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Stefen Rosner
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Islanders Heater With A Varlamov-Type Sorokin Needed In Playoff Stretch Run
The New York Islanders had a magical run to the postseason in 2023-24, going 8-0-1 in their final nine regular-season games to punch their ticket to the big dance.
Flash-forward to now, and the Islanders find themselves in need of one of those hot streaks with nine games remaining in the regular season and the second wild-card spot three points away.
Ironically, the Islanders enter Tuesday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning three points behind their pace from last season through 73 games.
Is that nine-game point streak to close out last season something that Patrick Roy is looking back at right now, with his team currently riding a five-game losing streak (0-3-2)?
"I think the guys know. I think the guys know, and we know where we are in the standings and we know what needs to be done," Roy said on Tuesday morning. "But yes, I'm sure it is motivation for our guys, and a positive thing and certainly going to use it tonight before the game."
The Islanders play the following teams to conclude their regular season: Lightning, Wild, Capitals, Predators, Rangers, Flyers, Devils, Capitals & Blue Jackets.
Four of those teams are in the playoff picture, with two hovering a wild-card spot.
Last season, the Islanders concluded their season against the following teams: Flyers, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Predators, the Rangers twice, Canadiens, Devils, and Penguins.
Three of those teams were in a playoff spot.
The biggest difference for the Islanders right now is the absence of goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
Roy quickly turned to his veteran Varlamov when Sorokin struggled down the stretch last season.
The then 35-year-old played five of the final nine games, with game 82 not counting after the Islanders clinched in game 81 against the New Jersey Devils.
In those five games, Varlamov went 5-0-0, with a 1.60 GAA and a .946 SV%.
Right now, Sorokin is struggling, dropping his last three games (0-2-1), owning a 3.67 GAA and an .847 SV%.
Hogberg has a 0-2-1 record over his last four appearances, with a 3.25 GAA and an .866 SV%.
If the Islanders are going to do the "unthinkable" and go on a run, they'll need their Sorokin to play to the level Varlamov played last season.
Yes, the Islanders did have Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson down the stretch last season, and goaltending was paramount to their success. It was clear last season and this season that this team struggles when having to overcome average goaltending.
And with the schedule a tad more difficult, Sorokin needs to rise to the occasion like Varlamov did in the final few weeks of the season if his team is going to have a shot.
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Islanders' March Madness
The New York Islanders did not do a good enough job in March to find themselves in a playoff spot.
They'll begin April three points back of the second wild-card spot with nine games to go.
Defenseman Noah Dobson led the team with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in their 15 March games. He also had the worst plus/- of any player, at -9.
Defenseman Tony DeAngelo averaged the highest TOI/GP at 22:58.
Bo Horvat led all forwards with 10 points (five goals, five assists) and the lowest plus/-, tied with Kyle Palmieri at -8.
Palmieri scored a team-leading three of the eight power-play goals the club scored.
The Islanders' goaltending struggled collectively, with a combined .894 SV%.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 313 of 347 shots for a .902 SV% while Marcus Hogberg stopped 84 of 97 for an .866 SV%.
Looking at some more stats, forward Marc Gatcomb ran away in the hits department, 51. Forward Casey Cizikas was second on the team with 38.
Defenseman Alexander Romanov led the team with 37 blocks.
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The Historical Aspect To Pierre Engvall's First Career Multi-Goal Game
New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall scored twice in their 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday:
It was Engvall's first multi-goal game of his NHL career, coming in his 371st career NHL game.
Per Eric Hornick's "The Skinny": Engvall's prior 63 goals had come in 63 different games, which matched the third-highest total in NHL history before a multi-goal game (Aaron Ekblad-68, Sandy McCarthy -66). Engvall's four goals since the trade deadline are tied with Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the club lead.
Engvall has been arguably one of the Islanders' better forwards the last few weeks as he tries to end what's been a shaky season on a good note with a questionable future ahead.
Engvall is in the second season of a seven-year deal worth $3 million annually and has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 53 games.
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Islanders Lose 6-4 To Carolina, Swept On Back-To-Back
The New York Islanders were in need of a win in Raleigh after falling 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
They did not get it in a 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night.
Here's how it happened:
The Islanders found themselves down 2-0 just 4:54 in the game after allowing goals to Travis Jankowski and Logan Stankoven in 13 seconds.
