With MetLife Stadium on the horizon, the New York Islanders (22-18-12) host the Seattle Kraken (21-21-10) in their final contest before the Stadium Series.
With MetLife Stadium on the horizon, the New York Islanders (22-18-12) host the Seattle Kraken (21-21-10) in their final contest before the Stadium Series.
Puck drop from UBS Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Islanders’ three-game point streak was snapped at the hands of the Calgary Flames on Saturday. New York struggled to find their footing out of the gate, with MacKenzie Weegar opening the scoring for Calgary. Jonathan Huberdeau and Weegar, once again, lit the lamp for the Flames, giving them a 3-0 lead entering the third period.
Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau attempted to start a rally, but Calgary had answers for each tally. A pair of empty netters from Blake Coleman and Weegar, his third of the game, finished a 5-2 Flames win.
Morning Skate Updates:
The Islanders skated at Northwell Health Ice Center this morning.
After missing Saturday’s game due to a lower-body injury, defenseman Alexander Romanov returned to the ice on Monday. He is a game-time decision.
The Islanders did make one switch on their line rushes at skate, with Anders Lee and Pierre Engvall trading places at forward.
Ilya Sorokin left the ice first for the Islanders this morning, he’ll return to the crease for his 37th start and 38th appearance of the season (16-12-9, 3.10 GAA, .910 SV%). Sorokin is 2-1-0 in three career meetings with Seattle, boasting a 1.69 GAA and .945 SV5; he stopped all 32 shots faced in a shutout in his last matchup on Feb. 7, 2023.
Seattle did not skate this morning, they are on the second game of a back-to-back.
Joey Daccord started for Seattle on Monday, so Philipp Grubauer is probable to make his 18th start and return to the crease (5-9-1, 3.25 GAA, .884 SV%).
Grubauer's last start came on Dec. 9 against the Tampa Bay Lightning; he left that game early and was placed on IR with a lower-body injury.
In seven games against New York, he is 3-3-0 with a 2.57 GAA and .917 SV%, most recently making 20 saves in their last meeting on Nov. 16.
New York Islanders Lines (Projected):
Pierre Engvall - Bo Horvat - Mathew Barzal
Anders Lee - 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
Seattle Kraken Lines (Projected):
Tomas Tatar - Matty Beniers - Jordan Eberle
Jaden Schwartz - Alex Wennberg - Jared McCann
Eeli Tolvanen - Yanni Gourde - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Andre Burakovsky - Kailer Yamamoto - Brandon Tanev
Vince Dunn - Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak - Will Borgen
Ryker Evans - Brian Dumoulin
Philipp Grubauer
Joey Daccord
Islanders Notes
With his third-period goal on Saturday, Nelson owns a three-game point streak entering Tuesday’s game; the forward has a goal and two assists in that span.
Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri also extended their point streak to five games against Calgary after earning one assist each. Palmieri has three goals and three assists in his point streak, while Barzal owns three red lights and four helpers.
Bo Horvat, who scored his first goal with the Islanders against Seattle, leads the team in career scoring against the Kraken; his four goals lead the team in eight career meetings. Barzal, who played for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, has the most assists against Seattle lifetime with four and holds a tie with Horvat for most points against them. Barzal also owns a four-game point streak against Seattle with a goal and four assists in that span.
Kraken Notes
Seattle dropped the first game of their back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils on Monday. The Kraken came out flat in the first 40 minutes, letting up a Tyler Toffoli power-play goal in the first period. In the second, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer lit the lamp in the first five minutes of the frame, and the Devils tilted the ice with a 17-8 shot advantage in the period. Will Borgen attempted to start a Kraken rally halfway through the third, but that was as close as they could get, with the Devils holding on for a 3-1 win.
The Kraken defeated the Islanders in their first meeting of the season on Nov. 16. Anders Lee got the Islanders on the board early, but Matty Beniers and Alex Wennberg got Seattle the lead before the end of the first period. Casey Cizikas got the Islanders even in the second, and Noah Dobson gave New York the lead early in the third. However, the Islanders couldn’t hang on to the lead, as Kailer Yamamoto forced the game into overtime.
After a scoreless extra session, the game went to a shootout. Horvat and Oliver Wahlstrom scored for New York in a long skills contest, but Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle had answers for both goals. In the eighth round, Yamamoto scored what proved to be the difference-maker in a 4-3 Kraken win.
Jared McCann added a secondary assist on Borgen’s goal, continuing his white-hot play in his last 10 games. He owns seven goals and six assists, 13 points, in that span.
Tomas Tatar, acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in December, leads active Kraken in scoring against New York. The forward has seven goals and 17 points to lead the team, while Bjorkstrand and McCann are tied for the lead in helpers with 10.
Betting Corner
In a matchup against teams in opposite conferences, it’s the Islanders who enter as the favorite at -155 on the money line; Seattle comes in at +125. The over/under begins at six goals, the over slightly favored at -115 to the under at -105.
All lines are courtesy of MGM Sportsbook.
How To Watch
The Islanders-Kraken matchup will air on MSGSN. On the radio, the contest is available on 88.7 FM WRHU, 98.7 ESPN and 103.9 LI News Radio.