New York Islanders
Islanders Game 44: Philadelphia ‘Fly’ In; Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The New York Islanders (17-19-7) continue their season-long seven-game homestand tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers (19-20-6) in UBS Arena. Three of the next seven Islanders’ games in the next two weeks come against these Flyers. The first two are in UBS Arena before the final meeting, which is the first road game after the extended stay-at-home ends.
Currently, both teams find themselves on the outside of a playoff spot and in the bottom half of the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia’s played 45 games to the Islanders’ 43, leading New York by three points in the standings. If the Islanders are to go on a run, they have to beat Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a struggling team that’s gotten some truly mediocre at-best goaltending. Behind an excellent coach and an emerging young forward core headliner by Matvei Michkov, they always compete hard.
That’s something that Islanders’ have seemingly struggled with to this point. Just after Tuesday’s game, Islanders’ Head Coach Patrick Roy again questioned the Islanders’ heart, saying to the media postgame, “The position we were in, winning three in a row, we had a chance to go for four in a row. I think we should have been more hungry. Â We should have had more urgency than what we did. Sometimes, you have to dig those ones, and for some reason, we did not.”
That joins a growing list of quotes from Roy this year publicly critiquing, questioning, or blasting New York’s dedication to the game. Despite the public rebuke, Roy is keeping the same lineup, minus Marc Gatcomb who made his NHL Debut in place of an ill Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who returns tonight.
Simon Holmstrom rejoined the team today in a non-contact jersey. Alexander Romanov skated but will not play tonight as he misses another game due to his upper-body injury.
Ilya Sorokin starts after Marcus Hogberg started the previous two games for the Islanders. It’ll be Samuel Errson in the crease for the Flyers tonight.
Islanders Projected Lines:
Anders Lee – Brock Nelson – Mathew Barzal
Maxim Tsyplakov -Bo Horvat -Kyle Palmieri
Anthony Duclair – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Casey Cizikas
Matt Martin – Kyle MacLean – Pierre Engvall
Defense and Goalie
Isaiah George – Noah Dobson
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Dennis Cholowski – Scott Mayfield
Ilya Sorokin
Flyers Projected Lines:
Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Joel Farabee – Sean Couturier – Matvei Michkov
Scott Laughton – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen and Goalie
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Egor Zamula – Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Sam Ersson
Special Teams:
Islanders Power Play: 10.5%, 32nd; Islanders Penalty Kill: 65.8%, 32nd
Flyers Power Play: 16.5%, 28th; Flyers Penalty Kill: 78.5%, 21st
Notes:
Brock Nelson enters tied for fifth-most goals all-time in Islanders’ Franchise History with 287, tied with Brent Sutter and Pat Lafontaine.
Anders Lee has 279 goals, just 8 away from catching that trio.
Matt Martin skates in career game 979, 21 away from the 1,000-game milestone. He’s played 846 with New York and 132 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Islanders’ Power Play is 0 for its last 25 straight. They haven’t scored a power-play goal in 14 straight games. The last time the blue and orange scored on the man advantage was December 8 in Ottawa.
Mathew Barzal enters with 323 career assists, tied with Brent Sutter for ninth all-time in the Franchise Leaderboard.
Matt Martin enters with 995 career penalty minutes with the Islanders, five away from becoming the sixth Islander ever to reach the 1,000 PIMs marker, joining the following: Mick Vukota (1879), Rich Pilon (1525), Gary Howatt (1466), Denis Potvin (1356), Bob Nystrom (1248).
The Islanders have won 7 of the last 10 matchups against the Flyers.
How to Watch:
TV: MSGSN**, ESPN+ Out of Market
Radio: 88.7 (FM) WRHU
** = Unless you have Altice/Optimum, which has dropped MSG, MSGSN