Islanders vs. Red Wings: Betting odds, lineups, Time to fix everything

According to captain Anders Lee, tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings is the perfect night to fix everything. Is it?

The New York Islanders are back on familiar ground as they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to the Coliseum as they retire John Tonelli‘s number 27 to the rafters. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Islanders to get a much-needed win and feel good about themselves again. But can it fix everything?

That’s a big ask. But captain Anders Lee seems to think so.

The Islanders have a number of issues they need to fix. They haven’t won in their last four games. They’ve only scored two goals over that stretch and now sit 23rd in goals-for in the league. Their power play has only scored a single goal in 15 attempts. And simple mistakes are costing them games and points.

While the Isles can get a win, score a few goals, maybe even get one on the power play that won’t ‘fix’ the issues. To do all of that the Islanders are going to need a better effort from everyone in the lineup.

The Season Series

This is the last time these two teams meet in the 2019-20 season. So far the Islanders are 2-0 with a +9  goal differential. If the Islanders need a game to feel good about themselves this should be the one.

Tale of the Tape

You already knew this, but the New York Islanders are, in every way, a better team than the Detroit Red Wings. Even offensively. The Red Wings score barely two goals-for per game on average. They’ve already been shut out seven times this season.

Betting Odds

The Islanders are overwhelming favorites tonight with the money line opening at -360 for the Islanders thanks to the Action Network. If you think Detroit will pull off the upset the money line is +260 at the time of writing.

It’s hard to see the Isles dropping this one. On John Tonelli’s night and needing an answer while facing the absolute worst team in the NHL (by some distance) the Isles should come away with the win.

Players to Watch

Anders Lee

The captain hasn’t put up much production of late. Over his last five games, Lee has a single point to his name. The former 40 goal scorer is on pace to end the season with 25 goals. That would be his lowest return sine 2015-16 when he scored 15 goals.

He’s been finding the net a lot over his last four games with 21 shots on goal. But he hasn’t been able to find the back of the net. Against the Red Wings, he’ll have his best opportunity yet.

Lee believes that today is the best day to fix what is ailing the team. That starts with him. He needs to start fixing things on his end before he can address team-wide issues.

Andreas Athanasiou

Andreas Athanasiou is clearly in the shop window. But with 24 points in 45 games and five points in his last ten games, he’s not really making himself out to be a great target for most teams.

With three days until the trade deadline closes, if Athanasiou wants to move to a contender or at least a competitive team, he’ll have to show he can produce and be a factor for teams looking to move towards championship or challenge for a spot at the top of the NHL.