not relying on one star to carry them, which makes them harder to game-plan against, and that kind of depth is exactly what you want when backing an underdog on the road.
The Islanders, meanwhile, are still trying to find their footing. They snapped a losing streak with a win in Washington, but their offense has been inconsistent and the power play remains a problem. Even with Ilya Sorokin capable of stealing games, New York has been giving up too many quality looks, and Columbus has shown they can capitalize on those breakdowns. With the Jackets playing confident, structured hockey and finding ways to win tight games, the plus money price feels like solid value in a matchup where momentum is clearly on their side.
Blue Jackets vs Islanders Over/Under Pick
The over 6.5 makes sense here because both Columbus and the Islanders have shown defensive lapses while still generating steady offense. The Blue Jackets have been getting balanced scoring from multiple lines, and their power play has started to click with Werenski and Monahan driving production. On the other side, New York has struggled to keep pucks out of their net, allowing nearly four goals per game during their recent skid, but they still have enough firepower with Horvat, Barzal, and Palmieri to push the pace. With both teams capable of capitalizing on breakdowns and neither defense looking airtight, this matchup has the ingredients for a higher-scoring game that clears the number.