New York Islanders vs Ottawa Senators Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 15 2026
The New York Islanders head to Ottawa on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to face the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM ET, with ESPN+ carrying the game. New York just beat Vancouver 3-2, while Ottawa got absolutely hammered 7-2 by St. Louis. The Senators are favored around -147 on the moneyline, and the total is 5.5 goals. I’m taking Ottawa, although that last game certainly doesn’t make me feel wonderful about it. Seven goals? At home? Come on. Still, the Senators have been playing better hockey overall, and the Islanders haven’t exactly been winning every night. I also like the over. Both teams can score, and Ottawa’s defense is missing some important pieces. I think we’ll see more than five goals here. Make sure you check out all of our free NHL picks.
New York Islanders Are Getting Some Help In Net
The Islanders are 3-3 after beating Vancouver 3-2 on Tuesday. Not a bad way to bounce back from that 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay. New York jumped ahead 2-0 against the Canucks, let them tie it, then scored the winner in the third. They made it a little harder than necessary, but a win’s a win. Before that, the Islanders beat Chicago 4-1 and shut out New Jersey 6-0. So there’s some decent hockey in there. The trouble is figuring out which Islanders team is showing up. They’ve also lost to the Rangers and Toronto. Now they’re heading into Ottawa against a team that’s probably still angry about getting embarrassed by St. Louis. Not the easiest road trip.
New York is scoring 3.17 goals per game and allowing 2.5. Those numbers aren’t bad. The Islanders have put up 19 goals in six games, and they’ve been pretty decent at keeping pucks out of their own net. They’re getting around 26 shots a game, though, which isn’t exactly overwhelming anybody. The power play is converting 21.1% of its chances, and the penalty kill is sitting at 82.6%. I’ll take those numbers. But I’d like to see New York spend more time shooting and less time waiting for a mistake. Ottawa has been giving opponents chances lately. Seven goals against St. Louis tells you that much. The Islanders should be able to get some looks Thursday. Whether they finish them is another story.
The Islanders have been getting good goaltending. Their top netminder has a .934 save percentage and a 1.81 goals-against average through five starts. That’s excellent stuff. Twenty-four saves against Vancouver helped get them another win. The offense has had some good moments, too, with a couple of goals in the latest game coming from a returning veteran who missed much of last season with a knee injury. But New York is still missing some important help. Mathew Barzal remains out with a knee problem, and Alexander Romanov is sidelined on defense. Those are big losses. Barzal gives them another dangerous offensive option, and Romanov helps keep things settled in the defensive zone. The Islanders have managed without them at times. I just don’t love the idea of going into Ottawa without everybody available.
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Ottawa Senators Need To Forget About That Last Game
Ottawa is 5-2 and had won three straight before St. Louis came to town Tuesday. Then everything went wrong. The Blues scored seven goals and beat the Senators 7-2. Seven! Ottawa had just beaten New Jersey 4-1 the night before, so I imagine the mood changed pretty quickly. The Senators also beat Nashville in a shootout and Philadelphia 2-1 during that winning streak. That’s good hockey. One terrible night doesn’t erase it. But the St. Louis game was ugly. Ottawa gave up a short-handed goal, couldn’t keep people away from the net, and never really got going. I don’t expect the Senators to play like that again Thursday. If they do, the home crowd might be looking for the exits early.
Ottawa is averaging 2.86 goals per game and allowing 2.71. That’s a little different from the Islanders, who have actually been scoring more. The Senators are getting only 23 shots on goal per game. Twenty-three. That’s not much. Their power play is also converting just 15.2% of its chances, and the penalty kill is at 78.6%. Nothing spectacular there. But Ottawa has been winning because its goaltending has been outstanding most nights. The Senators held Philadelphia to one goal and New Jersey to one. Then St. Louis scored seven. That’s hockey for you. I still like Ottawa’s chances at home, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Islanders create some scoring opportunities against this injured defense.
The Senators have gotten terrific work from their top goalie, who’s 5-0 with a .948 save percentage and a 1.27 goals-against average. Those numbers are ridiculous. He stopped 29 shots in the 4-1 win over New Jersey. That’s the kind of goaltending Ottawa needs Thursday. The backup had a much rougher time against St. Louis, allowing seven goals on 26 shots. I’d certainly want to know who’s starting before placing a bet. Ottawa also has injury problems on the blue line. Artem Zub, Jake Sanderson and Nikolas Matinpalo are unavailable, while Kurtis MacDermid is also out. William Eklund has an ankle injury, and Ridly Greig has been dealing with a problem of his own. That’s a long list. Ottawa has been winning despite some of those absences, but losing that many defenders eventually catches up with you. St. Louis made that pretty clear.
New York Islanders vs Ottawa Senators Picks and Predictions
Moneyline Pick: Ottawa Senators -147
I’m taking Ottawa at -147. I know the Senators just gave up seven goals. Believe me, I saw the score. But they were 5-1 before that mess, and their starting goaltending has been excellent. Five wins without a loss and a .948 save percentage? That’s hard to argue with. The Islanders have been getting good goaltending themselves, and New York could absolutely steal this one. They’re scoring 3.17 goals a game, which is better than Ottawa’s average. That’s what worries me. And with the Senators missing several defensemen, I wouldn’t be shocked if New York scores three or four. Still, Ottawa is at home and has been the better team over the first seven games. I’m not throwing away three straight wins because of one awful night. I think the Senators bounce back. Give me Ottawa -147.
Total Pick: Over 5.5 Goals
I’m taking Over 5.5 goals. Look, I know both teams have goalies who can shut things down. That’s the concern. New York’s top goalie has a .934 save percentage, and Ottawa’s starter is sitting at .948. If both are playing well, we could be looking at a 2-1 game. But Ottawa just gave up seven, and the Senators are missing a bunch of defensemen. The Islanders have scored 19 goals in six games. They don’t need 40 shots to put a few in the net. Ottawa should get its chances, too. New York gave up five to Tampa Bay over the weekend, and the Senators have enough offense to score three at home. I can see this turning into one of those games where both teams get a couple of goals early and everybody starts chasing the puck. A 4-2 Ottawa win sounds reasonable. Maybe 4-3 if things get messy. I’ll take Over 5.5.
Final Picks: Ottawa Senators Moneyline -147 and Over 5.5 Goals.
Disclaimer: This preview was prepared October 14, 2026. Betting lines, injuries and starting goalies may change before puck drop. Check the latest information before placing a wager.
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