The Detroit Red Wings have come away with four points in the last two games they have played. It’s required extra time in both contests, and the Red Wings got lucky enough to finish off both games as wins in overtime, but they are trending in the right direction.
As Detroit Red Wings analyst Mickey Redmond mentioned during the telecast against the Sharks, stringing together some wins and starting a streak could really get things moving in the right direction. Especially if the Red Wings locker room feels they can make a postseason run.
The Red Wings picking up these three games before the All-Star Break is a way to accomplish that. With two down and two wins to their credit, the Red Wings are headed to New York for their last contest before the All-Star break.
They’ll face off against the Islanders in their second game in as many nights, hoping to pick up two more points and keep adding to their season totals. The Red Wings are (barely) staying in the mix for a Wild Card spot, and if they want to compete, these two points are necessary.
Detroit Red Wings game information and prediction vs. Islanders
The Islanders have the home-ice advantage, but things have not gone well for them as of late. They’ve slipped down in the standings and, ironically, are just one point ahead of the Red Wings in the standings through 50 games.
The Islanders have dropped their last six games and have a 1-6-3 record in their last ten games played. They are 13-9-2 on home ice in 2022-23, and the Red Wings are looking to come in and beat them.
If the Red Wings can play a lick of defense, they may be able to finish on top. But the inability to hold the lead will catch up to them. Lane Lambert, who is from the school of Barry Trotz, is going to bring a team that plays solid defense, so the Red Wings’ offense that has been firing on all cylinders has to get the job done.
That being said, let’s get into some game info…
Game: Detroit Red Wings (21-18-8) v.s. New York Islanders (23-22-5)
When: Friday, January 27th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: UBS Arena
Where to Watch: Bally Sports Detroit/ ESPN+
Odds: According to DraftKings, the New York Islanders are the favorite in this game, with a -165 payout on the Moneyline. The Detroit Red Wings are +140 on the Moneyline. Detroit is the favorite on the Puck Line, being -190 at +1.5. New York is +160 at -1.5 on the Puck Line. The over/under is set at 5.5. The over holds -120 odds, and the under is +100 at the time of writing.
Prediction: This could very much be “drinking the kool-aid,” as Detroit Lions fans would say, but I think the Red Wings are going to close out the break with three straight wins. I like the Detroit Red Wings on the Moneyline. Also, HAMMER the over. There may not be a ton of money to be made with -120 odds, but if it’s a 5.5 line, hammer it.
The keys to the Red Wings emerging victorious will come in the offensive zone. Their offense is the calling card right now; being able to put the puck in the back of the net and create good scoring chances has only helped. They could be better at finishing on scoring chances, but that has improved as of late.
If the Red Wings can get through an Islanders defense, that will likely be challenging, I like their odds. If the Red Wings’ offense struggles, it could turn into a game where they get outmatched like they did when the Minnesota Wild took it to them physically and dominated the game.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.