Islanders vs Blue Jackets Picks and Prediction – 10/30/2024

The New York Islanders travel to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 30, 2024, at Nationwide Arena, looking to build on their recent success against the Jackets. Get in on all the action with our free NHL picks.

The Islanders are currently 3-3-2 and have found offensive leadership from Mathew Barzal, who has 4 points season, and Bo Horvat, who has been reliable both in goal-scoring and playmaking. Defensively, Noah Dobson has been a standout, leading the team in points among defensemen and maintaining a career-high average ice time. The Islanders have shown a disciplined penalty kill, successfully fending off 87% of opponent power plays, a critical skill against Columbus’s power forwards.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, sitting at 4-3-1, will aim to counter New York’s momentum by leveraging their top talents. Kirill Marchenko leads Columbus’s offense with seven assists in the young season, while Sean Monahan has been effective on the scoring front with a team-high five goals. On defense, Zach Werenski’s return from injury has bolstered the blue line, while goalie Elvis Merzļikins, with a .900 save percentage, has been a stabilizing force in net. Columbus has leaned on Merzļikins and will look to him to stifle the Islanders’ top scorers​.

The Islanders’ balanced scoring and defensive structure give them a slight edge over a Columbus team without any star offensive players. A close game is likely. Prediction: We like the dynamic New York Islanders to pull ahead in a win, relying on Barzal and Horvat to find scoring chances against Merzļikins 4-3.