New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals: 5 Bold Predictions

– Halak struggles

Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Team Foligno forward Alex Ovechkin (8) of the Washington Capitals shoots against Team Toews goaltender Jaroslav Halak (41) of the New York Islanders in the shootout in the 2015 NHL All Star Game skills competition at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The signing of Jaroslav Halak this offseason was one of the better moves made by general manager Garth Snow, as he was a huge improvement over Evgeni Nabokov. Halak was selected to the All-Star team this season, and set the Islanders’ franchise win record.

This season, Halak has totaled a 2.43 goals against average, .914 save percentage, six shutouts, and a 38-17-4 record. In the Islanders’ last five games, Halak has struggled, as he had three bad games. Against the Flyers, Halak allowed five goals, including a ridiculous one with less than five seconds to play in a tie game. He would bounce back with a great game against the Penguins, only to allow four goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a shootout loss that cost the Islanders home-ice.

A lot of the Islanders’ struggles of late is because of the inconsistent play from Halak, as heading into the series with the Capitals, it’s hard to have faith in Halak.

Next: How well does JT play?