But, Pierre Engvall turned the momentum just a bit when he beat Kochetkov glove side off the rush at 6:10 of the first:
Kyle Palmieri tied the game at 2-2 on the power play, doing his best Rob Schrempy impression:
It was Engvall again who scored his second of the game to give his team a 3-2 lead at 1:37 of the third with a laser over the blocker:
The Islanders committed a cardinal sin on the power play, a four-minute one, allowing a shorthanded goal to Seth Jarvis at 17:27 of the second before Anders Lee found a way to tie the game up at 4-4 at 4:05 of the third:
But, the Hurricanes struck a tad over five minutes later with Dmitry Orlov's point shot getting through traffic at 9:19 of the third.
Jarvis added his second of the game at 17:14 of the third after he picked off an Alexander Romanov clear and had a strong give-and-go with Sebastian Aho at 17:14 of the third for the 6-4 final.
UP NEXT: The Islanders host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM ET.
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Hogberg Getting The Latest Biggest Game Of Season For Islanders
Marcus Hogberg was expected to be the New York Islanders' third-string goaltender slash Bridgeport starter this season.
Now, he's gearing up to start the biggest game of his team's season, with their backs a bit against the wall.
After the team fell 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, and the New York Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks 6-1, the Islanders woke up on Sunday three points back of the second wild-card with two games in hand.
Hogberg will be tasked with stopping the Carolina Hurricanes, the Metropolitan Division's second-best team.
The 30-year-old has faced Carolina twice this season, stopping all six shots he faced in relief of Sorokin on Dec. 17 before an impressive performance in a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 25.
He turned aside 24 of 26 shots that came his way but got hurt in the third period, leading to Sorokin having to come in for overtime.
On the season, Hogberg is 2-3-1, with a 1.92 GAA with a .931 SV%.
Per Eric Hornick's The Skinny: Both the GAA and save percentage are the best in Islander history for any goalie who has played at least six games.
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The Latest In the Islanders' Eastern Conference Wild Card Race
Following the New York Islanders’ 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team was unable to make up ground in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, remaining at 74 points. From there, it was scoreboard watching for the rest of Saturday’s games, with three games to keep an eye on.
First on the docket was the Ottawa Senators,, the East’s top Wild Card, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets, who entered the day holding the final Wild Card spot. The Senators jumped out to a 3-1 lead by the halfway mark of the game and held off a late Blue Jackets push to pull out a 3-2 win.
With the loss, the Blue Jackets remain at 75 points, just one ahead of the Islanders. The Senators maintain their stranglehold of the top Wild Card spot, owning 83 points on the season.
Next on the docket was the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Boston Bruins, with Detroit chasing the Islanders by two points entering Saturday’s game. All the goals in the game came in the first period and change of play, with the Red Wings getting goals from Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond to open the scoring. Morgan Geekie got Boston back within one, but that was as close as the Bruins would get in a 2-1 Detroit victory.
Detroit now pulls into a tie with the Islanders in the Wild Card standings, with New York having a game in hand on the Red Wings coming into Sunday.
The last and most important game for the Islanders came in The Golden State, with the San Jose Sharks hosting the New York Rangers. Artemi Panarin scored twice, and it was no looking back for the Rangers, scoring early and often en route to a 6-1 win.
The Rangers now hold the final Wild Card spot with 77 points, sitting three ahead of the Islanders after Saturday’s games, but the Islanders have two games in hand.
Looking at Sunday’s game, the Islanders will have one other game to watch, and that one is the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Florida Panthers. With both teams at 72 games played, the Canadiens, at 75 points, are a slim one-point ahead of the Islanders. Puck drop at Amerant Bank Arena is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
However, for the Islanders, it’s about taking care of their own business first, and they have a chance to do that on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes at 5:00 p.m. Things can fall into place if they focus on their own games, but the Islanders will have to come out swinging on the back end of a back-to-back.
Matthew Page wrote this story.
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Islanders Fall Short Of Comeback, Lose 5-3 To Tampa In First Game Of Back-To-Back
New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said following Friday's practice in Tampa that Ilya Sorokin would start against the Lightning with Marcus Hogberg getting the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was a big start for the Islanders, but especially for Sorokin, after he was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
However, things went south and fast on Saturday afternoon for the Islanders and Sorokin. He allowed three goals on the first seven shots that came his way through the opening 20 minutes.
