Islanders Face Wahlstrom, Bruins: Lines & Notes

OIiver Wahlstrom will face his former team for the first time in his career tonight.

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Jan 05, 2025

After opening 2025 with a loss at home, the New York Islanders (14-18-7) hit the road for the first time in the new year against the Boston Bruins (23-13-2).

Puck drop at TD Garden is set for 6:00 p.m., and the game can be found on MSGSN.

The Bruins defeated the Islanders in their first meeting of the season on Nov. 27 at UBS Arena. Boston will play their third game in four nights on Sunday; they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Saturday night.

The Islanders’ trip to Boston will begin a three-game road trip. New York will visit the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. They will return home before going to Vegas.

LINEUP UPDATES:

After leaving Thursday’s game with the Toronto Maple Leafs early, defenseman Isaiah George is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Dennis Cholowski will return to the lineup and skate alongside Scott Mayfield.

Simon Holmstrom (upper body) remains day-to-day. Semyon Varlamov (LTIR) is skating on his own.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Lee-Nelson-Barzal

Duclair-Horvat-Palmieri

Tsyplakov-Pageau-Cizikas

Engvall-MacLean-Fasching

Romanov-Dobson

Pelech-Pulock

Cholowski-Mayfield

Sorokin

Hogberg

WHO’S HOT:

Brock Nelson hasn’t lit the lamp since the Islanders’ first date with Boston on Nov. 27, but he had a three-point night the last time they met. He had two goals and an assist, giving him goals in four straight games against Boston, with two additional assists for six points in a four-game point streak.

Bo Horvat’s also had success against the Bruins recently, putting together a three-game point streak. The center has a goal and five assists for six points in that span.

Kyle Palmieri leads active Islanders in goals against the Bruins with 13 in 34 career games. Mathew Barzal has a team-best 14 assists against the Bruins, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau leads in total points against them, recording 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 40 games.

Ilya Sorokin left the ice first on Saturday at practice, making him probable to face the Bruins on Sunday. He took the loss in their last meeting, with five goals against on 20 shots. Against Boston, he is 2-3-2 with a 2.83 GAA and .898 SV% in seven career meetings with them.

OPPONENT’S NOTES:

Three Bruins had three-point games the last time they faced the Islanders: David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, and Pavel Zacha. Pastrnak and Lindholm each had three assists, while Zacha had two goals and a helper. Pastrnak enters Sunday’s game of a two-goal performance in their loss to Toronto.

Charlie McAvoy had an assist against the Islanders in their last meeting, extending his point streak to six points against them. The Long Beach native has a goal and eight assists for nine points in that span.

The Islanders will also face Oliver Wahlstrom for the first time since leaving the Islanders on waivers last month. The former first-round pick made his Bruins debut against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 19, going scoreless in five games in a Boston uniform.

Brad Marchand leads the Bruins in scoring across the board against the Islanders. Boston’s captain has 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points in 48 career games against New York.

After Jeremy Swayman started the front end of the back-to-back for Boston, Joonas Korpisalo is projected to start on Sunday for the Bruins. Korpisalo last started on Dec. 27 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing six goals on 33 shots in a loss. In 15 games against New York, he is 6-5-3 with a 2.73 GAA and .917 SV%,