Minnesota Wild vs. New York Islanders Pick & Prediction APRIL 4th 2025
Preview and Prediction
The Minnesota Wild are comfortably situated in a playoff position, but are still in contention for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference as they prepare to face the New York Islanders on Friday evening.
The Wild (41-28-7, 89 points) are in a battle with the St. Louis Blues for the top wild-card spot. Prior to St. Louis' home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, both teams had identical records.
Minnesota has dropped three consecutive games and five of their last six after suffering a 5-4 overtime defeat to the New York Rangers on Wednesday. However, the Wild did manage to earn a point from the game.
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Forward Marcus Johansson commented on the team's performance, saying, "All points are valuable. We need to collect as many as possible. It's frustrating to see how hard we're fighting and then to come up short in the end. We still want those two points, so it's definitely frustrating."
Johansson contributed a goal and two assists, while defenseman Brock Faber and Gustav Nyquist each had a goal and an assist. Marco Rossi also scored and goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 34 saves on Wednesday.
Head coach John Hynes acknowledged the importance of earning points on their recent road trip, stating, "This was a road trip with a playoff-like atmosphere. It's crucial to come away with points, but we need to find a way to secure two points on Friday."
Rossi's goal just 22 seconds into the third period tied the game at 4-4.
Johansson reflected on the team's overall performance, saying, "I think we played well for the most part, aside from a few shifts. They had some sustained pressure in our zone, but we created enough chances to win. Unfortunately, we had some bad bounces on a few of their goals, but that's just how it goes sometimes."
The Islanders (32-32-10, 74 points) have lost six consecutive games and their chances of making the playoffs are dwindling after a 4-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. They now must surpass four teams and make up at least five points in their final eight games.
New York will be without forward Anthony Duclair on Friday, as he has decided to take a break from the team after head coach Patrick Roy publicly criticized his performance in Tuesday's game. Duclair was a minus-1 in just 12:15 of ice time.
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Roy did not hold back in his assessment of Duclair, saying, "He was absolutely terrible. He had a poor game, which is why I didn't give him much ice time. He's lucky to even be in the lineup. I apologize for losing my temper, but that's just how I feel."
The 29-year-old Duclair did not participate in Thursday's practice and after a positive conversation with Roy, he requested to take a break from the team. Roy granted his request.
Duclair, who signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Islanders last July, has recorded seven goals and 11 points this season while posting a minus-15 rating in 44 games. These are his lowest points-per-game and plus/minus ratings of his career.
In his 607 career games with the Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, and New York Rangers, Duclair has accumulated 314 points (153 goals, 161 assists).
Minnesota Wild vs. New York Islanders
Devon Toews scored the decisive goal early in the second period Sunday afternoon and the New York Islanders continued their remarkable performance in the second game of back-to-back sets by edging the visiting Minnesota Wild, 2-1.
Anthony Beauvillier scored in the first period for the Islanders, who have won three straight and are now 9-0-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets this year. New York, which has outscored the opposition 33-9 in those second games, beat the Colorado Avalanche, 4-3, in overtime on Saturday.
Goalie Thomas Greiss made 26 saves for the Islanders.
Mikael Granlund scored in the second period for the Wild, who have lost five of six (1-3-2). Goalie Devan Dubnyk recorded 32 saves.
The Islanders took the lead following a protracted battle for the puck near center ice late in the first period. New York center Leo Komarov finally wrested the puck free from Wild left winger Jason Zucker and passed to Valtteri Filppula, who then hit a streaking Beauvillier for a breakaway chance. Beauvillier converted by firing a shot under Dubnyk's glove with 5:55 left.
The teams traded goals in an 83-second span early in the second.
A redirect opportunity by Zach Parise began a flurry that ended with Granlund scoring the tying goal 38 seconds after faceoff. Parise, stationed in front of Greiss, could not get Ryan Suter's shot past Greiss, but the puck skittered to Jason Zucker. With Greiss positioned to try and handle a shot by Zucker, the Minnesota left winger instead passed across the crease to Granlund, who fired a shot into the wide-open corner of the net.
Wild defenseman Anthony Bitetto was whistled for holding 50 seconds later to set up the game-winning power play goal. Ryan Pulock passed to Toews, who stood atop the faceoff circle and waited for Beauvillier to hold off Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno just long enough to give Toews an open lane for his shot, which sailed past Dubnyk's stick.
The Wild outshot the Islanders 12-9 in the third period but could not score the equalizer.
Minnesota's best chance came with a little more than a minute left, when New York defenseman Johnny Boychuk and center Anders Lee, both of whom were in the crease, blocked shots by Eric Staal and Suter, respectively.