The NHL’s return-to-play postseason bubble in 2020 was a fun time for the New York Islanders and their fans. The team went on a deep playoff run that was unexpected before ultimately falling to eventual Cup champion Tampa Bay in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.
The bubble isn’t back for 2021, though. The Isles will play in their home arena and travel to play opposing teams. Nassau Coliseum will begin the season with no fans but the NHL and the Islanders are hopeful that before the end of the regular season, Isles fans will be able to send out the Coliseum in style.
Teams will only play 56 games this year, as opposed to the usual 82, and they will only face-off against the teams in their division. But every one of those games will be available to bet on here in New Jersey along with a slew of Islanders team and player futures. Here are the best ways to bet on the Isles or bet on the NHL in New Jersey.
After losing franchise player John Tavares in free agency, most expected the Isles to falter. But the past two seasons might be the closest they’ve been to the Stanley Cup since the 80s. Below you’ll find the best available odds for the Isles’ next scheduled game. Click on any odds to go directly to the online sportsbook, create a new account and lock your bet in.
The NHL’s New York Islanders won 4 straight Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983. They lost in the Cup Final in 1984. They haven’t been back since. Is this team ready to return to former glory? Below are the best available odds on the Isles to win the Stanley Cup, Eastern Conference or East Division. Simply click on the odds to go to the sportsbook and make your bet.
Even though the Islanders aren’t a local New Jersey team, you can still bet their games here in the Garden State.
First, make sure to be on the lookout for all of the special sign-up bonuses and promotions that can be found on this page. It’s free money; don’t pass it up. Once you’ve selected your promotion, register your account with all of the necessary credentials. Verify your identity if necessary.
Once that’s done, you can download the sportsbook app onto your phone right from the sportsbook. You can do this from out of state but you’ll need to be in New Jersey when you make your bets.
Once you’ve claimed a signup bonus, registered an account, and downloaded the app, you can now deposit money into your account. Use your credit card or bank account to add some funds to your app.
Once you are signed up and funded, there’s only one thing left to do: bet! Make sure you confirm your bet!
If you’re traveling from New York to New Jersey to place your bets, make sure your phone’s location settings realize you’re in Jersey. You need to be in NJ to place your bet, but you can track your bet and collect your winnings from anywhere.
Vegas has been setting sports lines for a long time now. Until recently, if you wanted to legally bet on sports you had to head to Sin City.
Now that sports betting is legal in New Jersey, you don’t have to fly across the country. The odds are nearly identical in New Jersey as they are in Vegas. The oddsmakers use similar models and have all of the same information, so their lines will be in sync.
Note that sometimes local sportsbooks will slightly alter the lines of the hometown teams like the Islanders to limit their risk and exposure.
The Islanders under Barry Trotz have developed a penchant for coming back to win games that they trail in. If the Islanders give up the first goal of the game, don’t be afraid to live bet on them to come back and win!
Live betting is simply betting that takes place after the game has started. The odds are adjusted based on what has happened in the game to that point. If the Islanders are losing the game, their odds will be better than they were pre-game.
If you miss the opening face off, it doesn’t mean you have to sit the game out. Get in on the action with a live bet. To take full advantage of the multitude of options provided to you with live betting we recommend using a sportsbook app. There’s no easier or more efficient way to find current odds as they change and get your bet down instantly.
Just like other sports, hockey betting offers prop markets. A prop bet is a bet on a certain event happening during a game. Some common hockey props include:
BetMGM has established itself as a premier sportsbook in New Jersey. BetMGM’s sportsbook app is easy to use and simple to follow.
It offers all of the major markets for every sport including hockey. Whether you want to bet on the Islanders to win the Cup or whether you want to bet every game or period individually, BetMGM gives you that opportunity.
BetMGM continues to grow and make positive changes. They also offer superb sign-up bonuses that give you a leg up when you sign up with them and start betting.
