New York Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks Picks and Prediction for Saturday November 14 2026

The Islanders wrap up their California trip Saturday night with a 10 PM ET game against Anaheim at Honda Center. New York finally got a win Thursday, beating Los Angeles 5-2 after going four games without one. Anaheim has been sitting at home since losing 4-2 to Nashville Wednesday. The Ducks have been scoring plenty of goals, but they’ve also been giving up a lot. New York has been a little more balanced, and that makes this an interesting matchup. Get ready for all that the NHL has to offer with our free NHL picks.

New York Finally Got Back in the Win Column

The Islanders are 8-6-4 overall and 4-3-2 on the road. Thursday’s 5-2 win over Los Angeles snapped a four-game winless streak. They had lost 3-2 in a shootout at San Jose Monday, which was a frustrating result considering how many chances they created. The Islanders have been competitive most nights, but they haven’t always been finishing games. Thursday was a welcome change. New York scored five goals and finally gave itself some breathing room. The Islanders have earned points in three of their last four games, even if the wins haven’t been coming as often as they’d like.

New York is averaging 3.00 goals per game and allowing 3.00. That’s about as balanced as it gets. The Islanders aren’t overwhelming opponents offensively, but they’re not giving up the kind of numbers Anaheim has been allowing, either. New York has an 85.7% penalty kill, which should help against a Ducks team with an excellent power play. The concern is the Islanders’ own power play, which is converting only 16.4% of its opportunities. Anaheim has been struggling to kill penalties, so this would be a good time for New York to get something going with the extra man. The Islanders also win nearly 56% of their faceoffs, giving them an advantage in puck possession.

New York got an important boost Thursday when Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock returned to the lineup after missing time with injuries. That gives the Islanders more depth up front and on defense. JG Pageau missed Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury and remains day-to-day, so his Saturday status needs confirmation. The Islanders have also been getting solid goaltending, which has helped them stay competitive even when the offense hasn’t been producing. Thursday’s five-goal performance should give the team some confidence, but the Ducks will be a different challenge than the struggling Kings.

Anaheim Can Score, but the Defense Is a Problem

The Ducks are 10-8-1 overall and 3-5-1 at home. They had won five straight before Nashville came to town Wednesday and beat them 4-2. Anaheim has been one of the more entertaining teams in the league because it can score a bunch of goals in a hurry. The trouble is that opponents have been doing the same thing against the Ducks. Anaheim has been much better on the road than at home, which is a little strange for a team with this much offensive ability. The Ducks need to start making Honda Center a tougher place to play.

Anaheim is averaging 3.74 goals per game and allowing 3.68. That’s a lot of offense and a lot of defensive trouble. The Ducks have scored 71 goals through 19 games, but they’ve given up 70. Their power play is converting at 36.8%, one of the best marks in the league, while the penalty kill is sitting at just 74.0%. That’s a pretty big gap. Anaheim can make opponents pay for penalties, but it has also been giving away goals when shorthanded. New York doesn’t have a great power play, but the Islanders should still get some chances against this defense. The Ducks need to play better five-on-five hockey if they want to stop the bleeding.

Anaheim has been getting strong production from its offensive units, but the team hasn’t been defending consistently enough to make those goals count. The Ducks scored twice against Nashville Wednesday, which wasn’t enough against a team playing excellent defensive hockey. Anaheim has also been getting uneven goaltending, and that’s a concern when you’re allowing nearly four goals per game. The Saturday starter hasn’t been confirmed. The Ducks have enough offensive talent to beat New York, but they need to do a better job limiting turnovers and keeping opponents away from the front of the net.

New York Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks Picks and Prediction

Pick: New York Islanders Moneyline

I’m taking the Islanders. Anaheim can score, and that’s the one thing that makes me nervous. The Ducks are averaging 3.74 goals per game, and they can make a defense look pretty bad when their power play gets going. But they’re also allowing 3.68, and their penalty kill has been shaky. New York has been more balanced, and Thursday’s win over Los Angeles should help its confidence. The Islanders have also been better on the road than Anaheim has been at home. I don’t love betting against a team with the Ducks’ offensive ability, but I trust New York’s defensive structure a little more. Give me the Islanders.

Total Pick: Over 5.5 Goals

I like the over at 5.5. Anaheim is scoring nearly four goals a game and allowing almost four. That’s not a team I’m eager to bet on in a low-scoring contest. The Islanders just put five on Los Angeles, and they should get opportunities against Anaheim’s defense. The Ducks also have an excellent power play, so New York can’t afford to spend too much time shorthanded. The concern is that the Islanders have been comfortable playing tighter games, and their penalty kill has been pretty good. But with Anaheim’s defensive numbers being what they are, I think six goals is a reasonable expectation. I’ll take the over.

Final Picks: New York Islanders Moneyline and Over 5.5 Goals