Welcome back to 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 returning home from the West Coast to take on the Los Angeles Kings. Don’t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025-26 season.

NHL Predictions: New York Islanders vs Los Angeles Kings

Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

How to Watch TV: FDSNW, MSGSN

2025–26 Season Series: Kings lead 1-0

This matchup features two out-of-conference opponents who met just over a week ago. They will meet again tonight, this time on the East Coast. In the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division, the Islanders are currently in third place. After 65 games, their record stands at 37-23-5, good for 79 points. The Kings, meanwhile, are tied for fifth place in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. 64 games into the season, they are 26-23-15, good for 67 points. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams. The Kings won the last time they met in Los Angeles. Tonight they play on the other coast, on Long Island, inside UBS Arena.

Credit Image: © Alex Cave/ZUMA Press Wire

The Islanders Story

The Islanders return home after a four-game West Coast trip where they went 2-2. Winners of the last two in a row, they bring a little momentum home with them. Their offence has been doing well recently, scoring three or more goals in five of the last seven games. They rank 22nd in the league in goals for at 2.89 per game. Mathew Barzal has been playing some of his best hockey of the season and is up to 60 points in 64 games. He has been on the scoresheet in all but one of his last 11 games, with five goals and 11 assists in that span. They also added Brayden Schenn, who has slotted into the team’s top six. He picked up an assist in his second game with the team. He will look to add scoring pop and veteran experience heading into the playoffs.

Defensivley things have been a little leaky lately. They have given up four or more goals in three of the last five games. However, on the season, they still rank fourth in the NHL with 2.79 goals against. Top defenceman Matthew Schaefer takes a three-game point streak into tonight’s game. Ilya Sorokin has been a big reason for the team’s success. He is 4-1 since the Olympic break. Overall, he is 24-14-2 with a .913 save percentage.

The King’s Story

The Kings have been going through a tough stretch recently. They have lost seven out of their last 10 games. However, one of their wins in that time came against the Islanders. The offence has been a reason for the struggles. In six of the last 10 games, they have scored two goals or fewer. On the season, they rank 29th in goals for per game at 2.58. Adrian Kempe leads the way for the team with 56 points in 64 games. Newly acquired Artemi Panarin has provided good production for his new team; he has five points in his last six games.

Defensivley things are a little better, ranking top 10 in goals against per game. They rank ninth in 2.91 goals per game. Over the last few games, they have allowed four or more goals in three of the last five games. They have the 28th-ranked penalty kill at 75.7% kill rate, which won’t help matters. They have gotten spotty goaltending from their tandem, Darcy Kuemper, who has one win over his last five outings. He is 15-13-10 .897 save percentage. It will either be him or Anton Fosberg with the Kings on the first of a back-to-back.  He is 11-9-5 with a .903 save percentage. However, he has allowed four or more goals in four of his last seven outings.

Prediction

Coming into this game, these teams are both fighting for playoff spots in their conferences. However, they have been trending in different directions with their play. The Islanders hold the advantages over the Kings in offence, defence and goaltending. They also hold the home ice advantage, and after a long trip, expect the crowd to have some extra juice. We believe these advantages will lead to the home fans going home happy.

Prediction: Islanders win 4-2 

Prop Bets

Popular sports books have the Islanders as the favourites at -142 on the moneyline. We would take that bet considering the prediction. The over/under is set at 5.5. With the Islanders’ good offensive play recently and the Kings’ suspect goaltending, we would take the over. As far as any-time goal scorers, for the Islanders, we would take Mathew Barzal at +210. He is the hottest player on the team currently, and we expect him to keep it rolling. For the Kings, we would take Artemi Panarin at +195. He is one of his team’s top player and as a former New York Ranger, he always scored against the Islanders.

Main Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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