The first goal beat him blocker side off the rush via Nikita Kucherov after Ryan Pulock and Alexander Romanov got confused at 2:02 of the first.
Then, the one Sorokin is going to want back came after he could not hold on to a Kucherov wrister, leading to a few rebounds and an eventual goal from Nick Perbix at 7:31 of the first.
And the last one, the Islanders' defensive-zone coverage was non-existent, leading to an easy finish for Brayden Point at 17:57.
Roy had a decision to make after the opening frame, but chose to stay with Sorokin, saving Hogberg for Sunday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The second period was a much better one for the Islanders, who, through 15 shots at Jonas Johansson, were the surprise starter for Tampa after Andrei Vasilevskiy had led the team out for warmups.
However, the Islanders could not get one past the backup netminder, failing to find the twine, with many of their looks coming off second and tertiary opportunities.
But, after a scoreless 19 minutes, the Lightning added on to their 3-0 lead, with Point scoring with 21 seconds to play on a delayed penalty:
At X of the third after Ryan Pulock sent a 96 MPH laser off the blocker-side post and in on the power play to make it a 4-1 game:
Then it was Marc Gatcomb with a short-side snipe from the right circle just 1:49 later to make it a 4-2 game:
And then it was Tony DeAngelo with a rebound tally to make it a 4-3 game at 8:47 of the third:
Guentzel scores on the empty net with 13.1 seconds to play in the third to stop the comeback.
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Islanders Still Control Playoff Destiny
At some point the New York Islanders are going to have to win some hockey games.
But after Friday’s out-of-town scoreboard results, Patrick Roy’s squad still controls their own destiny.
The outcomes on Friday weren’t great from an optics standpoint.
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout, while the New York Rangers earned a point in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks, with both teams leapfrogging the Islanders.
However, the biggest game went the Islanders way, with the Montreal Canadiens falling in regulation to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Islanders wake up on Saturday one line back of Columbus for the second wild-card spot, also one point back of the Rangers and Montreal.
But, the Islanders control their own destiny because they have a game in hand on Montreal and the Rangers — they play the Rangers on Apr. 10 — and they also play Columbus, closing the regular season against them on Apr. 17.
But, games in hand only matter if the Islanders can win them and this weekend back-to-back is anything but a piece of cake.
The Islanders battle the Tampa Bay Lightning at 2 PM ET on Saturday before facing the Hurricanes at 5 PM ET on Sunday.
Also on Saturday, the Blue Jackets face the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers face the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings, who sit two points back of the Islanders and three points back of the second wild-card spot, face the Boston Bruins.
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Ilya Sorokin Starts For Islanders vs. Lightning, Roy Making Defensive Swap
New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy decided to pull Ilya Sorokin after he allowed four goals on 19 shots in their 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
While his postgame remarks were taking the blame away from his No. 1 netminder, Roy did have a decision to make with thier weekend back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes.
Roy is going with Sorokin for Saturday, with Marcus Hogberg getting the start against Carolina.
In eight career starts against Tampa, Sorokin is 3-5-0, with a 3.38 GAA with an .881 SV%..
Hogberg relieved Sorokin against the Hurricanes on Dec. 17, stopping all six shots he faced. He made five saves in relief of Sorokin against Vancouver.
Roy has also decided to make a defensive change, as he'll be swapping out Mike Reilly for Adam Boqvist for power-play reasons, per Newsday's Andrew Gross.
Reilly has played in six straight games since returning to the lineup following a heart procedure and has one assist over that span.
The 31-year-old has no power-play points this season.
Boqvist, who served as a forward in their 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, with Hudson Fasching out sick, earned an assist. He has one power-play goal assist this season.
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Need For Goaltender Interference Clarity Grows
On Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets were beneficiaries of a goaltender interference call in the final moments of regulation against the New York Islanders in an eventual 4-3 shootout win.
On Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens, who hold down the second wild-card spot, were not in their huge game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
With the scoreboard reading 3-2 in the second half of the third period, the Flyers extended their lead after Tyson Foerster scored with 9:51 to play.
Called a goal on the ice, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis challenged the call as Bobby Brink goes to the blue paint on his own and makes contact with Jakob Dobeš.
But, after Toronto took a look, they deemed this a good goal, leading to a power play for Philadelphia. The Flyers took advantage, making it 5-2 in what became a 6-4 victory.
