Penguins vs Islanders Game 4 Odds, Lines and Best Bets
- Oddsmakers are viewing Game 4 of the Stanley Cup East Division semifinal series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders on Saturday, May 22nd as a toss up
- Both clubs are being given -108 odds in the moneyline
- The Isles are 4-1 straight up against the Pens in Game 4 of playoff series between the two teams
This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs first round series between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins is following a familiar pattern that’s been witnessed in past series between the two teams. Whether it’s a game or a series, when the Isles and Pens meet, no lead is safe.
The lead changed hands four times in Game 1 as the Islanders won 4-3. In Game 3, the Penguins raced to a 3-1 lead and then hung on to win 5-4.
No wonder then that oddsmakers are at a loss when it comes to picking a favorite for Game 4 of this series on Saturday, May 22nd. Both the Isles and Pens are being offered at odds of -108 in the moneyline. All three games thus far have ended in one-goal verdicts. Overall, these teams are 3-8 against the spread when facing each other this season.
Islanders vs Penguins Game 4 Odds
| Player | Moneyline | Spread at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -108 | +1.5 (-335) | O 5.5 (+115) |
| New York Islanders | -108 | -1.5 (+245) | U 5.5 (-139) |
Odds as of May 21st
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The puck is slated to drop at 3 pm ET at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. You can catch all the action on NBC.
Goalie Switch For Isles?
That old theory about not changing a winning lineup was thrown out the window by Islanders coach Barry Trotz following their Game 1 victory. He benched winning goalie Ilya Sorokin in favor of veteran #1 Semyon Varlamov.
Varlamov missed Game 1 through injury. In the past two games, Varlamov has also missed plenty of pucks. In Game 2, Varlamov flubbed on a floater from Bryan Rust. Evidently, he hadn’t shaken off the rust from his injury layoff. The Pens whipped five pucks past Varlamov in Game 3.
Semyon Varlamov, beaten glove-side with harmless shots thrown on net by Bryan Rust and Ruslan Fedotenko, in playoff games over 12 years apart. pic.twitter.com/OsIn6FE0ZF
— Mike Darnay (@MikeDarnay) May 19, 2021
This isn’t a developing trend when Varlamov faces Pittsburgh. It’s been an ongoing trend throughout 2021. The regular season saw Varlamov posting an .897 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average in seven appearances against the Pens.
Sorokin, the first Isles rookie goalie to start a playoff game since Chico Resch in 1975, is 2-1 when facing the Penguins this season. That includes a 20-save, 2-0 shutout on February 28th. Overall, his regular-season numbers (.862 save percentage and 2.78 GAA) against Pittsburgh weren’t much better, though.
Islanders vs Penguins Series Odds
| Team | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| New York Islanders | +235 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | -305 |
Geno Returns
Game 3 marked the return of Evgeni Malkin to the Penguins lineup. He sat out the first two games of the series with an undisclosed injury. His presence represents even more matchup problems for the Islanders to deal with going forward.
Malkin dished out two assists playing on the second line with Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen. Malkin has 3-13-16 totals in 11 career playoff games against the Islanders, more than any active NHL player.
Coach Sullivan on playing Carter in the center position: "We were intrigued by moving him into the middle… He's a real smart player. [Having him at center] helps us with our size, strength, depth, and give us more versatility up and down the lineup."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 21, 2021
His return also slid trade-deadline addition Jeff Carter back to the third line with Jared McCann and Frederick Gaudreau. Carter scored two goals in Game 3 and has three goals in the series.
Forward Evan Rodrigues was the odd man out after playing the first two games.
Trendspotting
While the Penguins are getting production from their big guns, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle have tallied once between them. They were responsible for 50 regular-season goals, ranking 1-2-3 on the team in goals. Nelson and Barzal led the Isles with three goals each against Pittsburgh during the regular season.
The Isles are 5-2 in the playoffs against Pittsburgh with Trotz as coach. That includes a 2-1 mark on Long Island. Game 3 was a feisty affair that featured 32 penalty minutes in the third period. With players like Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin and Leo Komarov, that type of hockey favors the Isles.
Back at it.#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/DBSkupUsTw
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 21, 2021
Overall, Pittsburgh has won 10 of its last 14 games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is 7-2 when facing the Isles this season.
Game 3 marked the 50th multi-point game for Malkin in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 road games. The total has gone over in 10 of the Penguins’ last 12 away games.
Pick: New York Islanders (-108)
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An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
