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New York Islanders @ Washington
2* Washington -140
These two Eastern Conference foes both made the playoffs last year, although New York needed some help to squeak in. Washington was last seen losing four straight to Tampa. Not to be outdone, the Isles lost four straight to Ottawa, getting outscored 13-4 on their way out the door. Now the Isles come back with a new head coach, Steve Stirling, who implements a Minnesota-style trap scheme. They immediately embark on a 7-0-0 preseason campaign that sees them allow just 1.14 goals per game. Just an illusion? Probably. Goalie Rick DiPietro, had an impressive preseason, although he had never shown much in 30 previous NHL games. He will split time with vet Garth Snow, who gets the call tonight. Snow has a career .902 save percentage, with 2.74 goals allowed on average. He took a 3-0 loss last year in his only career start against the Caps. At the other end of the ice, Olaf Kolzig is coming off a solid year with a .919 SP that jumped to .927 in the playoffs. He could have carried the Caps to the semis if their own scoring hadn't dried up. In four games versus the Isles last season, Olie stopped 104 of 109 shots for a .954 SP. He shouldn't have it too hard facing the Isles' top line tonight. The overrated Alexi Yashin (-74 career) is coming off his worst year, connecting on just 9.5% of his shots, for 26 goals in 81 games. Linemate Oleg Kvasha is a long-time underachiever, scoring on just 8.7% of his career shots. Although Washington's top line saw a very slight dip in production last year, they appear to be more likely to rebound. Jaromir Jagr (+212 career) didn't appear superhuman, but did provide moments of brilliance, especially at home. In fact, 52 of his 77 points came at home. He also tallied 7 points in 4 games against the Isles. If Jagr and the Caps can get to Garth Snow early, they will look to go in for the kill. If they can stretch the lead, the trap will go out the window, along with the Isles' preseason record. The Caps were 24-15-2 at home in the regular season last year, while the Isles were 17-18-6 on the road. Washington has dominated this matchup like no other, going 23-1-3 in the last 27 meetings with the Isles. The Caps are 12-0-2 in their last 14 as the home team in the series. The home opener is the perfect scenario to extend that impressive run.
New York Islanders @ Washington
2* Washington -140
These two Eastern Conference foes both made the playoffs last year, although New York needed some help to squeak in. Washington was last seen losing four straight to Tampa. Not to be outdone, the Isles lost four straight to Ottawa, getting outscored 13-4 on their way out the door. Now the Isles come back with a new head coach, Steve Stirling, who implements a Minnesota-style trap scheme. They immediately embark on a 7-0-0 preseason campaign that sees them allow just 1.14 goals per game. Just an illusion? Probably. Goalie Rick DiPietro, had an impressive preseason, although he had never shown much in 30 previous NHL games. He will split time with vet Garth Snow, who gets the call tonight. Snow has a career .902 save percentage, with 2.74 goals allowed on average. He took a 3-0 loss last year in his only career start against the Caps. At the other end of the ice, Olaf Kolzig is coming off a solid year with a .919 SP that jumped to .927 in the playoffs. He could have carried the Caps to the semis if their own scoring hadn't dried up. In four games versus the Isles last season, Olie stopped 104 of 109 shots for a .954 SP. He shouldn't have it too hard facing the Isles' top line tonight. The overrated Alexi Yashin (-74 career) is coming off his worst year, connecting on just 9.5% of his shots, for 26 goals in 81 games. Linemate Oleg Kvasha is a long-time underachiever, scoring on just 8.7% of his career shots. Although Washington's top line saw a very slight dip in production last year, they appear to be more likely to rebound. Jaromir Jagr (+212 career) didn't appear superhuman, but did provide moments of brilliance, especially at home. In fact, 52 of his 77 points came at home. He also tallied 7 points in 4 games against the Isles. If Jagr and the Caps can get to Garth Snow early, they will look to go in for the kill. If they can stretch the lead, the trap will go out the window, along with the Isles' preseason record. The Caps were 24-15-2 at home in the regular season last year, while the Isles were 17-18-6 on the road. Washington has dominated this matchup like no other, going 23-1-3 in the last 27 meetings with the Isles. The Caps are 12-0-2 in their last 14 as the home team in the series. The home opener is the perfect scenario to extend that impressive run.