New York Islanders

Islanders Game 2 Preview vs. Arizona Coyotes: Lines, Best Bets, Who and How To Watch

Published

6 months ago

October 17, 2023

Elmont, NY– Coming off a season-opening win, the New York Islanders will face the Arizona Coyotes at UBS Arena tonight in their second game of the regular season. Here’s what you need to know ahead of time.

Mayfield Out, Bolduc In:

With Scott Mayfield currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Samuel Bolduc will slot into the lineup for his season debut against Arizona.

Samuel Bolduc In Lineup For Islanders Against ‘Yotes; Mayfield Out

Projected Lineup:

Barzal-Horvat-Holmstrom

Engvall-Nelson-Palmieri

Lee-Pageau-Fasching

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Pelech-Dobson

Romanov-Pulock

Bolduc-Aho

Sorokin

Varlamov

Major Milestone For Matt Martin:

Tonight’s matchup will mark an important milestone for Matt Martin, who will play in the 900th game of his NHL career.

Islanders Matt Martin To Reach Career Milestone Tonight

Last Time Out:

The Islanders won their first game of the season, 3-2, over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. However, the win showed what could come for the Islanders this season, for better or worse.

Why the Islanders Win Shows What’s To Come, for Better & Worse

The Opponent:

The Coyotes arrive on Long Island 24 hours after falling to the New York Rangers, 2-1,at Madison Square Garden. A young team that’s 1-1-0 so far this season, Arizona’s dynamic speed presents another early challenge for the Islanders.

“They’re extremely fast,” Islanders head coach Lane Lambert said. “They’re extremely talented skill-wise, and they’re a good hockey team. They remind me a little bit of Buffalo. Their skill level and their powerplay are humming right now.”

A focal point of Arizona’s arsenal is rookie forward Logan Cooley. The third overall pick in last year’s draft out of the University of Minnesota already has three points through his first two NHL games.

“We’ve seen him play a couple of games,” Lambert said. “He’s an extremely smart, intelligent player who does not look like he’s the age he is. You have to play him like you’re playing any other good player. You got to stay above them, and you got to finish.”

Best Bets:

Brock Nelson has always been a player who has strong starts to the year. He has done so once again, and it’s rubbing off on his linemates, Pierre Engvall and Kyle Palmieri. You can feel confident betting on either one as an any-time goal scorer tonight with odds from Draft Kings.

Who To Watch:

Although he didn’t finish any of them, Bo Horvat led the Islanders with eight shots on goal against the Sabres. Expect him to put up a similar volume against Arizona tonight and once again generate multiple scoring chances with Mathew Barzal and Simon Holmstrom on the Islanders’ top line.

How To Watch:

Puck drop between the Islanders and Coyotes from UBS Arena is scheduled for just past 7:30 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on MSG Network and streamed on MSG+ or ESPN+ for out-of-market viewers. 88.7 FM WRHU will broadcast the radio feed of the game, which can also be heard on 98.7 FM ESPN and 103.9 FM WRCN.