Following the game, Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher spoke about the failed challenge:
"We see what's going on...the Palmieri goal, the goal we had called back. He skates in the crease on his own. He gets in Dobes' way. That's what they've been calling. That's the standard [...] It's incompetence."
As you heard from Gallagher, there's no consistency and these are big games down the stretch here being impacted by goaltender interference.
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Flyers Fire Tortorella, Give Former Islanders Assistant, Head Caoch Shaw Interim Tag
A mere 36 hours after saying, "I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now,” Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella was relieved of his duties by general manager Daniel Briere.
Associate coach Brad Shaw takes over as the head coach for the rest of the regular season on an interim basis.
Shaw's first taste of coaching at the NHL level came behind the New York Islanders bench back in 2005-06, working under head coach Steve Stirling.
On Jan. 11, 2006, Shaw relieved Stirling after Long Island went 18-22-2 under his tenure.
He became the eighth coach general manager Mike Milbury had fired over a 10-year span.
Shaw went 18-18-4 before joining the St. Louis Blues as an assistant come season's end.
Now, he gets his first head coach coaching chance for the first time in 19 years.
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Former NHLer & NHL Network Analyst David Reid Breaks Down Islanders' Breakdowns vs. Canucks
The New York Islanders didn't rise to the occasion on Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. Former NHL winger and NHL Network analyst David Reid broke down their 5-2 loss to a tee.
"This was a tough game, and it's a 50/50 battle in most games, and you've got to go hard.
Reid then broke down every single goal the Islanders allowed, so let's go through them.
REID: "Tsyplakov takes the wrong point."
REID: "Tony D'Angelo is on Räty and he loses position on his man.
REID: "Jean-Gabriel Pageau stops skating through the neutral zone and Forbort takes the extra two strides and gets away from inside the blue line. And you have a goal.
REID: "You see Pelech lose position on the goal in the third period, which was eventually kind of the back breaker. Pelech has the puck on the boards. You've got to get that out. He misses his play. Next thing you know, boom, it's in the back of the net.
REID'S FINAL THOUGHTS:
"These are mistakes that are being made at the wrong time for the New York Islanders. This is a game the New York Islanders had to play and be absolutely perfect in their game. Now you're not going to win every 50/50 battle. You will lose guys in front of the net. When you're fighting for the playoffs like the Islanders have, your level of intensity and your level of, I won't say panic...the fact is, you have to make sure you win those battles. You have to have a 90/10 game. If you're 55/45, maybe 60/40, that's pretty good. You're playing against professionals. You're playing against guys who are really good on the other side. To get into the playoffs, you have to be that much better. That's where the New York Islanders, to me, lost this game. Ath the moments. where they needed to be at their best. They weren't, and it cost them."
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Vancouver Without Forwards Elias Pettersson & Nils Hoglander vs. Islanders
When the New York Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, the visiting team will be without forwards Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander.
Both fell victim to undisclosed injuries in their 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night, and were sent home for the remainder of their road trip, which concludes against the Winnipeg Jets on March 30.
The Canucks did find a way to overcome losing these two key forwards, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in a shootout on Monday night.
The Islanders are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss of their own, falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, if the Islanders can take advantage of a shorthanded Vancouver team, they'll find themselves holding down the second wild-card by the end of the night after the Montreal Canadiens fell 6-1 to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Puck drop on Wednesday between the Islanders and the Canucks comes your way at 7:30 PM ET.
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Tuesday's Out-Of-Town Scoreboard Goes Exactly The Way Islanders Needed It To
The New York Islanders have again received tremendous help in the standings on an action-packed Tuesday night of hockey.
The Montreal Canadiens, who hold down the second wild-card spot, one point better than the Islanders, suffered a 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The Ottawa Senators, who hold the top wild-card spot with a five-point lead on the Islanders, lost 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres.
The Rangers, who are tied with the Islanders in points, lost 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings and have played two more games than Long Island.
The Detroit Red Wings remain two points back of the Islanders after falling 5-2 to Brock Nelson and the Colorado Avalanche.
The New York Islanders will now enter Wednesday night’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks with the ability to leapfrog the Montreal Canadiens with a win to get themselves into a playoff spot for the first time in quite awhile.
