Islanders vs Penguins Picks and Prediction – 3/18/2025

The New York Islanders (29-28-8) are set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-31-10) on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Get in on the action with our free NHL picks.

The New York Islanders enter this matchup with a 30-28-8 record. Their recent form has been inconsistent, with a 4-5-1 record over their last ten games. Offensively, the Islanders have struggled, ranking 30th in the league with 173 goals scored this season, averaging approximately 2.5 goals per game. Their power play has been particularly ineffective, converting on only 11.73% of their opportunities, placing them last in the NHL. 

Defensively, New York has been more robust, allowing 193 goals, which is around 2.8 goals per game. They have been disciplined in their play, facing only 141 power play attempts, the fewest in the league, though they have conceded 41 goals in those situations. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been a key contributor, maintaining a save percentage close to .900, reflecting his reliability between the pipes.

The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game with a 28-31-10 record. Their recent performance has been slightly better than the Islanders, holding a 5-4-1 record over their last ten games. Offensively, the Penguins have been more productive, scoring 198 goals this season, averaging about 2.9 goals per game. Their power play has been moderately effective, operating at a 17% success rate. However, defensively, Pittsburgh has struggled significantly, allowing 231 goals, which translates to an average of 3.56 goals against per game, ranking them near the bottom of the league in this category. Pittsburgh relies on their vet, Sidney Crosby, who has posted 73 points this season.

Neither New York or Pittsburgh are blowing teams with their offense, and both sides have solid defenses. This will be a tight game between evenly matched squads and we think goals will be hard to come by. This should be a low scoring game and we like the Under. Prediction: Islanders win 2-1.