Islanders Game 36: March of the Penguins

The New York Islanders (13-15-7) return from their holiday hiatus against the surging Pittsburgh Penguins (16-15-5). For the Islanders, it kicks off a pair of back-to-back sets they have, starting with these Penguins.

The puck drops tonight just after 7:30, and then both teams will sprint back to Pittsburgh in time for their 5:30 puck drop tomorrow evening.

The Islanders’ nosedive entering the holidays comes after finally getting everyone healthy. In Anthony Duclair’s first game, the team played their most complete and dominant win of the season, the 6-3 drubbing of the Maple Leafs. Two days later, the Buffalo Sabres scored a touchdown in UBS Arena en route to a 7-1 humiliation of the blue and orange.

So, who truly are these Islanders? Are they closer to their best tonight, or is it another dud on home ice? Head Coach Patrick Roy isn’t panicking, and he seems set on rolling out the same lineup as in Monday’s game.

For the Penguins, they are 4-1-1 in their last six. The flightless birds also have points in 10 of their last 13 games and have won nine of them. This is the same team everyone left for dead when they were in the bottom of the standings after the first 24 games. Heck, these Penguins already blew a 3-1 lead in UBS Arena this season.

What’s changed? The trade for Phil Tomasino looks like a masterstroke by Penguins President and General Manager Kyle Dubas. What’s more, as the great Dan Kingerski put in his gameday story today: “The vivid contrast between the last 13 games and the first 24 has been stunning. The Penguins are holding leads, minimizing mistakes, and, most importantly, enjoying the task of playing defense.”

Islanders Lines

Anders Lee–Mathew Barzal–Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Anthony Duclair–Brock Nelson–Kyle Palmieri

Maxim Tsyplakov–Bo Horvat–Simon Holmstrom

Kyle MacLean–Casey Cizikas–Hudson Fasching

Defense

Alexander Romanov–Noah Dobson

Adam Pelech–Ryan Pulock

Isaiah George–Scott Mayfield

Goalies: Ilya Sorokin

Penguins Lines

Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin-Drew O’Connor

Anthony Beauvillier-Cody Glass-Phil Tomasino

Matt Nieto-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Defense

P.O Joseph-Kris Letang

Matt Grzelcyk-Erik Karlsson

Ryan Graves-Ryan Shea

Goalie: Tristan Jarry

Special Teams

Islanders Power Play: 12.0%, 32nd. Islanders Penalty Kill: 64.4, 32nd.

Penguins power play: 24.5%, 7th. Penguins penalty kill: 82.4%, 9th.

Game Notes

Brock Nelson is two goals away from tying Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter for the fifth-most goals in franchise history.

Mathew Barzal is one assist away from breaking his tie with Stefan Persson for the 10th-most assists in franchise history.

The Islanders’ special teams continue their horrid and historically bad form, still clocking in at league-worst numbers. Simultaneously, the Penguins’ power play went three-for-three against Philadelphia on Monday and rose to seventh in the league. Since Nov. 30, it has clicked at 33.3%, the third best in that time frame.

Evgeni Malkin is one point shy of tying Hall-of-Famer Gilbert Perreault (1,326) for the 35th-most points in NHL history.

How to Watch

TV: MSGSN; ESPN+ Out of Market

Radio: 88.7 (FM) WRHU