Game Primer: Islanders Face Red Wings With Massive Playoff Implications

After dropping a divisional matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Islanders (29-24-15) face the Detroit Red Wings (35-28-6) in Motown. 

Puck drop from Little Caesar's Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Detroit took their first matchup of the season in October, but the Islanders got their win back on Feb. 29. Brock Nelson and Casey Cizikas helped the Islanders jump to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Olli Maata cut the lead in half in the second. Patrick Kane got Detroit level 10 seconds into the third, but Nelson's second of the game got the Islanders back ahead. Maata responded with his second over five minutes later, but Mathew Barzal put New York ahead for good late, with Pierre Engvall sealing the game on an empty net goal. 

Both teams enter Thursday's game in the thick of the Eastern Conference Wild Card chase. Detroit holds the final playoff spot, while the Islanders sit three points back with a game in hand. 

Detroit captured a 4-3 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Columbus jumped out to 2-0 and 3-2 leads, but the Red Wings rallied to tie both times. Lucas Raymond tallied the bookend goals for Detroit in regulation, with Moritz Seider scoring in the middle. Less than a minute into overtime, Kane handled a reversal from Alex DeBrincat, drove to the net, and finished the shot for the victory. 

Despite his recent struggles, Patrick Roy will send Ilya Sorokin to the crease on Thursday for his 50th start of the season (22-17-11, 3.03 GAA, .909 SV%). Sorokin surrendered three goals on 33 shots in their loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Against the Red Wings, he is 4-1-2 with a 2.37 GAA and .922 SV%, winning his last matchup with 22 saves in February. 

Bo Horvat tallied a secondary assist in Tuesday's game, extending his point streak to three games. The Islandes top-line center has three goals and an assist in that span. 

Casey Cizikas has goals in both games against Detroit this season, tallying a shorthanded goal back in October and the second red light in their most recent meeting. Dobson has a three-game point streak against Detroit entering play, totaling four assists.

Brock Nelson scored two goals in the Islanders' last matchup with Detroit, giving him 16 goals and 26 points against them lifetime and extending his team lead. He also has points in four straight games against the Red Wings, totaling four goals and two assists in that stretch. Mathew Barzal has 20 assists against the Red Wings lifetime to lead in that category. 

Red Wings reporter Carley Johnston confirmed that James Reimer will make his 17th start of the season on Thursday (8-7-2, 2.98 GAA, .907 SV%). Reimer started Tuesday's victory and made 32 saves on 35 shots in the effort. In 16 games against New York, Reimer is 8-3-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .914 SV%. He last surrendered four goals on 45 shots in a loss on Oct. 18, 2022, as a member of the San Jose Sharks.

Lucas Raymond enters Thursday's game on fire. The former fourth-overall pick has goals in five straight games, totaling seven in that span. In addition to his two goals against Columbus, he found the back of the net twice against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Michael Rasmussen and Shayne Gostisbehere enter the game with consecutive game-assist streaks. Rasmussen has helpers in three-straight, while Gostisbehere has apples in his last five games, helping him to a six-game point streak overall. 

Kane has been the star of the show for the Red Wings since joining the team earlier this season. In addition to a five-game point streak with two goals and five assists entering play on Thursday, he leads Detroit in scoring against New York. Kane has 12 goals and 13 assists, good for 25 points, in 22 career meetings.

Brock Nelson - Bo Horvat - Kyle Palmieri

Anders Lee - Mathew Barzal - Hudson Fasching

Pierre Engvall - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Simon Holmstrom

Kyle MacLean - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech - Noah Dobson

Alexander Romanov - Ryan Pulock

Mike Reilly - Robert Bortuzzo

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov

Alex DeBrincat - Austin Czarnik - Patrick Kane

David Perron - J.T. Compher - Lucas Raymond

Michael Rasmussen - Andrew Copp - Christian Fischer 

Robby Fabbri - Joe Veleno - Daniel Sprong

Ben Chiarot - Moritz Seider

Simon Edvinsson - Jeff Petry

Olli Maatta - Shayne Gostisbehere 

James Reimer 

Alex Lyon 

*Lines are subject to change. Head coach Derek Lalonde said Dylan Larkin is a game-time decision. 

Thursday's game will air on MSGSN2. On the radio, the contest will air on 88.7 FM WRHU, 103.9 LI News Radio, and the ESPN New York app.