Welcome back to another NHL Prediction here at Last Word On Hockey! Everyday, we provide analysis, insights, and predictions for every NHL game. Tonight, the St. Louis Blues bring their Calder Trophy hopeful, Jimmy Snuggerud, to Long Island to take on the current favourite, Matthew Schaefer, and his New York Islanders.
NHL Predictions St. Louis Blues vs New York Islanders
Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, MSG Sports Network
2024-2025 Season Series: Blues 1-1-0
2025-2026 Season Series: first meeting
It has been almost one exact calendar year since the St. Louis Blues and the New York Islanders played each other in a game of NHL hockey. They last met on November 23rd, 2024 at UBS Arena, which saw a 3-1 Islanders win.
This time around, both teams have a new face in the lineup. The Blues arrive, bringing one of the quiet, unsung rookies of the year, thus far, in Jimmy Snuggerud. He currently sits at third in scoring on the Blues roster with 11 points, and just two points behind his linemate and probable Team Canada forward Robert Thomas for the team lead. In the entire NHL, Snuggerud is only four points back for rookie scoring total. But who is he trailing?
The answer is simple, Matthew Schaefer of these very New York Islanders. Schaefer entered this year as the odds-on favourite to win the Calder Trophy (the NHL award given to the rookie of the year). Right now, he currently has 15 points and sits in third for Islanders scoring.
For those wondering, Schaefer was given- 240 odds, the best of everyone, to win the Calder Trophy at the start of the year. Jimmy Snuggerud’s name was not even on the list. Yet, here we are at the quarter mark of the season and Mr. Snuggerud is keeping pace. The last (and only) Blues player to ever win the Calder Trophy was Barret Jackman in the 2002-2003 season.
Another Overtime Loss for St. Louis
The Blues roll into Long Island with two out of a possible four points on their current road trip. They are coming off of another overtime/shootout loss Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. St. Louis blew a two goal lead (something they also did twice against the Flyers last week), then surrendered the game winner near the end of overtime. The Blues are now 2-1-4 in their last seven games.
Coach Jim Montgomery likes the way the Blues are playing for the most part. One or two missed chances have led to the puck behind Blues goaltenders too often. Binnington and Hofer have both been much better in the month of November, especially compared to the start of the season. If the team in front of them can clean up their play, the Blues would probably be sitting much closer to a playoff spot, if not in one already.
The eyes of many managers around the league were focused on Pavel Buchnevich and Brayden Schenn. Buchnevich played a very strong game. His name won’t be found on the score sheet, but it is not for a lack of trying. He had multiple chances, his feet were moving, and it looked like he got the message. Brayden Schenn meanwhile, was the culprit of poor puck management and positioning, which led directly to the game winning 2-0 break for Philadelphia in overtime.
Islanders on the Coast
Meanwhile, The Islanders are coming off of a highly convincing 5-0 shutout of the Detroit Red Wings. This is also their sixth win in the last seven games. The Isles took a two-goal lead after the first period and never looked back. Another of New York’s youngsters took over the game, and it was not Matthew Schaefer.
This time, Max Shabanov had a career night. In nine games, Shabanov has three goals and two of them came Thursday night against the Wings. Casey Cizikas added a helper on both of Shabanov’s as well. In net, we saw glimpses of the Ilya Sorokin of old. He stopped all 29 of Detroit’s shots and earned his second shutout of the season.
The Islanders look… good. It is difficult to say if they are contenders yet, especially in the log jam of teams that is the Metropolitan Division. It is probably safe to say that many people did not have them sitting just two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Prediction:
These are two teams that seem to be trending in the complete and total opposite directions. The Islanders have played themselves into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference. The Blues… have been treading water near the bottom of the west.
Dylan Holloway’s play of late for the Blues could be a good sign that things are starting to turn around for him. Jake Neighbours also returned from injury Thursday night in Philly, adding an assist to one of two Justin Faulk goals.
Bo Horvat leads the Islanders in points with 25, which is four more than the amount of games he has played. Another key to the Islanders success is their consistency. It doesn’t get much more consistent than Mathew Barzal. In ten years with the Islanders, he has averaged 71 points a year, and they feel he still has quite a bit to give.
Prediction: Islanders win 4-1.
Prop Bets:
Draft Kings has the over/under set at 6.5 goals. With a predicted 4-1 Islanders win, we are taking the under at -135. We also see Buchnevich cashing in on an anytime goal for the Blues. Matthew Schaefer will also net at least one goal, further solidifying his Calder case.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: November 22nd St. Louis Blues vs New York Islanders appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.