Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders Prediction 3/28/2026 Today’s NHL Picks

The Florida Panthers and New York Islanders meet Saturday in NHL action at the UBS Arena. Here’s a Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders Prediction. This article will include a Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders Pick.

Florida Panthers Betting Preview

The Florida Panthers lost to the Wild, beat the Kraken, and play the Rangers next. The Panthers have lost 4 of their last 6 games.

The Florida Panthers are averaging 2.93 goals per game and are scoring on 19.5 percent of their power-play opportunities. Sam Reinhart leads Florida with 29 goals, Carter Verhaeghe has 29 assists, and Sam Bennett has 180 shots on goal. Defensively, the Florida Panthers are allowing 3.31 goals per game and are killing 81.7 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed 141 goals on 1,156 shots faced, while Daniil Tarasov has given up 73 goals on 720 shots.

New York Islanders Betting Preview

The New York Islanders lost to the Blackhawks, beat the Stars, and play the Penguins next. The Islanders have split their last 8 games.

The New York Islanders are averaging 2.84 goals per game and are scoring 16.2 percent of their power play opportunities. Bo Horvat leads New York with 30 goals, Mathew Barzal has 47 assists and Matthew Schaefer has 190 shots on goal. Defensively, the New York Islanders are allowing 2.77 goals per game and are killing 81.4 percent of their opponent’s power plays. David Rittich has allowed 73 goals on 696 shots faced, and Ilya Sorokin has given up 115 goals on 1,334 shots.

Why the New York Islanders will win

• The home team has won each of the last four games between the Panthers and Islanders.
• The Panthers have lost six of their last seven day games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Panthers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last seven games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Islanders have covered the puck line in eight of their last nine games against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Islanders have won the second period in each of their last four games against Eastern Conference opponents when trailing after the first period.

Why the Florida Panthers will win

• The Panthers have won each of their last eight games as road underdogs following a loss.
• The Islanders have lost seven of their last eight day games.
• The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the Islanders’ last eight games at UBS Arena.
• The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in 18 of their last 21 games as favorites against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Islanders have lost the second period in each of their last four day games at UBS Arena.

Total Goals Facts

• Six of the Islanders’ last seven games at UBS Arena following a win have gone OVER the total goals line.
• Six of the Panthers’ last seven day games against Metropolitan Division opponents have gone OVER the total goals line.
• The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Islanders’ last seven games as home favorites.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Panthers’ last nine road games against Metropolitan Division opponents.

New York Islanders Player Prop Facts

• Matthew Schaefer has recorded an assist in five of the Islanders’ last six games as favorites.
• Kyle Palmieri has scored a goal in four of his last five appearances with his team as a favorite against the Panthers.
• Matthew Schaefer has recorded four points against the Panthers this season—most against any opponent.

Florida Panthers Player Prop Facts

• Matthew Tkachuk has recorded at least one assist in five of his last six road appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• Sam Reinhart has scored a goal in each of the Panthers’ last five games against the Islanders.
• Carter Verhaeghe has recorded two blocks against the Islanders this season—equal to the most against any opponent.

Matchup/League Facts

• The New York Islanders have recorded the most wins when trailing after Period 1 this season (11).
• The New York Islanders have recorded the most wins when tied or trailing after Period 2 this season (21).
• The Florida Panthers rank 32nd in the league for Period 3 goals allowed per game this season (1.35).
• The Florida Panthers rank 3rd in the league in penalty minutes this season (822).

Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders Prediction

The Panthers continue to compete even though it doesn’t beneifit them but the bottom line is they have nothing to play for at this point. It’s the opposite for the Islanders who need points to get into the playoffs. We’re entering must-win territory for the Islanders. Early start times, which usually favor the home team, the Islanders, can’t afford to blow a game like this. It’s that simple. Just because a team needs to win doesn’t mean they will. Still, I’ll side with the Islanders on Saturday afternoon.

Randy Chambers's Pick: New York Islanders