New York Islanders vs Ottawa Senators Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 03/19/26

Linus Ullmark has been on a great run lately for the Senators, including this past weekend when he won both games on a back-to-back. Ottawa will need its goaltending to step up if they are going to make a push to the last wildcard, but with Ullmark playing on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals, it’s extremely likely that they’ll give the reins to James Reimer for the matchup with the Islanders.

Nearly every game has been a must-win for the Senators, which is why Reimer has just three starts in the past two months. Ottawa has been leaning heavily on Ullmark, and it is starting to pay off. However, you can’t look past the veteran Reimer, who has won his last two starts (which were 32 days apart) and had a 16-save shutout in his most recent start against the Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders’ goaltending situation is a bit more unclear, as Patrick Roy has been using both goalies regularly, while Ilya Sorokin stands out statistically over David Rittich.

If Sorokin stars on Thursday night, the Islanders hold a clear edge in the goaltending battle. Both teams have been red hot with seven wins in their last 10 games, but the Senators, having to play the second night of their back-to-back with a goaltender who played two games over the past two months, seem like a massive edge toward Sorokin, who is one of the top candidates for the Vezina Trophy this season.

The Senators, in their recent form on home ice, are a scary proposition, but the Islanders are the team waiting in Ottawa while the Senators fly back from Washington early Thursday morning. If the Islanders are the underdog here, the value is too good not to take them.

Islanders vs Senators prediction: Islanders ML (+120) available at time of publishing. Playable to (+110).