New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals: Odds, Puck Line, and Total
The New York Islanders will meet the Washington Capitals for the second time in the fresh season on Friday night, this time visiting Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps inside Capital…
The New York Islanders will meet the Washington Capitals for the second time in the fresh season on Friday night, this time visiting Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps inside Capital One Arena at 7 p.m. EST. Washington defeated New York 4-2 in the previous contest in Elmont on Oct. 11.
The National Hockey League does not have a full slate of offerings on Halloween, spooky or otherwise. The afternoon game and the nightcap make strange bedfellows, a familiar Vegas-Colorado matchup and an out-of-conference Anaheim versus Detroit meeting later on. New York will cheer for the Islanders in prime time, although the Isles' rotten goals-against mark could make that cheering into a challenge.
Washington's ragged itinerary has impacted the Capitals' early momentum. The Capitals won five out of six games in mid-October before returning from a contest in Columbus to face Ottawa at home the next night, a skate that the Senators won 7-1 and which included an awful performance for DC's netminder Charlie Lindgren. The Capitals then went on the road again, falling 1-0 to the Stars. Belorussian centerman Aliaksei Protas is sensational, but Ovechkin has only two goals for the 6-4-0 Capitals.
Spread
- Islanders +1.5 (-127)
- Capitals -1.5 (+115)
Money line
- Islanders +198
- Capitals -212
Total
- Over 6 (-105)
- Under 6 (-107)
Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 31, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals Betting Trends
- Washington has beaten New York in five of the last seven meetings.
- The New York Islanders have lost three of their last four games in DC.
- The Washington Capitals have lost two of their last three home games.
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals Injury Reports
New York Islanders
- Right winger Maxim Shabanov is out with an undisclosed injury.
- Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is on the injured reserve with a knee injury.
- Defenseman Ethan Bear is on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.
- Left winger Pierre Engvall is on the injured reserve with a hip injury.
Washington Capitals
- Center Dylan Strome is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- Center Ethen Frank is on the injured reserve with a lower body injury.
- Defenseman Rasmus Sandin is on the injured reserve with an upper body injury.
New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals Predictions and Picks
The Islanders' unsuccessful road trip has cut the club down to size again, just when a stint of mostly home games had helped New York put a winning streak together. There was a marked contrast between New York's 7-2 triumph over Detroit on Oct. 23, which included a surprise two-goal flourish from forward Emil Heineman, and the first three games of a four-game trip on which the Isles have been outscored 17-7.
Washington doesn't share New York's goaltending conundrum. Capitals starter Logan Thompson is faring so well as to make Lindgren's occasional struggles into a minor nuisance. Meanwhile, Goaltender Ilya Sorokin is still mired in the shakiest form of his NHL career. CBS Sports reports that "Sorokin will get the nod for Friday's road matchup versus the Capitals." But fans are already calling for David Rittich to step in on an enhanced basis. Notably, it was Rittich who closed the door on the Red Wings in last week's blowout Isles win.
It's the finale of the Islanders' bad trip, and the Capitals' icon of a sniper is still trolling and looking to get hot. Washington is a great pick to cover (-1.5) goals against a New York lineup that's all out of candy.
