The Islanders twice took the lead in San Jose and still left without a win. The Kings put 30 shots on Nashville’s net and never scored. That sets up the question for this matchup: who can turn pressure into goals without giving the other team an easy way back? New York brings a four-game winless streak; Los Angeles brings consecutive losses and an offense that’s gone quiet since a seven-goal breakout.
Islanders: Getting ahead hasn’t been enough
New York’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Sharks had encouraging moments. Simon Holmstrom found Ben Hutton for the opening goal, and Victor Eklund restored the lead on the power play in the second period. Neither advantage lasted. San Jose answered with a redirection and then a shot that deflected off Adam Pelech, reminders that getting bodies and pucks around the net can undo otherwise useful defensive work.
The Islanders’ last four games have included nine goals scored and 17 allowed on the final scoreboards. Their four-goal effort against New Jersey still ended in defeat, while Edmonton shut them out. They need more than an offensive bounce: keeping Los Angeles from extending possessions and getting repeat attempts matters just as much as finding a third goal themselves.
If Ilya Sorokin starts, he brings a heavy recent workload into that challenge. His last five completed appearances include 179 shots faced and an .894 save percentage, with 50 shots against New Jersey alone. He can keep New York competitive, but asking him to absorb another barrage would give the Kings too many chances to wake up.
Kings: The shots need a better finish
Los Angeles’ 3-0 loss to Nashville wasn’t simply a night without attempts. Juuse Saros stopped 30 shots, including 13 in the third period. The Kings found more volume late, but by then they were chasing. A Brian Dumoulin blue-line turnover helped create Nashville’s opener, so cleaner puck management is part of the offensive fix: fewer mistakes would let Los Angeles attack without constantly needing to recover.
The Kings scored seven against San Jose, then managed two against Pittsburgh and none against Nashville. That leaves room for a rebound, but it’s hard to treat the seven-goal night as their settled level. Against New York, the useful sign would be sustained pressure before they fall behind—not another late push against a team protecting its lead.
Drew Doughty’s lower-body issue adds uncertainty. He’s listed as day-to-day, not ruled out. Whether he’s available changes the personnel Los Angeles can use on defense; it doesn’t justify assuming a particular replacement or workload. Watch how cleanly the Kings move the puck out of their own zone, especially when New York pressures the first pass.
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Moneyline: What earns the Kings their favorite’s price?
The DraftKings moneyline has Los Angeles at -125 and New York at +105. For the Kings’ price to appeal, you’d want to trust that their late pressure against Nashville carries into a more complete performance—and that their puck management improves. Consecutive losses with two combined goals make that a meaningful ask, rather than a routine home-favorite spot.
New York’s case at the underdog price is that Los Angeles hasn’t shown consistent finishing, while the Islanders just produced both an even-strength goal and a power-play goal in San Jose. The reason to hesitate is equally concrete: New York couldn’t protect either lead. Our shot projections are close—27.1 for the Islanders and 27.9 for the Kings, so we don’t see a large volume advantage that makes either moneyline an easy call.
Total: A quiet offense isn’t the whole story at 5.5
The 5.5-goal total asks a different question: will modest shot volume keep the scoring down, or will the goalies and defensive mistakes leave room for six? Our shot outlook supports a relatively contained game. Los Angeles’ recent finishing struggles also give the lower-scoring case substance, rather than leaving it dependent on the latest shutout alone.
The counterweight is in net. Across their last five completed appearances this regular season, Sorokin has an .894 save percentage and Darcy Kuemper an .887 mark. Neither is assured to start. If both do, their recent results leave less room to assume routine saves will hold the scoring down. Kuemper also stopped 41 of 43 shots against New York in October, showing how much one strong performance can change this matchup. The total’s appeal depends on whether you expect controlled possessions and clean saves, or the deflections, turnovers and second chances that have hurt these teams lately.
Watch the next play after the first shot
We’ll be watching whether New York clears the puck after Sorokin makes a save and whether Los Angeles can keep attacking without handing back a turnover. Those sequences should tell us more than an early shot-count lead. Visit the NHL betting board to compare this matchup’s moneyline and total with the rest of the slate as goalie and Doughty updates arrive.
Odds and projections are snapshots and can change. Wagering involves risk.
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