New York Islanders

Islanders Game 39 Preview at Vegas Golden Knights: Lines, Notes, How To Watch

Published

4 months ago

January 6, 2024

The New York Islanders (18-10-10) will try to finish their four-game road trip with a winning record as they face the Vegas Golden Knights ( tonight at T-Mobile Arena. Here’s what you need to know before puck drop.

Pelech Close To Returning, Just Not Tonight:

Adam Pelech continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury that has held him out of the lineup since Nov. 25. He’s participated in practice and at morning skate while traveling on this recent road trip with the Islanders.

Although head coach Lane Lambert confirmed that Pelech won’t make his return tonight, it seems it could happen any day now.

Sorokin Working Overtime:

Ilya Sorokin will be in goal for the Islanders tonight, making it his seventh start in the last nine games.

Ken Appleby will be Sorokin’s backup, while Semyon Varlamov remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. As long as Varlamov is out, the crease belongs to Sorokin.

Projected Lines:

Lee-Horvat-Barzal

Engvall-Nelson-Palmieri

Holmstrom-Pageau-Gauthier

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Romanov-Dobson

Bolduc-Mayfield

Reilly-Aho

Sorokin

Appleby

Last Time Out:

After two tough losses to open their road trip and the New Year, the Islanders found some direction in a 5-1 win over the Coyotes on Thursday.

Bo Horvat scored twice and finished the game with three points, while his linemate Mathew Barzal had two of his own to celebrate being selected to the NHL All-Star game.

The Opponent:

Recently, The Vegas Golden Knights have looked nothing like the team that won last year’s Stanley Cup, posting a 3-7-0 record in their previous 10 games.

Even with their recent skid, Vegas is still very much in the race out West, sitting in second place in the Pacific and only two points back of the division-leading Vancouver Canucks.

Jack Eichel leads the Golden Knights with 40 points and is only one goal shy of Jonathan Marchessault’s team-leading 17 goals.

Logan Thompson will make his 22nd start of the year tonight. With a record of 11-8-3, Thompson has a 2.87 GAA and a save percentage of .901.

Vegas is league average on both sides of special teams, 16th on the power play and 15th while shorthanded.

Shorthanded may be the perfect adjective to describe the state of the Golden Knights right now. They’re missing several lineup regulars due to injuries, including top-pairing defenseman Shea Theodore and center William Karlsson.

For More Coverage of the Vegas Golden Knights, check out Vegas Hockey Now.

How To Watch:

Puck drop between the Islanders and Golden Knights from T-Mobile Arena is scheduled for just past 10 p.m. EST. The game is available to watch on MSGSN and can be streamed on MSG Plus or ESPN Plus for out-of-market viewers. 88.7 FM WRHU will produce the radio feed of the game, which can also be heard on 98.7 FM ESPN or 103.9 FM WRCN.