- 1 New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes: Kochetkov’s 9-0-0 against a rested Islanders team
- 2 New York Islanders: four days’ rest, no Barzal and an 86.36% penalty kill
- 3 Carolina Hurricanes: 56 goals in 15 games and a goalie who hasn’t lost
- 4 Free NHL Prediction: New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes
- 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
New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes: Kochetkov’s 9-0-0 against a rested Islanders team 
Pyotr Kochetkov has started nine games for Carolina this season and won all nine. His goals-against average is 1.66, his save percentage .919, and the Hurricanes went into November top of the Metropolitan Division at 11-2-2.
Carolina visits the Islanders on Thursday 5 November, puck drop 7:00pm ET. It’s the first meeting of the season, and the second game of a short trip that starts in Nashville on Tuesday.
The Islanders come in from the other end of the schedule. They have no game between Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Edmonton and Thursday, which means four days without a game. Peter DeBoer’s team is 7-5-2 with 16 points.
Carolina won all three meetings last season: 6-2 on 30 October 2025, 4-3 on 4 April and 2-1 on Long Island on 14 April.
The goal numbers point the same way. Carolina scores 3.73 a game and allows 2.40. New York scores 3.08 and allows 2.69, and the Hurricanes take around seven more shots a game than the Islanders do.
The Islanders’ best hope sits in their own crease, where Ilya Sorokin has a .915 save percentage. He started Saturday’s loss to Edmonton and was beaten four times.
New York Islanders: four days’ rest, no Barzal and an 86.36% penalty kill 
Mathew Barzal hasn’t played a game yet this season because of a knee problem, and there was no timeline for his return as of 21 October. Romanov is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Ritchie was given four to six weeks on 17 October.
Bo Horvat and Schaefer share the team lead with 14 points each. Horvat has seven goals, Schaefer has 10 assists from the blue line, and Schenn (nine points) and Holmström (seven) are next.
The penalty kill is New York’s strongest number at 86.36%. The power play is the weak one, seven goals from 40 chances, 17.5%, against a Carolina kill working at 82.35%.
Results have swung from game to game. The Islanders won 4-3 in a shootout in Nashville on 27 October and 4-3 in overtime in Minnesota two nights later, then got shut out at home by Edmonton on Saturday.
Sorokin is 6-3-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average through the end of October. Varlamov, the backup, is 1-1-2 with an .891 save percentage.
Maccelli was given two to four weeks with a lower-body injury on 17 October, which puts Thursday at the very start of that window. His return wasn’t confirmed at the time of writing.
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Carolina Hurricanes: 56 goals in 15 games and a goalie who hasn’t lost 
Carolina has scored 56 goals and allowed 36 through 15 games. The Hurricanes average around 33 shots a game, and their power play converts at 22.64%.
Sebastian Aho leads the scoring with 19 points, eight goals and 11 assists. Stankoven has nine goals, J. Blake has 12 assists and 15 points, and Svechnikov and Ehlers add 13 and 12.
Rod Brind’Amour’s team has won four of its last five. The run includes a 6-3 win in Vancouver, a 4-0 shutout in St. Louis and home wins over Boston (2-1) and Columbus (3-2). The only blemish was a 6-5 shootout loss in Edmonton on 22 October.
Kochetkov’s record is the difference between Carolina and the rest of the division. Bussi has been far shakier, 2-2-2 with an .865 save percentage, so the goalie choice for this game matters.
The Hurricanes are missing Taylor Hall, who reinjured his upper body on 27 October and will miss more time, and Jordan Staal, on injured reserve with a calf problem since 15 October. Seth Jarvis was activated from injured reserve on 21 October.
Carolina plays Winnipeg at home on Sunday and in Nashville on Tuesday before traveling to New York, with a day off on either side of the Nashville game.
Probable lineup New York Islanders: Not announced at time of publication
Probable lineup Carolina Hurricanes: Not announced at time of publication
Free NHL Prediction: New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes
Our prediction: Carolina Hurricanes to win
I’m taking Carolina. The Hurricanes have the best record in the division, a goal difference of plus 20 against New York’s plus 5, and they’ve won all three meetings with the Islanders since October 2025.
The Islanders’ rest and their penalty kill are real arguments, and Sorokin can steal a game on his own. But without Barzal, Romanov or Ritchie, New York has averaged around 26 shots a game, and that won’t trouble a Carolina team taking seven more.
If Kochetkov starts, I’d be even more comfortable. No odds had been posted at the time of writing, so check the Carolina price and the goalie confirmation before puck drop.
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