New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, Preview and Odds - 04/04/2026

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Saturday, April 4, 2026

Venue:  Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC 

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Islanders +190, Hurricanes -230; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Islanders +190, Hurricanes -230; Over/Under:  6 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Islanders +190, Hurricanes -250; Over/Under:  6 goals

New York Islanders:  42-29-5 (3rd place, Metropolitan Division)

Carolina Hurricanes:  48-21-6 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)

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New York Islanders:  5-5-0 last 10

Carolina Hurricanes:  7-3-0 last 10

The Islanders are entering this game with 89 points, a 42-29-5 record overall, and they are 21-16-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Buffalo Sabres in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-3, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Philadelphia Flyers still to be played on Friday night. In their game against the Sabres, Brayden Schenn, Anders Lee, and Calum Ritchie each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Bo Horvat led the team in assists with 3 while Matthew Schaefer led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Ilya Sorokin was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 32 shots with 29 saves and a .906 save percentage. Their offense has scored 222 goals this season averaging 2.9 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 221 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.

The Hurricanes are entering this game with 102 points, a 48-21-6 record overall, and they are 27-10-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Columbus Blue Jackets in their last game, winning that one at home 5-1. Logan Stankoven led the team in goals scored with 2 while Alexander Nikishin, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jordan Martinook each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall each led the team in assists with 2 while Sean Walker led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Frederik Andersen was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 10 shots with 9 saves and a .900 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 268 goals this season averaging 3.6 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 219 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Hurricanes listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Hurricanes have looked great in their games this season with their 48-21-6 record overall which has them right at the top of their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have looked great on home ice too with their 27-10-2 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Islanders have looked good in their games this season with their 42-29-5 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They have been a good road team too with their 21-16-3 road record this year. The Islanders have been a solid team in the East this season, but lately they haven't looked great. They are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games and still fighting to secure their playoff spot with the pressure on. They have lost 2 games in a row now as they are cooling off at the wrong time and they aren't in a good situation here either. They are playing this game on a back-to-back and they have a really important game in the Wild Card race the night before with a game against the Flyers. They might not have their best effort here after that really important game and the Hurricanes have been rolling lately too. The Hurricanes are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and they have won 2 games in a row now. They are off a 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets in their last one and that win made them the first team in the East to clinch a playoff spot, but they are still playing for the number 1 seed in the East so don't expect them to slow down. They also have one of the best home records in the NHL this season and have over the last few years, so look for the Hurricanes to take advantage of the Islanders in a bad situation. The best way to place a bet here is on the Hurricanes to win this game and on the puckline. 

Islanders Hurricanes Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Saturday, April 4, 2026 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Hurricanes 4 Islanders 1.

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New York Islanders: 60-55 (+23.1 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 to +200. 58-56 (+13.6 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a winning record. 53-49 (+10.8 units) on the moneyline against good offensive teams - averaging 29.5+ shots on goal per game. 19-9 UNDER in a road game where the total is 6 or more.

Carolina Hurricanes: 162-103 (-10.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 36-27 (-10 units) on the moneyline after allowing 1 goal or less in their previous game. 91-70 (-30 units) on the moneyline off a win in their previous game. 16-7 UNDER after a blowout win by 4 goals or more.

New York Islanders:  S. Holmstrom (RW) Day To Day - Upper Body. T. DeAngelo (D) Out - Lower Body. A. Romanov (D) Out - Shoulder. P. Engvall (LW) Out For Season - Ankle. S. Varlamov (G) Out For Season - Knee. K. Palmieri (C) Out For Season - Knee.

Carolina Hurricanes:  P. Kochetkov (G) Out - Hip.

“Last game we gave up eight goals, so, I mean, you want to make sure you play well defensively, and our tracking was outstanding. I thought we did a good job, and we played a tight playoff hockey game, and it was a hard-fought game. I thought both teams had some good looks, and both teams played well defensively.” - Patrick Roy after his team’s loss against the Sabres in their game on Tuesday. 

“It’s a huge accomplishment. It gets watered down because from the start of training camp, everyone is talking about the playoffs. I know how hard it is to accomplish that. You have to be good for six months. It's not our goal, we all know that. It’s nobody’s goal, but you can’t get to that next phase if you don’t play well for six months. Those two months (of playoffs) are the most important we’re going to get to play in, but you have to get there.” - Rod Brind’Amour after his team’s win against the Blue Jackets in their game on Thursday. 

LW Anders Lee

C Bo Horvat

RW Emil Heineman

LD Matthew Schaefer

RD Ryan Pulock

G Ilya Sorokin

LW Andrei Svechnikov

C Sebastian Aho

RW Seth Jarvis

LD Jaccob Slavin

RD Jalen Chatfield

G Frederik Andersen

Points: Mathew Barzal (68)

Goals: Bo Horvat (30)

Assists: Mathew Barzal (49)

GAA: Ilya Sorokin (2.59)

Points: Sebastian Aho (77)

Goals: Seth Jarvis (30)

Assists: Sebastian Aho (52)

GAA: Brandon Bussi (2.44)

Coaches:

New York Islanders: Patrick Roy (3rd season)

Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour (8th season)