The Islanders season began on January 14 against their bitter rival, the New York Rangers. This was their first of 8 games against their crosstown rivals. The Islanders play all seven teams in their division eight times each.
In 2021, the East division will consist of the Isles, Rangers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres.
Normally, the season begins in October and lasts 82 games with each team playing every team in the league at least twice, but the league changed the structure due to the pandemic. This new set-up will breed contempt as teams will see each other often. The season ends in mid-May. At that point, the top four teams in the division will make the playoffs.
The Islanders played 68 games before the suspension of the NHL regular season last year. They went 35-23-10 for a total of 80 points. This was good enough for 7th in the Eastern Conference in terms of point percentage.
Things got dicey for the Islanders right before the shutdown, as they had lost seven straight games and looked in danger of tail spinning out of a playoff spot. However, earlier in the season the Isles went on a 17-game point streak, a club record.
In the playoffs, the Islanders eliminated the Florida Panthers in a 3-1 series win. They then dispatched the Washington Capitals by a series score of 4 games to 1. They then eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers in a hard-fought seven-game series. Their run came to an end in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning, four games to two.
Brock Nelson led the Islanders in goals with 26. Mat Barzal paced the team with 60 points.
Below is an example of a typical line for a hockey game:
Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
---|---|---|---|
NY Islanders | -130 | -1.5 (+175) | Over 5.5 (-110) |
NJ Devils | +110 | +1.5 (-195) | Under 5.5 (-110) |
What it all means:
The Islanders have had some key contributions from players over the past five years. Below, you’ll see the team’s leaders in goals, assists, points, and saves over the past half-decade.
Season | Goals | Assists | Points | Saves |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | Brock Nelson (26) | Mathew Barzal (41) | Mathew Barzal (60) | Semyon Varlamov (1168) |
2018-19 | Anders Lee (28) | Mathew Barzal (44) | Mathew Barzal (62) | Robin Lehner (1230) |
2017-18 | Anders Lee (40) | Mathew Barzal (63) | Mathew Barzal (85) | Jaroslav Halak (1583) |
2016-17 | Anders Lee (34) | Josh Bailey (43) | John Tavares (66) | Thomas Greiss (1327) |
2015-16 | John Tavares (33) | Kyle Okposo (42) | John Tavares (70) | Thomas Greiss (1107) |
The current captain of the New York Islanders is Anders Lee. Lee became captain of the team in 2018, taking over for the departed John Tavares. The most important team captain in team history is Denis Potvin. Potvin was the captain of the team during the Dynasty era in the 1980s.
Here’s a list of every captain in Islanders team history:
Player | Tenure |
---|---|
Anders Lee | 2018-Present |
John Tavares | 2013-2018 |
Mark Streit | 2011-2013 |
Doug Weight | 2009-2011 |
Bill Guerin | 2007-2009 |
Alexei Yashin | 2005-2007 |
Michael Peca | 2001-2004 |
Kenny Jonsson | 1999-2001 |
Trevor Linden | 1997-1999 |
Bryan McCabe | 1997 |
Pat Flatley | 1991-1996 |
Brent Sutter | 1987-1991 |
Denis Potvin | 1979-1987 |
Clark Gillies | 1976-1979 |
Ed Westfall | 1972-1976 |
The Islanders are constantly looking for young players to bolster their lineup as they try to win their first Stanley Cup since the 1980s. Here is the notable draft picks the Isles have made over the past five seasons:
Barry Trotz became the head coach of the New York Islanders in 2018. Trotz has immediately made an impact, as the Islanders have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons under his tutelage. Trotz is a rare case, as he left the Washington Capitals in 2018 immediately after leading them to a Stanley Cup. In addition to Washington, Trotz has also coached the Nashville Predators. Trotz’s NHL head coaching record is 845-618-211.
Lane Lambert coaches the Islanders defensemen and penalty-killing units. Hiller coaches the Islanders powerplay. Gruden works with the Isles’ forwards.
