The Washington Capitals (17-10-5) will battle with the New York Islanders (16-9-9) for the fourth time this season on Friday, December 29 at 7:30 PM ET at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The Islanders are slight favorites with a moneyline at -155.

The Capitals have lost their last two games and are needing to break the losing streak. Their most recent performance was a 5-1 blowout to the New York Rangers, as they gave up three goals alone in the second period.

Dylan Strome currently leads the way offensively for the Capitals, with 20 points and 13 goals. John Carlson adds in 18 assists total to make this interesting.

They are barely scratching the surface offensively with 2.34 goals and 28.1 shots each game. Power play situations have been lacking, as they have scored 11 times and have allowed 18. Their power play percentage currently sits at 12.1, which is half of what the Islanders put up.

Their defense has been allowing 2.75 goals and 30.7 shots each game. They also have a respectable penalty kill percentage at 82.2, which could play a strong role here.

The Islanders just recently had a 7-0 shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins, one of their worst losses on the year. This put them back on the losing side and now have gone 2-3 in their last five matchups.

Brock Nelson has landed 16 goals and leads their scoring efforts. Mathew Barzal has been a key aspect of their offense as well, with a total of 35 points so far. Both of their talents will need to be at their best in order for them to win.

They are averaging 3.03 goals and 29.8 shots each game. Their power play performances have been mixed lately, as they have scored 23 times but have allowed 29 goals. Their power play percentage is much better at 24.2 over the Capitals.

The Islanders’ defense has allowed 3.29 goals and 35.6 shot attempts from opposing teams. They also have a weak penalty kill percentage at 35.6.

MyBookie has the odds for this NHL showdown, featuring the New York Islanders as slight contenders for success. Can the Islanders even the series matchup?

The Capitals currently have an edge in the series matchup here, winning two games out of three. The last matchup was a 3-2 overtime defeat in favor of the Capitals, which was only a few games back. Overall, the Islanders are back home where they are 9-4-6, while the Capitals are 8-6-2 on the road, and should have a slight advantage here.