Isaiah George To Make NHL Debut As Islanders Face Penguins
The Islanders' top defensive prospect joins the big club on Tuesday.
EAST MEADOW, NY — After coming up just short on Sunday despite being shorthanded, the New York Islanders (4-6-2) face the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-7-1) on Long Island to revisit their longtime rivalry. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m., and the game can be found on MSGSN.
Tuesday’s game will also mark the start of Isaiah George’s NHL career. The 20-year-old will skate in his first NHL game, taking the place of Samuel Bolduc in the lineup after four games with AHL Bridgeport.
The Islanders and Penguins split their four matchups this season, with New York going 2-2-0 against them. After a 7-0 drubbing by Pittsburgh at UBS in late December, the Islanders knocked them off at home in their final game of the regular season.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
Lee-Horvat-Pageau
Tsyplakov-Nelson-Palmieri
Engvall-Cizikas-Holmstrom
Fasching-MacLean-Wahlstrom
Cholowski-Dobson
Pulock-Mayfield
George-Hutton
Sorokin
Varlamov
WHERE THEY STAND:
Pittsburgh enters Tuesday’s game off a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The first two periods were all Sidney Crosby, as he scored twice to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play. Christian Dvorak cut the lead in half early in the third, but Pittsburgh kept Montreal quiet from there, getting a Blake Lizotte empty netter to seal the deal. Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 25 saves in the victory.
The Islanders hung tough with the Rangers throughout the game despite the defensive injuries. However, some untimely errors did the Islanders in early, with a Noah Dobson misfire leading to a Chris Kreider shorthanded goal to make it 1-0 after 20 minutes. The teams traded goals in the second, with Vincent Trochek and Artemi Panarin scoring for the Rangers and Casey Cizikas and Brock Nelson lighting the lamp for New York. However, the Rangers shut down the Islanders from there, getting red lights from Adam Edstrom and an empty net tally from Panarin to win it 5-2.
OPPONENT LAST GAME: Canadiens 1, Penguins 3
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Sidney Crosby vs. Islanders’ Defense
There isn’t much to be said about what Crosby brings to the table. In his age-37 season, he’s averaging over a point per game, totaling five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 13 games. He also enters play scorching hot over his last three games, totaling four goals and three assists in that span, good enough to earn the NHL’s Third Star of the Week honors. He also has tremendous numbers against the Islanders lifetime, totaling 41 goals and 93 assists for 134 points in 86 games against them.
However, the name of the game for the Islanders is to get a throwback performance from their top defensive pairing. Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech have their share of success in shutting down Crosby and company, as their playoff matchups with the Penguins in 2019 and ‘21 suggest. In fact, the Islanders kept Crosby quiet in their first three games with Pittsburgh last season before he notched two assists in the regular season finale. With that in mind, the goal for the Islanders is to keep him quiet, and it starts with their top defensive pairing.
WHO IS HOT:
Nelson got back on the scoresheet on Sunday with his goal. He now sits in a tie with Kyle Palmieri for most goals on the Islanders with five. He led the Islanders in scoring against the Penguins last season with two goals and two assists for four points in as many games.
In addition to his success last season, Nelson leads active Islanders in scoring against the Penguins lifetime. He has 21 goals against the Penguins in his career, the most among every team in the NHL, and 18 assists for 39 points in 43 games against them.
Ilya Sorokin will start for the Islanders on Tuesday. Against the Penguins, he is 8-5-0 in 13 games with a 3.21 GAA and .908 SV%, making 40 saves on 44 shots in a winning effort. Most notably, he denied Crosby on a penalty shot that night.
OPPONENT NOTES:
Tuesday’s game will see a familiar face take the ice for Pittsburgh against New York. Forward Anthony Beauvillier will return to UBS Arena for the fourth time in his career after leaving in the Bo Horvat trade. Beauvillier scored in his first game against the Islanders but has been kept scoreless since.
Lars Eller was the Penguins’ top goal-scorer last season against the Islanders, tallying three goals in four games. Michael Bunting has also had success against the Islanders in recent matchups. In three games as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes and Penguins, he has points in three straight games, totaling four assists in that stretch.
Nedeljkovic will once again be in net for the Penguins on Tuesday. In six career games, he is 3-1-1 with a 3.21 GAA and .909 SV%, taking the loss in their last meeting with five goals against on 32 shots.
PREGAME READING
Islanders Patrick Roy Reflects On His 20-Year-Old Self As A Montreal Canadien Upon George Call-Up - THN
Patrick Roy Pushing Pierre Engvall To Be More Aggressive: 'That's His Ticket'- THN
Islanders On The Lookout For Left-Side Defenseman, Three Trade Possibilities - THN
Islanders Place Barzal On Long-Term Injured Reserve, Pelech On Injured Reserve - THN
QUOTABLE:
“I think the big message is, go out there, and at the end of the day, it’s just hockey. I've been around to know all the systems and the expectations. It’s just about going out there playing and enjoying it.” — Isaiah George on making his NHL debut
“He’s 20 years old. Sometimes, you’re afraid to throw someone in. But like I said to Lou, I was also 20, and I’m sure my teammates were sh***ing in their pants about how nervous they were when I played my first game. But, sometimes, that’s the way it is. You got to give someone a chance, and I think he’s ready for it.” — Roy on George’s NHL debut
Pittsburgh Penguins Lines From Last Game
Note: Beauvillier will face the Islanders for the fourth time since being traded on Jan. 30, 2022, in the deal that brought Bo Horvat to Long Island.
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,