Mitch Korn is considered one of the best goalie coaches of all time, as his coaching resume includes developing a lot of top-level NHL goaltenders over the years.
Islanders fans have been waiting for a coach like Barry Trotz for a long time. Here are the five coaches who manned the Isles bench before Trotz took over.
Coach | Tenure | Record |
---|---|---|
Doug Weight | 2017-2018 | 59-49-14 |
Jack Capuano | 2010-2017 | 227-192-64 |
Scott Gordon | 2008-2010 | 64-94-23 |
Ted Nolan | 2006-2008 | 74-68-21 |
Brad Shaw | 2006 | 18-18-4 |
The Islanders will be getting a new arena for the 2021-22 NHL season at UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
Sports betting is not yet legal in New York, so there is no sportsbook in the arena. There is no legal place to bet on games in the area.
Nassau Coliseum is across the parking lot from a Marriott Hotel. In the basement of the hotel is a bar called Crop & Kettle. This is a common hangout spot for Islanders fans before and after games. There are a few TVs set up to watch the Islanders and other sports.
Within driving distance is a sports bar called The Green Turtle. The Green Turtle in East Meadow is located at 1740 Hempstead Turnpike. They serve appetizers, burgers, and quesadillas. They have happy hour and late-night specials as well as plenty of TVs to watch the Islanders and other sports games.
The Islanders are broadcast locally on MSG Network. Their games are usually on MSG Plus. MSG Networks’ broadcast market includes New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and parts of Pennsylvania.
Brendan Burke is entering his fifth season as the play-by-play voice for the Islanders on MSG. His color commentator is former Islanders legend Butch Goring, who has had the role since 2010. Shannon Hogan has hosted the pre-and-post game shows since 2014. A.J. Mleczko and Jennifer Botterill have provided studio and rinkside analysis for the past two seasons.
On the radio side, the Islanders are broadcast locally on Hofstra University radio and ESPN New York. Chris King handles play-by-play duties and has done so since 2010. Greg Picker has been his analyst since 2015.
The Islanders games are streamed on the MSG Go app. Download the app and sign in with your cable credentials to watch the Isles while on the go.
The history of the New York Islanders franchise has gone every which way. The current owners of the Islanders are Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky. These two have provided stability to a franchise that was in desperate need of it. Before Malkin and Ledecky, the team was owned by Charles Wang. Under the ownership of Wang, the Islanders were constantly in relocation rumors and their payroll was cut. Wang was viewed as a savior when he bought the team, as ownership was even worse before him. You might have heard the story of John Spano: the man who bought the Islanders with no money and got away with it for a few months in the mid-1990s.
The proudest era in the franchise’s history in the early 1980s. The Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups, made the finals for five straight years, and won 19 straight playoff series which is a record that still stands today. That dynasty team was led by electric goal scorer Mike Bossy, stud defenseman Denis Potvin, the jack-of-all-trades Bryan Trottier and battling goaltender Billy Smith.
The Islanders moved to Brooklyn for parts of five years, but the experiment was a disaster. Islanders fans never adapted to the idea of being a city team and the team ended up returning to the Nassau Coliseum to play most of their home games by 2018. Brooklyn’s Barclays Center not being built for hockey only added to the issues. The team will play at the Coliseum until their new arena is ready in late 2021.
The Islanders have had some legends wear the blue and orange crest. Here are the franchise leaders in some important categories:
The Islanders were purchased by Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky in 2014. They took over majority control in 2016.
According to Forbes, the Islanders are worth $520 million.
The average price of Islanders tickets is $71, but tickets can be found for as cheap as $14.
The Islanders moved to Brooklyn in 2015, but they were back on Long Island part-time by 2018 and full-time by 2020.
No, Jay-Z is not and has never been involved with the Islanders.
The following jersey numbers are retired by the organization:
You can follow the Islanders on Twitter at @NYIslanders.