Islanders Face Penguins To Begin Weekend Home-and-Home
The Islanders need a bounce back effort on home ice after their disaster of a showing against Buffalo.
ELMONT, NY — With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the New York Islanders (13-15-7) start a weekend home-and-home against the Pittsburgh Penguins (16-15-5).
Puck drop is set for 7:30, and the game can be found on MSGSN.
New York won the first game of their season series on Nov. 5 at UBS Arena. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the third period, but the Islanders rallied back to tie late and force overtime. In the ensuing shootout, Bo Horvat scored the lone marker to give the Islanders a 4-3 win.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Tsyplakov-Horvat-Holmstrom
Lee-Barzal-Pageau
Duclair-Nelson-Palmieri
MacLean-Cizikas-Fasching
Romanov-Dobson
Pelech-Pulock
George-Mayfield
Sorokin
Hogberg
WHO’S HOT:
Anthony Duclair has two assists in as many games since returning to the lineup. Across seven games, he’s been in uniform, he has two goals and three assists for five points.
Horvat and Kyle Palmieri each had two points the last time the Islanders faced the Penguins. Horvat had a pair of helpers, while Palmieri had a goal and an assist.
Simon Holmstrom also had a goal in their last matchup, extending his point streak against the Penguins to three games. The forward has three goals and an assist for four points in that span.
Brock Nelson remains two short of moving into a tie with Brent Sutter and Pat LaFontaine for fifth place on the Islanders’ all-time goals list with 285 goals in his career. He can get closer against a team he leads the Islanders in scoring against, owning 21 goals and 18 assists for 39 points against Pittsburgh.
Both goaltenders are likely to get a start in the back-to-back, with Ilya Sorokin starting the front end of the back-to-back.
He took a beating against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, yielding six goals on 24 shots. Against Pittsburgh, he is 9-5-0 with a 3.18 GAA and .909 SV%, most recently making 32 saves on 35 shots in a win in their last matchup.
OPPONENT’S NOTES:
Sidney Crosby had a four-point game against the Philadelphia Flyers before the Christmas break on Monday. He leads the team in scoring this season with 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points.
Five other Penguins had multi-point games against the Flyers, including Rickard Rakell, who had a goal and two assists for three points; Michael Bunting, Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson each had two.
Rakell has a three-game point streak against the Islanders entering play on Saturday, totaling a goal and three assists for four points after a pair of helpers in November. Malkin also has points in three straight games, with two goals and three assists for five points.
Crosby had an assist in their last matchup, extending his overall lead in scoring against New York. The future hall of famer has 42 goals and 93 assists for 135 points in 87 career meetings with New York.
Tristan Jarry will start the front end of the home-and-home for Pittsburgh. He earned the win on Monday with 24 saves on 27 shots against the Flyers. Against the Islanders, he is 11-3-1 with a 2.28 GAA and .923 SV%, most recently pitching a 22-save shutout on
Penguins Latest Lines
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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,
Watching these games it’s clear that this team faults are uncorrectable. Lack of production from the PK and PP. The inability to play consistent defense, the amount of turnovers and breakdowns in coverage. Inability to finish around the net. The retool
Should begin as soon as possible. Any positivity they have it lasts seconds.
Players that need to be moved
1. Pulock
2. Nelson
3. Palmeri
4. Lee
Core Players
Horvat
Barzel
Tsyplakov
Holmstrom
Mac
Duclair
Romanov
Dobson
George
Pelech
Sorokin
Foudy should be up for PK and fourth line minutes!