After hanging on to finish a desperately needed victory, the New York Islanders (23-18-14, 5th in Metropolitan) face the St. Louis Blues (29-24-2, 4th in Central) in the Gateway City.
After hanging on to finish a desperately needed victory, the New York Islanders (23-18-14, 5th in Metropolitan) face the St. Louis Blues (29-24-2, 4th in Central) in the Gateway City.
Puck drop from Enterprise Arena is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
Where They've Been:
St. Louis enters off a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Neither team found the back of the net in the opening frame, but Matthew Knies opened the scoring for Toronto early in the second. Brandon Saad tied the affair heading into the third period, but Toronto's special teams proved to be the difference.
Auston Matthews tallied a power-play goal 45 seconds into the final period, and William Nylander added a shorthanded marker later on. Pavel Buchnevich attempted to start a Blues comeback, but Bobby McMann sealed the deal with an empty net goal.
Both teams are expected to make lineup changes on Thursday. Casey Cizikas suffered a hand injury against Pittsburgh, Kyle MacLean was recalled from AHL Bridgeport and will likely take his place.
For St. Louis, forward Zachary Bolduc will make his NHL debut, facing off against his junior head coach Roy, whom he won the QMJHL Championship and the Memorial Cup with in 2023.
"The funny part is it's against us," Roy said on Bolduc's NHL debut. "I'm happy for him. I had him for two years in Quebec, so he was one of our key players. It's nice to see a player who plays for you in juniors, having a chance to play at the next level."
Defenseman Scott Perunovich is a game-time decision for the Blues.
Players To Watch:
Islanders head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that Semyon Varlamov will start in goal for New York on Thursday (6-6-3, 2.90 GAA, .912 SV%). Varlamov last started for New York on Feb. 10 against the Calgary Flames, letting up three goals on 22 shots in a loss. Against St. Louis, Varlamov is 10-11-3 in 25 games with a 2.48 GAA and .925 SV%, most recently letting up six goals on 31 shots on Apr. 9, 2022.
Barzal's goal and assist on Tuesday extended his point streak to eight games, totaling four goals and six assists in that span.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau leads the Islanders in goals against St. Louis with seven. Nelson and Barzal are tied for the lead in assists with six, while Anders Lee tops total points with 11.
Jordan Binnington is projected to make his 38th start and 40th appearance of the season tonight (19-15-2, 2.93 GAA, .908 SV%). He last started on Feb. 17 against the Nashville Predators, yielding four goals on 32 shots in a loss. Against New York, Binnington is 2-2-2 with a 2.32 GAA and .909 SV%, most recently surrendering four goals on 29 shots in a 5-2 loss on Nov. 3, 2022.
Forward Robert Thomas has a three-game point streak entering Thursday's game with a goal and four assists in that span. Across his last five games, he has two goals and six assists. Defenseman Torey Krug has also been hot on offense, owning his own three-game point streak with a goal and three assists, along with a goal and eight assists in his last five games.
Center Kevin Hayes is the Blues' leading scorer against the Islanders, owning 12 in 37 career games. Captain Brayden Schenn leads in assists and points with 15 and 22, respectively. Thomas has also developed into an Islander killer early in his career, owning a four-game goal streak against New York.
Projected Lines:
New York Islanders
Anders Lee - Bo Horvat - Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall - Brock Nelson - Kyle Palmieri
Simon Holmstrom - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Oliver Wahlstrom
Matt Martin - Kyle MacLean - Cal Clutterbuck
Adam Pelech - Ryan Pulock
Alexander Romanov - Noah Dobson
Mike Reilly - Scott Mayfield
Semyon Varlamov
Ilya Sorokin
St. Louis Blues:
Pavel Buchnevich - Robert Thomas - Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours - Brayden Schenn - Zachary Bolduc
Brandon Saad - Kevin Hayes - Kasperi Kapanen
Alexey Torpchenko - Oskar Sundqvist - Nathan Walker
Nick Leddy - Colton Parayko
Torey Krug - Matthew Kessel
Marco Scandella - Scott Perunovich
Jordan Binnington
Joel Hofer
How to Watch:
The contest will be available on MSGSN. On the radio, the game will air on 88.7 FM WRHU, 103.9 LI News Radio, and 1050 AM ESPN.