The New York Islanders continue their Western Conference road trip with a stop in St. Paul to face the Minnesota Wild in a cross-conference matchup. The Islanders, sitting in a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, aim to bounce back from a recent shootout loss, while the Wild, leading the Central Division, seek to extend their strong home form after an overtime victory. This game could feature high shot volumes from Minnesota’s potent offense against New York’s structured defense, potentially decided by special teams where the Wild hold a slight edge in power play efficiency.
Venue Location
Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Puckdrop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT).
Recent Team Forms
The Islanders have gone 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, with a +3 goal differential, showing resilience but inconsistency.
They are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on January 8, where they tied the game late but fell in the skills competition, averaging 2.7 goals scored and 2.5 allowed per game recently.
On the road, New York is 11-8-3, with a 4-2-1 record in their last seven away games but vulnerable to high-shot volumes (allowing 28.3 shots per game league-wide).
The Wild are rolling, posting a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games with a +12 goal differential.
They secured a 3-2 overtime win over the Seattle Kraken on January 8, averaging 3.4 goals scored and 2.2 allowed per game in that span, fueled by elite defense and timely scoring.
At home, Minnesota is 14-5-4, with a 5-1-1 record in their last seven at Grand Casino Arena and a league-best 2.62 goals against average.
Injury Report
New York Islanders:
Bo Horvat (C): Injured Reserve (Lower body; injured January 1, out indefinitely).
Ilya Sorokin (G): Day-to-day (Undisclosed).
These absences could impact top-line production and goaltending, forcing reliance on Semyon Varlamov in net and secondary scoring from Brock Nelson.
Minnesota Wild:
Zach Bogosian (D): Day-to-day (Undisclosed).
Joel Eriksson Ek (C): Day-to-day (Undisclosed).
If Eriksson Ek sits, Minnesota’s center depth is tested, potentially shifting Marcus Johansson or Ryan Hartman up the lineup.
Player Matchups to Watch
Injuries may alter lines, but key duels focus on Minnesota’s speed against New York’s physicality, potentially leading to a transition-heavy game if Horvat and Eriksson Ek are out.
Mathew Barzal (Islanders C) vs. Kirill Kaprizov (Wild LW): Barzal, stepping up with Horvat out, brings elite speed (projected 0.68 points/game) and playmaking, testing Kaprizov’s dynamic scoring (league-leading goals, 3.8 shots/game).
This forward clash could dictate offensive zone time.
Brock Nelson (Islanders C) vs. Matt Boldy (Wild RW): Nelson provides secondary scoring (0.52 goals/game) and faceoff wins, facing Boldy’s finishing touch (high-danger chances leader for Minnesota).
Noah Dobson (Islanders D) vs. Joel Eriksson Ek (Wild C): If Eriksson Ek plays, his two-way game (52% faceoffs) tests Dobson’s puck-moving (0.62 points/game from D).
Goaltending: Semyon Varlamov (Islanders, if Sorokin out) vs. Filip Gustavsson (Wild) – Gustavsson projects 25 saves with a .912 save percentage edge.
Series History
The Wild hold a 22-14-0-2 all-time edge over the Islanders in 38 meetings.
In the last 10 games, Minnesota is 7-3, including a 5-2 win on November 7, 2025.
The Wild have won seven straight against the Islanders dating back to 2021, outscoring them 28-15 in those contests.
Games often trend over, hitting in 4 of the last 7 with an average of 5.8 goals.
Betting Trends
Wild are 3-2 in their last 5 games and 4-1 ATS in those; they have a 8-1-1 record in last 10 home games.
Islanders are 6-3-1 in last 10 but 3-7 ATS on the road as underdogs.
The over has hit in 21 of Islanders’ 44 games this season and 5 of Wild’s last 10 overall.
Game Odds
New York Islanders 5.5
Minnesota Wild – 180
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, January 9, 2026
