As the Capitals have placed third in the group round robin, the Islanders will be facing off against Washington for Game 1 at 3:00 PM ET. The Isles and Caps have a decorated history- from season-ending injuries to Game 7 heartbreakers- both teams have a strong rivalry for one another. The Capitals have historically been equally matched with the Islanders, with a franchise head-to-head record of 98-97-13 against the Caps. Once again, we have another strong offensive team with future hall of famer Alexander Ovechkin leading Washington into battle, against former Caps head coach Barry Trotz’s defensive machine. What do the writers think the result of yet another Islanders vs Capitals series will be?

Shawn D’Aversa: Islanders 4-2 Capitals

Out of all the teams from the round robin, Washington is arguably the best matchup for the Islanders. While I am not discrediting Washington at all, as they are a very top team in this league, their offensive style is one the Islanders can counterattack with their signature shutdown defense. Washington is similar to Florida, but much better, with a loaded top-six, some defensive struggles, and a top goalie who has had an unexpectedly bad year. With the Islanders shutting down players such as Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Guentzel, Barkov, and Huberdeau in the last year and change in the playoffs with their defensive system, the Capitals’ top players are also in for a challenge. This series can go either way, but as long as the Islanders stay tight defensively, continue to get depth scoring and good goaltending, I like their odds. I’ll take the upset.

Will Wiegelman: Islanders 4-3 Capitals

This series could legitimately go either way. Both teams have a strength, Isles defense and Caps offense, that they will lean on to carry them. Washington didn’t look great in the round robin while the Islanders dominated 5 on 5 play in their qualifying round series. The biggest match-up in this series will be the Isles’ PK vs Alex Ovechkin. If New York can keep Ovi from having a Mike Hoffman-like series on the power play, they can win. Brayden Holtby will also be a major player in which way this series goes. His play will be very important.

Ethan Halle: Islanders 4-3 Capitals

The Islanders are fully healthy and dangerous. They have the right structure to potentially take them far. Through the around robin the Capitals struggled a bit; Lars Eller is out for game 1 and John Carlson is a game time decision. The Islanders style of play is perfect to counter the offense of the Capitals.

Christian Gardecki: Islanders 4-3 Capitals

This will be a close series. Both teams are evenly matched in many ways. One thing will be the specialty teams. If the Isles can stay out of the penalty box then everything can be good. Washington’s power play is really really good. If the Isles can keep the special teams in their favor then everything will be just fine.

Matthew Page: Islanders 4-3 Capitals

The Isles beat the Panthers rather convincingly in the Qualifiers, and the Caps are coming off of only one win in the round robin, so the Islanders are the hotter team. However, the rest time can be a factor for both sides to regroup. The Islanders will also have something to prove with Barry Trotz coaching his former team. It will be a tightly contested matchup that can easily go the distance, but the Islanders’ structure will win out in the end, in seven games.

Aidan Resnick: Islanders 4-2 Capitals

Winning a playoff series is difficult, but winning a playoff series without your starting goaltender is a much tougher task. The loss of Ilya Samsonov and the consequent reliance on Braden Holtby presents a weakness, as Samsonov’s production was above replacement-level this season, while Holtby’s production was far below replacement-level this season. Since Barry Trotz took over, the Islanders have portrayed an elite defensive structure with offensive upside; although the Islanders’ offense may struggle at times, they likely will look to exploit the goaltending weakness of the Capitals. Ultimately, despite the Capitals’ offensive potential at any given moment, their defense and goaltending will make far too many mistakes on which the Islanders could capitalize, advancing the Islanders to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jake Blackmore: Islanders 4-3 Capitals

Most of us are choosing the Islanders in seven games, and for good reason. This matchup will come down to two things: if the Isles’ penalty kill unit can withstand Ovechkin, and if the Capitals’ offence can produce against the Islanders’ defence. Although it has been a couple of years, Barry Trotz is familiar with the playing style of the Caps, and he will want to prove he made the right choice bringing his services to Long Island. As is typical with most Islanders games, the scoring will be low which means we will see scorelines of 2-1 and 3-2. The biggest factor is making sure the Islanders’ young offence can ensure they match the defence’s level. Regardless of who comes on top, these teams are evenly matched. I am a firm believer that defence wins championships, and for that the Islanders will move onto the next round.

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John Smark