Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders Prediction, 1/24/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026

Location: UBS Arena in Elmont, NY

TV: MSG Sportsnet

The New York Islanders (27-18-5) will try to defeat the Buffalo Sabres (28-17-5) at UBS Arena on Saturday.

The Buffalo Sabres were on the right side of the scoreboard with a 4-2 win over the Canadiens their last time out. Buffalo compiled 10 minutes in the box in this game. The Sabres had a solid offensive performance and it showed in the win. Additionally, they had 2 attempts on the power play but weren't able to convert one of them into a goal. For the matchup, they scored on 4 out of the 17 shots they looked to score on.

While at even strength, the Sabres have surrendered 132 goals while scoring 136 of their own. Buffalo Sabres opponents have earned 137 power play opportunities (25th in pro hockey) and have come away with 23 goals in those chances. In the matter of scoring goals, the Buffalo Sabres have notched 164 goals (11th in pro hockey) this season and have surrendered 155. Buffalo has tried 1,379 shots and is the owner of a shooting percentage of 11.9%. For the year, they have 61 points and their points percentage is sitting at .610. The Sabres so far have had 1,487 shots tried against them and have a save percentage of .896. Buffalo steps onto the ice with 147 power play chances and they have tallied 28 goals during those advantages, garnering them a percentage of 19.05%.

The player between the pipes for this game is Alex Lyon. During his career on the ice, Lyon has accounted for 65 quality starts and his rate for quality starts is .542. His save percentage currently sits at .903 for his 6,039 mins played. Lyon has seen 3,698 shots taken against him and has garnered 3,338 saves. Opponents have been able to score 360 goals against Lyon in his professional career and his goals against average per contest is 3.00. He has earned an overall mark of 62-44-14 and he has started in 120 games. Lyon has played in 135 contests throughout his NHL career.

Their last time out, New York opposed the Kraken in an outing where the Islanders went home in defeat by a final of 4-1. They had 7 attempts on the power play in this one and earned 1 out of those tries. The Islanders recorded 1 goal of the 25 shots on goal they took.

New York has put up 1,389 shots (17th in the league) and has a shot percentage of 10.22%, while allowing their opponents 1,415 shots. They have recorded a penalty kill rate of 82.14% on their oppositions 140 power play opportunities, and their save percentage is 90.4%. They have a total of 151 power play chances and they have a power play percentage of 15.89%. The Islanders have 118 goals at even strength and 24 goals (25th in professional hockey) while having a power play advantage. They have permitted 136 goals to be scored by way of 111 goals at even strength and 25 goals while they had less men on the ice. So far this season, the New York Islanders have tallied 142 goals, 59 points, in addition to a points percentage of .590.

On the other side of the ice you will find David Rittich in net. Opponents are averaging 2.81 goals per contest and he has yielded 629 goals overall. Rittich's percentage of quality starts comes in at 54.9% and he has 123 quality starting assignments in his pro career. He has started in 224 contests and his ice time sits at 12,240 minutes. Rittich has accrued a career record of 119-77-29 and has participated in 250 games. He has racked up 5,921 saves out of the 6,550 shots taken against him, giving him a rate of .904.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Buffalo

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