Game Preview: Islanders Close Out Week With Saturday Matinee Against Calgary

After making a statement against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, the New York Islanders (22-17-12) play a Saturday matinee with the Calgary Flames (24-22-5).

Puck drop from UBS Arena is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

New York scored early and often in the first two periods of their victory against Tampa Bay. Noah Dobson got the Islanders on the board just over four minutes into the game, but Nikita Kucherov had the Lightning’s answer. The rest of the period was all Islanders, as Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri added goals to put New York up 3-1 after one. Nick Paul got Tampa back within one early in the second, but the Islanders once again had a strong response. Ryan Pulock, Bo Horvat, and Casey Cizikas scored consecutive goals to give New York a 6-2 lead before the middle period ended, which proved to be the game’s final score.

Neither team skated this morning due to the early start time.

Ilya Sorokin was in the starter’s crease at practice on Friday, he will likely make his 37th start and 38th appearance of the season tonight (16-12-9, 3.10 GAA, .910 SV%). Despite boasting a 2-1-0 record against Calgary, Sorokin has struggled against the Flames, boasting a 3.81 GAA and .895 SV% in three games; Sorokin won his last meeting with Calgary, making 35 saves on 39 shots in a 5-4 shootout win.

After missing the end of the second period in Thursday’s game, Brock Nelson was on the ice for the Islanders on Friday. Alexander Romanov did not practice due to maintenance; head coach Patrick Roy said the defenseman would take warmups, and the team would evaluate from there.

Calgary recalled goaltender Dustin Wolf from the AHL on Friday, with Dan Vladar going on the IR. However, it’ll likely be Jacob Markstrom taking the crease for his 32nd start this season (16-13-2, 2.56 GAA, .914 SV%). In 13 games against New York, he is 6-5-2 with a 3.04 GAA and .902 SV%, most recently letting up four goals on 33 shots in their last meeting.

Anders Lee - Bo Horvat - Mathew Barzal

Pierre Engvall - Brock Nelson - Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmstrom - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Oliver Wahlstrom

Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech - Ryan Pulock

Alexander Romanov - Noah Dobson

Mike Reilly - Scott Mayfield

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov

Jonathan Huberdeau - Yegor Sharangovich - Andrei Kuzmenko

Connor Zary - Nazem Kadri - Martin Pospisil

Andrew Mangiapane - Mikael Backlund - Blake Coleman

Jakob Pelletier - Kevin Rooney - Walker Duehr

MacKenzie Weegar - Rasmus Andersson

Noah Hanifin - Chris Tanev

Oliver Kylington - Brayden Pachal

Jacob Markstrom

Dustin Wolf

New York won their first meeting with Calgary on Nov. 18. Martin Pospisil opened the scoring in the mid-stages of the first period, but Hudson Fasching got the Islanders even before the end of the frame. The Islanders led on two occasions over the final 40 minutes, with Palmieri and Barzal scoring in the second and Nelson putting New York ahead in the third. However, Calgary rallied to tie both times, starting with Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar to get the Flames back from down two and Yegor Sharangovich tying the affair late in the third. After a scoreless overtime, Sharangovich and Horvat traded goals in the shootout, but Oliver Wahlstrom walked it off in the fourth round, giving the Islanders a 5-4 victory.

Barzal’s point streak grew to four games on Thursday with a goal and an assist against Tampa; the Islanders All-Star has three goals and three assists in that span. Kyle Palmieri also owns a four-game point streak, boasting one fewer assist in his last four.

Horvat, a longtime Vancouver Canuck, leads active Islanders in scoring against Calgary. The center has 12 goals and 11 assists, 23 points, to lead the team, including a three-game point streak with a goal and two assists in that span.

Calgary is on the third game of a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. The Flames had two wins in as many games, most recently topping the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Ondrej Palat opened the scoring for the Devils, but Mikael Backlund got the Flames even before the end of the first. Connor Zary gave Calgary the lead through two, but the teams traded goals throughout the third.

Kevin Rooney and Jesper Bratt exchanged goals over 1:10 apart, while Andrei Kuzmenko and Palat scored in a span of 3:50 later in the frame. With the Devils pushing for the tying goal, Andrew Mangiapane sealed the deal with an empty net goal, giving the Flames a 5-3 win.

Calgary saw a massive shakeup prior to the All-Star break, trading Elias Lindholm to the Canucks for Kuzmenko and a pair of prospects and picks. Kuzmenko has goals in his first two games with the club. Martin Pospisil, the Flames breakout forward, also received a two-year contract extension on Wednesday.

Nazem Kadri is riding a three-game point streak entering Saturday’s game, totaling five helpers in that span. Kadri is also Calgary’s top offensive producer against the Islanders, totaling eight goals and 20 assists, 28 points. Jonathan Huberdeau sits a close second with five goals, 16 assists, and 21 points, but he owns a seven-game point streak against the Islanders, totaling a goal and eight assists dating back to 2020’s Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

In this out-of-conference matchup, New York enters as the favorite on the money line; the Islanders start at -130 while the Flames begin at +105. The over/under starts at six goals, the over favored at -120, and the under at +100.

All lines are courtesy of MGM Sportsbook. 

Saturday’s game is available on MSGSN. On the radio, the contest will air on 88.7 FM WRHU, 98.7 FM ESPN and 103.9 LI News Radio.