New York Islanders

Islanders Game 33 Preview at Carolina Hurricanes: Lines & How To Watch

Published

4 months ago

December 23, 2023

The New York Islanders play their final game before Christmas when they face the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at PNC Arena. Here’s what you need to know before puck drop.

Staying In The Race:

The Islanders are holding a playoff spot while in the top half of a competitive division. If they want to stay there, they’ll need to make a move before their rivals.

Islanders Front Office Must Keep Foot On Gas To Stay In Playoff Race

Projected Lineup:

Lee-Horvat-Barzal

Engvall-Nelson-Palmieri

Holmstrom-Pageau-Gauthier

Fasching-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Romanov-Dobson

Bolduc-Bortuzzo

Reilly-Aho

Sorokin

Varlamov

Last Time Out:

The second half of back-to-backs has not been kind to the Islanders and continued on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals.

A multi-goal comeback to tie the game in the third period wasn’t enough to make up for the Islanders’ slow start, as Washington won in overtime.

Instant Islanders: Fatigue Fatal In OT Loss To Capitals

The Opponent:

The always-aggressive Carolina Hurricanes sit just a point behind the Islanders entering tonight’s action. Both of the previous games between the Islanders and Hurricanes this season have gone to overtime, with each side claiming a victory.

Carolina is 3-4-3 in its last 10 games, including a 2-1 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

Sebastian Aho leads Carolina in points and is tied with Teuvo Teravainen for the team lead in goals.

Pyotr Kochetkov is projected to start in net for the Hurricanes. He posts a 7-6-3 record with a 2.53 GAA and a .899 save percentage.

The Hurricanes are 10th in the NHL on both the power play and penalty kill.

How To Watch:

Puck drop between the Islanders and Hurricanes from PNC Arena is scheduled for just past 7:30 p.m. EST. The game is only available to watch on MSGN2 and ESPN Plus. 88.7 FM WRHU will produce the radio feed of the game, which can also be heard on 1050 AM ESPN or 103.9 FM WRCN.