Islanders Wrap Up Homestand Vs. Avalanche, Perunovich To Play: Lines & Notes

Can the Islanders close out their homestand with five straight wins?

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Jan 29, 2025

ELMONT, NY — With the ability to push their winning streak to five straight games, the New York Islanders (21-20-7) wrap up their season-long, seven-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche (29-20-2).

Puck drop at UBS Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the game can be found exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu.

The Islanders defeated the Avalanche 6-2 to earn their first win of the season back on Oct. 14. New York notched a pair of goals in each period, with Brock Nelson scoring twice in the victory.

Tuesday night’s game also marks the Islanders debut of Scott Perunovich. The defenseman joins the team following a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Monday. In 24 games with the Blues, he has two goals and four assists for six points in 24 games.

He’ll skate alongside Isaiah Georg on the blue line.

After acquiring defenseman Tony DeAngelo on Friday, the Islanders acquired Scott Perunovich from the St. Louis Blues for a 2026 fifth-round pick.

Defenseman Ryan Pulock and goaltender Marcus Hogberg were placed on Injured Reserve on Monday after suffering lower-body injuries against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Goaltender Jakub Skarek was recalled on Monday and will be back tonight.

He will make his Islanders debut tonight after being considered a game-time decision.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Lee-Horvat-Barzal

Ducliar-Nelson-Palmieri

Cizikas-Pageau-Holmstrom

Tsyplakov-MacLean-Gatcomb

Pelech-DeAngelo

Romanov-Mayfield

George-Perunovich

Sorokin

Skarek

Who’s Hot:

Adam Pelech had an assist on Anders Lee’s game-tying goal on Saturday, giving him a helper in four straight games, it’s the longest point streak of his NHL career. The defenseman also had two assists the last time the Islanders faced the Avalanche.

Nelson continued his recent hot streak, potting the game-winning goal on Saturday. In his last eight games, he has five goals and five assists for 10 points. Following his two-goal game against Colorado earlier this season, he has three goals in his last two games against them.

Simon Holmstrom has a three-game point streak against the Avalanche entering Saturday’s game; the forward has two goals and an assist in that span. Mathew Barzal also has points in three straight against Colorado, boasting a goal and two assists in that stretch after an empty net goal in their last matchup.

Kyle Palmieri leads active Islanders in scoring across the board against the Avalanche. The forward has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 27 career games against Colorado.

After Hogberg was placed on IR, Ilya Sorokin will likely see his workload increase starting on Tuesday against Colorado. He started the front end of the weekend’s back-to-back against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, making 29 saves on 30 shots in a win. Against Colorado, he is 1-2-2 with a 3.13 GAA and .919 SV% in five career matchups, making 32 saves on 34 shots to earn the victory in their last matchup.

Opponents Notes:

Casey Mittelstadt has also had the Islanders’ number as of late, picking up points in four straight games against them. After a goal earlier this season, the forward has two goals and four assists for six points in that span.

Defenseman Cale Makar has dominated on the offensive side of the puck this season. After two goals and an assist against the New York Rangers on Sunday, he leads the league in goals and points at the blue line with 18 and 56, respectively. He has a three-game point streak against New York, picking up a goal and six assists for seven points in that span.

Colorado has some new faces in their lineup since the last time they faced New York. After swinging a blockbuster, three-team deal with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas will face the Islanders for the first time with the Avalanche. Drury had a goal and Necas had two assists for their first point with the club on Sunday.

The second notable change is in net, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood making up their new goalie tandem. Blackwood will start on Tuesday amid his tremendous start to his Avalanche career, posting a 10-4-2 record, 2.17 GAA, and .922 SV% in 16 games, making 33 saves on 37 shots in a win against the Rangers on Sunday. In nine games against New York, he is 4-4-1 with a 2.55 GAA and .917 SV%, most recently making 16 saves on 17 shots in a win on Oct. 20, 2022.

Nathan MacKinnon has a seven-game point streak against the Islanders entering Tuesday’s game. The former MVP has four goals and nine assists for 13 points in that span, picking up an assist in their last meeting. He leads the Avalanche in scoring lifetime against the Islanders, notching 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 20 career games.

Colorado Avalanche Latest Lines: