Injuries and ejections scrambled the Islanders' lines. Who settles back in as they face the Red Wings?
The New York Islanders were without Simon Holmstrom for Tuesday night's 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars, leading to a few lineup tweaks.
In came Maxim Tsyplakov, with Maxim Shabanov landing on Mathew Barzal's right:
Heineman-Horvat-Palmieri
Drouin-Barzal-Shabanov
Lee-Pageau-Duclair
Cizikas-Ritchie-Tsyplakov
By the end of the 60-minute affair, head coach Patrick Roy had showcased a multitude of lines, some of which came about after Bo Horvat was given a 10-minute misconduct, which kept him out of the game for the final 13-plus minutes.
We saw Anders Lee and Shabanov swap. We saw Jonathan Drouin drop down to play with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Lee for a few shifts.
The question now is: what will the lineup look like against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night?
Assuming Holmstrom is ready to go, he's for sure coming back into the lineup. Given what Roy said following Tuesday's morning skate, it made it seem that Shabanov was getting a look on Barzal's wing only if Holmstrom was unable to go.
So, can we assume that Holmstrom will be with Barzal for Detroit? We know what happens when you assume, but that's probably a fair assumption, especially since the Barzal-Shababov duo didn't stick.
It would be a shock to see the Islanders' top line touched, so expect Emil Heineman to remain with Horvat and Kyle Palmieri.
As for the bottom six, Tsyplakov likely comes out of the lineup, despite his better play of late.
When it comes to Shabanov and Anthony Duclair, which one is more suited for a fourth-line role? Shabanov's defensive play stands out, but his size, on a typical fourth line, doesn't fit the mold.
The question is, which player would get the most out of rookie Calum Ritchie? The 20-year-old had one of his better games in Colorado, playing alongside Shabanov, but scored his first goal with the Islanders against Dallas, courtesy of a strong feed to the low slot off the stick of Duclair.
So, that lends us to think that Ducliar will play alongside Ritchie and Casey Cizikas on the club's fourth line, with Shabanov lining up alongside Lee and Pageau.
Heineman-Horvat-Palmieri
Drouin-Barzal-Holmstrom
Lee-Pageau-Shabanov
Cizikas-Ritchie-Duclair
Puck drop between the Islanders and Red Wings comes Thursday night at 7 PM ET on MSGSN 2.