- 1 Minnesota Wild vs New York Islanders: the NHL’s leading goal scorer at home to a team on four games in six nights
- 2 Minnesota Wild: Kaprizov and Hughes have a point in 11 of 13 games
- 3 New York Islanders: Horvat’s 12 points and a teenage defenseman driving the offense
- 4 Free NHL Prediction: Minnesota Wild vs New York Islanders
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Minnesota Wild vs New York Islanders: the NHL’s leading goal scorer at home to a team on four games in six nights 
Kirill Kaprizov has 13 goals, more than anyone in the NHL. His latest came on a breakaway at 3:38 of the third period in Vancouver on 25 October, set up by Quinn Hughes, and it sealed a 4-2 win that moved Minnesota to 8-3-2.
The Wild host the Islanders on Thursday 29 October at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, puck drop at 8:00pm ET. Minnesota has gone 6-2-1 over its last nine games and won both legs of its weekend back-to-back, 5-1 in Seattle and then 4-2 in Vancouver.
New York comes in at a different point in its schedule. Tuesday’s game in Nashville started a run of four games in six nights for the Islanders, and Thursday in Minnesota is the second of those four, with a flight from Tennessee in between.
Nashville isn’t a soft opener for that run. The Predators’ power play ranked third in the league at 33.3% going into Tuesday, with a penalty kill fifth at 85.7%, and they had just beaten Colorado 6-2. The Islanders then play in Saint Paul two nights later.
The Islanders were 5-4-2 before that trip to Nashville. Their five-game point streak ended with a 6-3 loss to Dallas on 25 October. Before that they had lost 3-2 in overtime to Los Angeles and beaten Anaheim 3-2.
The market has Minnesota at 1.48 on the moneyline and New York at 2.69. Our pick is on that 1.48.
Minnesota Wild: Kaprizov and Hughes have a point in 11 of 13 games 
Kaprizov and Hughes have each recorded a point in 11 of Minnesota’s 13 games. That consistency at the top of the lineup is why the Wild haven’t had a real losing stretch yet, and it’s why we rate their floor higher than most teams in the West.
Hughes went back to Rogers Arena on Sunday for the first time since the trade that sent him to Minnesota on 12 December 2025. He scored on the power play, reached 500 career points in his 520th game, and then added an assist on Kaprizov’s goal. Only Brian Leetch, at 496 games, got there faster among American defensemen.
The secondary scoring showed up in Vancouver too. Maxim Shabanov scored on the power play from a Kaprizov feed and added an assist, and Brink got his first goal of the season on a breakaway. Minnesota went 2-for-5 on the power play that night.
Vancouver led 10-5 on shots after the first period, and Minnesota then outshot the Canucks 29-7 across the last two periods. A team that can tilt the ice that hard on the second night of a back-to-back has depth.
Calvin Pickard made 15 saves for his first win with the Wild, making him a winner with five different NHL teams. Minnesota plays in Utah on Tuesday before coming home, so it has Wednesday to rest. Who starts in goal on Thursday hasn’t been confirmed.
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New York Islanders: Horvat’s 12 points and a teenage defenseman driving the offense 
Bo Horvat leads the Islanders with 5 goals and 12 points, and he has 5 points over his last four games. He centers Holmström and Palmieri on the top line, which has been New York’s most reliable source of offense.
Matthew Schaefer is the other name to know. The teenage defenseman has 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in 11 games, a four-game point streak and goals in back-to-back games. His 25 career goals already rank third among Islanders teenagers.
Brayden Schenn and Emil Heineman both carried three-game point streaks into Nashville, and Schenn scored against Dallas. Schaefer and Palmieri had the other two goals in that 6-3 loss, so the scoring is spread across the lineup rather than resting on one line.
The roster took a hit on 26 October when Maccelli and Ritchie were both placed on injured reserve. That leaves the bottom six with MacLean, Cizikas and Chaffee on the fourth line and Palát, Pageau and Duclair on the third, based on Monday’s practice.
On defense, the pairs from the Dallas game were Stanley with Schaefer, Pelech with Pulock and Kessel with DeAngelo. That group conceded six to the Stars. Against Kaprizov and a Minnesota power play that scored twice in Vancouver, the Islanders need a far tighter game than they managed on Sunday.
Probable lineup Minnesota Wild: Not announced at time of publication
Probable lineup New York Islanders: Holmström, Horvat, Palmieri; Heineman, Schenn, Eklund; Palát, Pageau, Duclair; MacLean, Cizikas, Chaffee; Stanley, Schaefer; Pelech, Pulock; Kessel, DeAngelo (from Monday’s practice, subject to change); goalie not confirmed
Free NHL Prediction: Minnesota Wild vs New York Islanders
Our prediction: Minnesota Wild to win (moneyline) at 1.48
We’re backing Minnesota on the moneyline at 1.48. The Wild are 6-2-1 in their last nine, they allowed three goals across their weekend back-to-back in Seattle and Vancouver, and they’ll be on home ice with a day of rest.
New York plays its second game in three nights after flying in from Nashville, and it’s down Maccelli and Ritchie. The Islanders’ most recent result before Nashville was a six-goal defeat, and the next opponent has the NHL’s top goal scorer.
Horvat and Schaefer give New York enough to make this close, and the Islanders’ five-game point streak before Dallas shows they don’t fold easily. We’d still take Minnesota’s top line, its home ice and the schedule edge at this price. For a bigger number, the Wild at -1.5 on the puck line pays 2.09, but we prefer the straight win given how many of New York’s recent games have been decided by one goal.
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