Sport Preview: Islanders vs Senators Jan. 14 – NHL.com

The Islanders kick off a season-long seven sport homestand on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., MSGSN)
NEW YORK ISLANDERS (17-18-7) VS OTTAWA SENATORS (21-18-3)
7:30 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS
WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | ISLANDERS + UBS ARENA APP
The New York Islanders are again residence and able to dive right into a season-long, seven sport homestand once they host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at UBS Area.
The Islanders earned their third consecutive win once they grinded out a 2-1 win over the Utah Hockey Membership on Saturday in Salt Lake Metropolis. Mathew Barzal buried the game-winner with 1:25 to play after Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders whereas Marcus Hogberg stopped 21 of twenty-two pictures in his first victory as an Islander in his second begin of the season.
Flying excessive on the power of season-high three consecutive wins, Head Coach Patrick Roy is aware of that his group can keep even-keel with a sole deal with Tuesday evening’s problem.
“After we’re coming from an extended journey from the west, it is at all times the primary sport again that’s the hardest one,” Roy mentioned. “I believe we now have lots of expertise on this room, and it is the mindset that the blokes wish to have, to be even keel, take it one sport and keep within the current second.”
The Senators are coming off a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday, sweeping a back-to-back set after a 5-0 shutout over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Josh Norris, Tim Stützle and Matthew Highmore scored to construct a 3-1 lead early within the third, however the Sens held on to win after Evgenii Dadonov netted a power-play purpose for the Stars with below minute left to play. Leevi Merilainen began in each video games of the back-to-back and made 53 saves on 55 pictures confronted.
The Islanders lead the season collection 2-0-0 after a pair of 4-2 wins at Canada’s capital on Nov. 7 and Dec. 8.
– Isaiah George, who missed three video games with an higher physique harm, joined the group for follow on Monday morning, however his standing for Tuesday’s contest is up within the air.
“He seemed good,” Roy mentioned of George after follow. “I don’t know if he’s going to play or not, we’ll most likely know extra tomorrow, however he seemed good.”
– Ilya Sorokin, who missed Saturday’s tilt in opposition to Utah with an sickness, was again on the ice on Monday for follow and resumed the starter’s crease.
– Nelson scored in back-to-back video games and has 4 factors (2G, 2A) in his final two outings, which adopted a 17-game purpose drought.
– The Islanders’ shorthanded items have been good for 3 straight video games after they went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill on Saturday. On the opposite aspect of particular groups, the ability play remains to be struggling, because the Islanders are 0-for-24 on the person benefit over their final 13 video games, which marks the longest stretch and not using a power-play purpose in franchise historical past.
– Roy swapped Anthony Duclair and Max Tysplakov within the third interval of a one-goal sport on Saturday in Utah, which resulted in a 2-1 Isles win. The Russian ahead was elevated to a line with Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri whereas Duclair skated with JG Pageau and Casey Cizikas. These strains stayed the identical for Monday’s follow, and Roy defined his determination to modify the 2 wingers whereas citing how properly Horvat and Tysplakov play off one another.
“Each time we put Bo and [Tsyplakov] collectively, they’ve nice video games,” Roy mentioned. “They performed very well in that third interval, and Pageau and Duclair performed very well with Casey, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Roy went on to clarify that it’s helpful for Tsyplakov’s improvement to play with veteran facilities like Horvat and Pageau.
“They’re two excellent vets and so they’re serving to Max loads,” Roy mentioned. “All I’d wish to see is a bit more expertise from [Tsyplakov], studying the sport and making good choices below stress.”
– The Islanders are 7-9-2 on residence ice this season.
Cinematic Recap: Wins in Boston, Vegas and Utah
– The Senators are three video games above NHL.-500 with a file of 21-18-3. The Sens had a sizzling December with a file of 9-3-1 and a .731 successful proportion that ranked fourth within the NHL for the month. Ottawa went on a six-game successful streak from Dec. 11-21, instantly following a 4-2 loss to the Isles on Dec. 8.
– Linus Ullmark (week to week) is sidelined with a lingering again harm and has not performed since Dec. 22 in a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 22. Anton Forsberg and Leevi Merilainen have been holding down the fort in Ullmark’s absence. Merilainen, 22, is 3-1-0 in his final 4 begins, with seven targets allowed over that span and a .937 SV%. Forsberg has been struggling as of late, with a file of 0-2-1 and 11 targets allowed over that span and a .861 SV% since Ullmark went down.
– Brady Tkachuk leads the Senators with 18 targets whereas Tim Stützle leads the group in scoring with 43 factors.
– Ridly Greig inked a four-year contract extension on Jan. 10 that goes by the 2028-29 season. The 22-year-old ahead has 13 factors (6G, 7A) by 39 video games of this third season with Ottawa. The Senators drafted the Lethbridge, Alberta native twenty eighth total within the 2020 NHL Draft.
– The Senators energy play converts at 24.1% and ranks tenth within the NHL.
– Ottawa is 10-11-2 on the highway this season.

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