The Islanders have the same number of games played as the Ottawa Senators, Canadiens, and the Columbus Blue Jackets, so continuing to gain points is massive.
The Islanders have 12 games left, leaving little margin for error, with their playoff chances coming down to the wire for the third straight season.
We will see once again if the Islanders can crawl themselves back into the playoffs when it seemed like all hope was lost just a few weeks ago..
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Joe LaChase contributed to this story.
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Adam Boqvist Producing At Forward, Earning Right To Remain There vs. Canucks
New York Islanders defenseman and part-time forward Adam Boqvist has been the definition of a team player since coming aboard.
Claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Jan. 31st when the team was bombarded with injuries to their defenseman, he played in 10 of the Islanders' next 12 games.
However, with the blue line getting back to full strength, Boqvist has seen his playing time cut short, suiting up for just one game over the last five.
As if the Islanders' season hasn’t already felt like a complete rollercoaster, on two separate occasions, forwards have gotten sick the day of a game, which led to head coach Patrick Roy deciding to play Boqvist as a forward.
In those two games, Boqvist has three points (0G, 2A). It’s no secret that Boqvist has a lot of offense in his game, but switching positions mid-season to help the team fill a spot in the lineup and produce the way he has is certainly rewarding for the team and Boqvist.
He had the secondary assist on Tony DeAngelo's goal against the Anaheim Ducks to get them on the board in a 4- 1 loss, playing for the sick Kyle MacLean as the fourth-line center -- he did not take a face-off.
Then, in their 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, Boqvist played as the third-line right winger with Hudson Fasching under the weather, recording two assists.
His first was the primary assist on Pierre Engvall's rush goal:
His second was the secondary assist on Anders Lee's go-ahead goal in the final minute of the second, playing more of his normal spot on the point:
Not only did he have a good game as a winger, but he had the highest game score of any Islanders player:
"I thought he did well," Roy said postgame. "I mean, it was not easy for a guy who just had 10 minutes of practice (the morning skate). That's all he had. I thought he did really well."
The NHL has seen this only a handful of times (Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Burns), but to do it mid-season for a defenseman who has never played forward before is impressive to see.
Hudson Fasching, who has done everything but score -- he's played well and has certainly been a positive for his line -- only has two assists in 31 games this season.
Boqbist has three in two games as a forward, with two goals and two assists in 11 games as a defenseman with Long Island.
When the Islanders battle the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, should Boqvit remain in regardless of Fasching's health?
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Joseph LaChase contributed to this story.
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How Stolen Point Against Columbus Impacted Islanders' Wild-Card Standing
ELMONT, NY -- In what was a four-point game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a wild-card hopeful, Kyle Palmieri's goal with 9.6 seconds to play in the third was waived off for goaltender interference.
The New York Islanders went on to fall 4-3 in a shootout, feeling as if they got robbed of that second point -- they certainly had a gripe, no doubt about it.
Had the Islanders won the game outright in regulation, they would have tied the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot with 75 points. They would have technically not held the wild-card spot with Montreal having one fewer game played.
Not only that, but with the New Jersey Devils losing their third straight game after falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks, a two-point night for the Islanders would have had them six points back of New Jersey with two games in hand for third place in the Metroplitan Division.
Equally important, a clean two points would have had the Islanders a point ahead of the New York Rangers with one game in hand and a clean two points ahead of the Blue Jackets.
Also, the Islanders would have been three points up on the Detroit Red Wings, widening that gap by more than a win.
But none of that is the reality on Tuesday morning.
The Islanders sit a point behind Montreal with one more game played.
The Islanders sit tied in points with the Rangers, ahead of them because of games played.
The Islanders' gap with the Blue Jackets is one point, and their gap with Detroit remains at two.
The Canadiens will make up their game in hand on Tuesday night when they face the St. Louis Blues with a chance to move three points up on Long Island.
The Rangers battle the Los Angeles Kings and can leapfrog the Islanders by two points with a win.
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Why Roy Is Going With Defenseman Boqvist As A Forward Again vs. Columbus
EAST MEADOW, NY -- With forward Hudson Fasching sick, New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy has elected to go with defenseman Adam Boqvist in his place on the club's third line.
With Matt Martin healthy and rostered, why didn't Roy go with the grizzled veteran?
The answer: The power play.
