Game Preview: Patrick Roy Makes Islanders Coaching Debut Against Stars

EAST MEADOW, NY -- The Patrick Roy era begins behind the bench on Sunday, as the New York Islanders (19-15-11) return to UBS Arena for three of their next four games prior to the All-Star break, starting against the Dallas Stars (26-13-5).

Puck drop from UBS Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The coaching change comes after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. Chicago got off to a strong start in the first period, but New York opened the scoring on Brock Nelson’s 20th goal of the year. New York kept the lead for the remainder of the first and most of the second period, but two quick goals by Boris Katchouk and Joey Anderson gave Chicago the lead. Jason Dickinson padded the Blackhawks’ lead, but the Islanders rallied to tie on goals by Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. In overtime, Seth Jones beat Ilya Sorokin from the high slot, sending New York to their fourth-straight loss.

New York skated at Northwell Health Ice Center on Sunday.

Sorokin was in the starter’s crease for the Islanders, he will make his 33rd start and 34th appearance of the season tonight (13-11-9, 3.12 GAA, .908 SV%). Sunday marks his ninth straight start and 13th consecutive appearance. Sorokin has only one career start against Dallas in his career, letting up one goal on 26 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss on Jan. 10, 2023.

Pierre Engvall and Semyon Varlamov returned to the ice but both are unavailable.

The Stars did not skate this morning, they’re on the second game of a back-to-back.

Scott Wedgewood started Saturday night’s game in New Jersey, so Jake Oettinger will likely start his 25th game and make his 26th appearance on Sunday (13-9-2, 2.96 GAA, .904 SV%). In four career matchups with the Islanders, he is 3-1-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .922 SV%, most recently earning the win with 27 saves on Jan. 10.

Anders Lee -- Bo Horvat -- Mathew Barzal

Hudson Fasching -- Brock Nelson -- Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmstrom -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Julien Gauthier

Matt Martin -- Casey Cizikas -- Cal Clutterbuck

Alexander Romanov -- Noah Dobson

Adam Pelech -- Sebastian Aho

Samuel Bolduc -- Scott Mayfield

Ilya Sorokin

Ken Appleby

Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Wyatt Johnston

Mason Marchment - Matt Duchene - Tyler Seguin

Jamie Benn - Sam Steel - Joe Pavelski

Craig Smith - Radek Faksa - Evegenii Dadonov

Ryan Suter - Nils Lundkvist

Esa Lindell - Jani Hakanpää

Thomas Harley - Joel Hanley

Jake Oettinger

Scott Wedgewood

Nelson took another step towards his 500th NHL point on Friday with his game-opening goal. The Islanders’ forward sits two points short of the feat but became the seventh player in franchise history to record eight 20-goal seasons with the team.

Noah Dobson recorded assists 38 & 39 on the season against Chicago. The defenseman’s next assist will give him his first career 40-assist season. He can become the first Islanders’ blueliner since Mark Streit in 2011-12 to accomplish the feat.

Lee and Nelson sit in a tie among active Islanders for most career goals against Dallas with seven. Nelson has six assists and 13 points compared to Lee’s five assists and 12 points. Nelson also owns a five-game point streak against the Stars entering Sunday’s game, totaling four goals and three assists, including a hat trick on Mar. 19, 2022.

The Stars overmatched the New Jersey Devils in the first game of their back-to-back on Saturday. Joe Pavelski opened the scoring on the power play in the first period, and Dallas struck frequently throughout the affair. Bookend goals by Roope Hintz and a Matt Duchene marker gave Dallas a 4-0 lead through two, with Craig Smtih and Wyatt Johnson adding on in the third. Jesper Bratt and Tyler Toffoli scored New Jersey’s lone goals in a 6-2 Stars win.

Dallas swept the Islanders in their two meetings last season, most recently topping the Islanders in a shootout on Jan. 10 at UBS Arena. Jason Robertson and Anders Lee traded goals in the first frame, the lone goals of regulation time. After a scoreless overtime, the teams went to the shootout, where Robertson scored the only goal in a 2-1 Dallas win.

Dallas’ offense has 159 goals to their credit this year, the third most in the NHL. Their success is largely due to the top line of Robertson, Hintz, and Johnston. Robertson leads the team in points with 45, Hintz’s 18 goals lead the team, and Johnston continues to impress as a young forward with 13 goals this season.

Smith, a longtime Islander nemesis, leads active Stars in goals against the Islanders with 12. The forward scored a hat trick against New York as a member of the Nashville Predators on Feb. 13, 2020. Tyler Seguin leads Dallas in assists and points against the Islanders with 16 and 24, respectively; the longtime Dallas center has a four-game point streak against the Islanders entering the game with a goal and four assists in that span.

Despite the Islanders’ struggles and coaching change, as well as Dallas’ back-to-back situation, the Stars aren’t favored by much in Sunday’s game. Dallas starts at -115 on the moneyline with the Islanders at -105. The over/under comes in at six goals, the over slightly favored at -115 with the under at -105.

All lines are courtesy of MGM Sportsbook.

The Islanders-Stars matchup can be found on MSGSN. On the radio, the game will air on 88.7 FM WRHU, 103.9 LI News Radio, and 1050 AM ESPN.