Second Leg, Gm 71: Lines, Preview & How to Watch vs. Blues

The New York Islanders (33-28-9) play their second game in as many days after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in the dying seconds Friday, they face the St. Louis Blues Saturday (41-20-10). Puck drop is slated for 8 PM ET at Enterprise Arena.

The St. Louis Blues are also on their second of a back-to-back as they defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime.

The New York Islanders did not hold a morning skate on Saturday morning. Head coach Barry Trotz will speak to the media around 4:30 CT.

With Ilya Sorokin getting the start on Friday night, Semyon Varlamov will be in-betweem the pipes Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. On Friday, Ville Husso started against the Wild, which means Jordan Binnington will get the call against the Islanders.

New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas was suspended by NHL Player Safety following a hit on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brendan Smith.

https://nyihockeynow.com/new-york-islanders-casey-cizikas-nhl-player-safety-brendan-smith/

The New York Islanders find themselves 13 points back of the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot in the East, with 12 games remaining in the regular season. Being able to pick up the win in regulation on Friday was vital to keeping their playoff hopes alive.

“You just go out and focus on helping your team win,” New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri said following the win. “Everyone is just here to win hockey games. We’re going out and playing for our teammates and hopefully getting the results.”

The Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins today 6-3.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS LINEUP (PROJECTED)

Lee-Nelson-Beauvillier

Bailey–Pageau–Palmieri

Parise-Barzal-Wahlstrom

Martin–Bellows–Johnston

Pelech–Pulock

Chara–Dobson

Greene–Hutton

Varlamov

Sorokin

ST LOUIS BLUES LINEUP (PROJECTED)

Buchnevich-Thomas-Tarasenko

Saad-O’Reilly–Perron

Barbashev-Schenn–Toropchenko

MacEachern–Brown–Walker

Scandella–Parayko

Leddy-Faulk

Mikkola–Bortuzzo

Binnington

Husso

ISLANDERS GAME NOTES

The New York Islanders visit the St. Louis Blues tonight, the second and final meeting between the two clubs this season. The last time these teams met was March 5 at UBS Arena, when Brock Nelson and Oliver Wahlstrom scored in a 2-1 win.

Tonight is the Islanders’ final Western Conference matchup of the 2021-22 campaign. They have a 3-2-0 record against Western Conference opponents since they last played the Blues.

This evening’s game is also the second leg of a back-to-back series for both teams. The Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh last night, and the Blues won in overtime against the Wild.

BETTING CORNER

The New York Islanders are the road underdogs against the St. Louis Blues, coming in at +115. They are -210 n the reverse puck line. The Blues are -135 and are +175 on the puck line.

The over for the contest is set at 5.5, with both set at -110.

These lines are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.

HOW TO WATCH:

Saturday’s contest will be available on MSG+.  On the radio dial, the game can be heard on 1050 AM ESPN, 88.7 FM WRHU and 103.9 FM LI News Radio.