Game Preview: Islanders Without Romanov vs. Ducks, Rosner On NHL Network Radio
Islanders start weekday back-to-back against Anaheim.
Following a split of a weekend back-to-back, the New York Islanders (3-3-2) open another one on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks (3-4-1). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., and the game can be found on MSGSN.
Defenseman Alexander Romanov will not play, missing his second straight game after suffering an upper-body injury in their 4-3 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
Below, listen to Stefen Rosner’s NHL Radio spot from this morning:
The Islanders swept the Ducks aside in their season series last year. New York won their matchup at UBS Arena on the strength of a Simon Holmstrom shorthanded goal before routing the Ducks 6-1 at Honda Center on March 10.
WHERE THEY STAND:
Anaheim visits the Islanders in the middle of a four-game road trip in the Eastern Conference, dropping their last game to the New Jersey Devils. Brock McGinn opened the scoring in the first period, but New Jersey exploded for six-straight goals across the final 40 minutes. Stefan Noesen scored twice, with Jack Hughes and Paul Cotter adding on in the second, and Nico Hischier made it five unanswered goals in the third. Former Islanders forward Ryan Strome stopped the bleeding briefly in the third, but Erik Haula got the goal back late in the period, helping the Devils cruise to a 6-2 win.
The Islanders fell to the Florida Panthers in their last outing on Saturday. New York staked themselves to a 3-0 lead early on goals by Dennis Cholowski, Kyle Palmieri, and Brock Nelson in the first 12 minutes, but the rest of the game was all Panthers. Sam Reinhart got Florida on the board before the first intermission, with Matthew Tkachuk and Mackie Samoskevich getting things even in the second. In the third, Sam Bennett broke the tie 6:19 into the frame, Tkachuk added a second goal on the power play, and Gustav Forsling scored an empty net goal to propel Florida to a 6-3 win.
OPPONENT LAST GAME: Ducks 2, Devils 6
ISLANDERS PROJECTED LINES:
Holmstrom-Horvat-Barzal
Tsyplakov-Nelson-Palmieri
Lee-Pageau-Cizikas
Engvall-MacLean-Fasching
Reilly-Dobson
Pelech-Pulock
Cholowski-Mayfield
Sorokin
Varlamov
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Bo Horvat vs. Lukas Dostal
Bo Horvat is a player to watch for the Islanders in this matchup. Among rostered Islanders, the former Vancouver Canuck has 11 goals in 32 career matchups with Anaheim to lead the team. He had a goal and two assists across their season series last year but enters their first meeting this season cold. With Horvat looking to get back on track, facing a team that he’s had success against could be a good place to start.
However, if Horvat’s going to start a run on Tuesday, he’ll have to face a breakout netminder in Lukas Dostal. Thus far this season, he is 3-2-1 with a .936 SV% and 2.17 GAA. However, he struggled in his first matchup with New York on March 10, letting up six goals on 19 shots. Regardless, with longtime goaltender John Gibson on the shelf with an appendectomy, Dostal looks to continue to solidify the net against the Islanders.
WHO IS HOT:
The Islanders’ second line impressed in their two games over the weekend. Kyle Palmieri notched a goal and assist in each game, Brock Nelson recorded two goals, and Maxim Tsyplakov tallied two helpers. Palmieri and Nelson have been hot recently against Anaheim, starting with Palmieri boasting a three-game point streak against them with three goals and three assists for six points in that span. Nelson has points in four straight games, matching Palmieri’s stat line.
Mathew Barzal has also been strong against Anaheim as of late, recording points in five straight meetings. The forward has two goals and six assists for eight points in that span.
Patrick Roy confirmed on Monday that Ilya Sorokin will start Tuesday’s game. Against Anaheim, he is 4-0-0 with a .943 SV% and 1.75 GAA, including a 34-save shutout on Feb. 27, 2022. In his most recent matchup, he earned the win with 20 saves on 23 shots on March 15, 2023.
OPPONENT NOTES:
Troy Terry has been hot for the Ducks recently, recording a point in all but one of his team’s games. In a seven-game point streak, he has four goals and three assists in that span. He and Robby Fabbri enter play on Tuesday one goal shy of 100 for his NHL career.
Alex Killorn is the Ducks’ leader in goals against the Islanders, totaling six in his career. Cam Fowler leads Anaheim in the remaining offensive categories, with 13 assists and 18 points, respectively.
PREGAME READING
Islanders & Their Battle With Mental Toughness: 'We Have To Find A Way To Calm Down The Play - THN
Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy Changes Plan, Decides To Overload Top Power Play Unit - THN
Ducks Lines From Last Game:
Islanders Community:
Complimentary Parking!
Once again for the 2024-25 season, those that drive a BMW can receive complimentary single-game parking in the Emerald Parking lot.
Please click the BMW | Islanders image below for parking registration information,