"Fasching is sick. He will not play. So we're gonna have Boqvist playing as a forward, and he will play on the power play," Roy said. "So, sometimes you have to adjust and adapt, and we feel like it's a good situation for us to go with him as a forward."
Why is Boqvist playing on the third line rather than the fourth?
"I can't change the line of McLean. They're playing so well," Roy said. "I mean, they've been scoring. They scored against the Panthers, then scored again last game, two goals. I like the way they're playing. "I don't want to flip the lines and make some changes because of it. I rather go with what we have and then keep going that way."
Boqvist has played forward once before, centering the fourth line when they fell 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks in their second game after the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Roy explained what Boqvist did before that game.
"First of all, it was funny because he wanted to see some clips. And so I love that the players care, and they want to do well," Roy said. "It doesn't matter. And I think, going in the stretch, whatever you can do to help the team...I think any defenseman, if we were to ask them to play forward, they always say yes. I think these guys just want to try to make the playoffs. I mean, that's all they want."
Puck drop between the Islanders and Blue Jackets is tonight at 7:30 PM ET.
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Blue Jackets Expected To Have Top Forward, Depth Defenseman Back vs. Islanders
The New York Islanders can find themselves in a wild-card spot by the end of the night with a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Columbus has struggled as of late, going 2-7-1 in their last 10 games, falling 6-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
However, they are getting two key players back.
Per The Athletic's Aaron Portzine, forward Sean Monahan and defenseman Erik Gudbranson will return to the lineup, providing a much-needed spark.
Monahan, who signed a five-year deal worth $27.5 million, has missed the last 30 games due to a wrist injury. Before the injury, he was a point-per-game player with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 41 games.
He'll slot in on the top line.
Gudbranson has only played in three games, sustaining a shoulder injury on Oct. 15.
He'll slot in on the third pairing.
Puck drop is slated for 7:30 PM ET at UBS Arena.
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Islanders Bailed Out By Brock Nelson & Avalanche In Shootout Win Over Montreal; Hold Steady In Wild Card Race
Brock Nelson may no longer be a member of the New York Islanders. But on Saturday night, he helped his former team out in a major way.
Let's set the stage.
The New York Islanders began the evening two points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
If the Islanders could beat the Calgary Flames on Satuday night, there was a chance they could wake up on Sunday morning in a playoff spot, as they held the regulation win tie-breaker over Montreal.
It just depended on what Montreal did against the Colorado Avalanche.
Chapter 1
Kyle MacLean scored with 4:51 to go in the third, with UBS Arena erupting. But before anyone could really gather their thoughts, Jonathan Huberdeau, in his 900th game, had a nasty deflection to tie the game 30 seconds later.
The game needed overtime, where Nazem Kadri scored the game-winning dagger at 3:53 of the overtime frame. It was a devastating blow and a gigantic point left on the table.
The Islanders just had to hope that the Colorado Avalanche could beat the Canadiens in regulation.
Chapter 2
The Avalanche did not beat the Canadiens in regulation. But it was Nelson who won it for Colorado in the fourth round:
While that goal won't count on the scoresheet, it was a goal that had Long Island in a much better mood then they were a few hours earlier.
The Islanders now still have the ability to tie Montreal in points on Monday, when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:30 PM ET.
Other notable results:
The New York Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 to leapfrog the Islanders by a point. The top wild-card Ottawa Senators beat the Metro third-seed New Jersey Devils 3-2.
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Islanders Updates Ahead Of Game vs. Flames
EAST MEADOW, NY -- Following their 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, the New York Islanders hit the ice for practice on Friday.
Because their game on Saturday against the Calgary Flames is a 4 PM ET start, there will be no morning skate.
Here are the updates from practice:
Goaltender Marcus Hogberg (2-3-0, 1.70 GAA, .938 SV%) will get the start, his first since March 9, a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Starter Ilya Sorokin, who turned aside 38 shots on Thursday, has started five straight games and 18 of the last 20.
"We play almost every other day. I know we have a back-to-back game with Tampa and Carolina after the homestand," Roy said. "We want to try to manage the schedule the best we can."
Defenseman Alexander Romanov, who has missed the last two games due to illness, is expected to return to the lineup. Roy said that he had to talk with Romanov following the skate, but that's the plan.
Romanov skated with Tony DeAngelo at practice, with Scott Mayfield the likely player coming out.
Here are the expected lines:
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