PK Cronin
Bailey Fan Club Prez
NEW YORK ISLANDERS (15-18-7) AT VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (28-9-3)
10 PM ET | T-MOBILE ARENA
WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+
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Vying for their second straight win, the New York Islanders are out west to take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
The Islanders had three days between games after an important 5-4 OT win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday. Bo Horvat scored the overtime winner on a breakaway after opening the scoring with a shorthanded tally, Lee potted a pair of goals, while Ryan Pulock also scored in the win. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves in the victory that ended a three-game losing streak for the Isles.
The Knights are coming off a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Mark Stone, Zach Whitecloud, Victor Olofsson (PPG) and Tomas Hertl (ENG) led the way offensively for the Golden Knights' third straight win and ninth win in the last 10 games, while Ilya Samsonov backstopped the Knights with 19 saves.
SEASON SERIES
Thursday’s tilt opens the season series between the two teams. Last year, the Islanders went 0-2-0 against Vegas. Anthony Duclair, who will face the Golden Knights for the first time as a member of the Isles, knows how dangerous the team can be offensively.“They're obviously a really good team, a lot of depth, all four lines can score goals,” Duclair said. “We want to make sure that we stay really disciplined. We don't want to put them on a power play for no reason, they’ve got guys that can make you pay. I think we're ready for the challenge, and it's going to be a good test, especially on the road.”
ISLES NOTES
- The Islanders took full advantage of three days off between games, going coast to coast as they skated at Northwell Health Ice Center on Tuesday and got a second consecutive practice on Wednesday in Las Vegas. With a busy stretch coming up where the Isles will play six games in 12 days, the Islanders were able to focus on special teams in both sessions. Head Coach Patrick Roy is especially seeing progress in his shorthanded units.“I love the way we killed against Toronto and Boston,” Roy said. “We scored [on Sunday] shorthanded against Boston and it gave us some life. We had a good push after that. I like the way we’ve been practicing. I feel like we’re very connected, there’s no holes in what we’ve been doing, we’re been tight.”
- On the injury front, the Isles have a couple players out in the forward group, as Simon Holmstrom (IR, upper body) is expected to miss his fourth straight game and Hudson Fasching (day to day, upper body) is out after sustaining an injury in Boston. Both players did not travel with the team out west. Matt Martin will draw into the lineup for the first time since Dec. 15 and skated with Kyle MacLean and Pierre Engvall on Tuesday and Wednesday for practice.
“He’s a great pro,” Roy said of Martin. “Guys are looking up to him, they see him accepting his role and he’s a good leader on this team. He’s been working extremely hard on and off the ice to be ready when we need him.”
- Defenseman Isaiah George (day to day, upper body) also did not make the trip. In wake of his injury, Grant Hutton was recalled by the Islanders. Hutton has appeared in 12 games this season, but last played for the Isles on Dec. 10.
- Lee will skate in his 800th NHL game on Thursday, all with the Islanders. When reflecting on the personal milestone, the captain was quick to turn the attention to a team-focused mentality, as a big win in Vegas will make his 800th NHL game all the more meaningful.
"That's crazy, that’s a lot of hockey, it’s pretty special," Lee said. "It'll be a fun game. We're coming off a big win, and we're starting to feel [rewarded for] the way we're playing and feel we got results the other night. So, let's bring that on tomorrow here and just enjoy it. It's a big opportunity, one of the best teams in the NHL, let alone on the road, it's a fun way to spend that night.”
Lee leads the Islanders in scoring with 18 goals and 32 points.
- With a goal and two assists on Sunday, Pulock recorded his first three-point game since Nov. 26 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Pulock is second among Isles d-men with 15 points (2G, 13A), second behind only Noah Dobson’s 20 points.
- Horvat’s overtime goal on Sunday was the 10th of his career and fifth with the Isles.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES
- The Golden Knights tower over the Western Conference with a record of 28-9-3 and their home record of (17-4-0) leads the NHL.- Jack Eichel recorded a team-best 42 assists this season, which marks the most helpers he's had as a Golden Knight and is also 12 assists shy of a career-high 54 set with the Buffalo Sabres in 2018-19. Eichel, along with Mark Stone, are producing at over a point-per-game pace this season, as Stone has 35 points (11G, 24A) in 26 games and is on a three-game point streak with three goals and two assists over that span.
- Ivan Barbashev is on IR with an upper-body injury after he sustained an injury on Dec. 15. The 29-year-old forward is tied with Brett Howden for the team lead in goals (15).
- Vegas made some changes to their roster over the offseason, notably acquiring Victor Olofsson, who has nine goals and 14 points in his first 19 games with the Knights. The 29-year-old Swede missed 20 games between Oct. 17 and Nov. 29 with a lower-body injury. Ilya Samsonov signed with Vegas as a free agent and has a 11-3-1 record in his first 15 starts, along with a 2.65 GAA and a .907 SV%.
Also over the offseason, the Golden Knights parted ways with Jonathan Marchessault, who lead the team in scoring with 69 (42G, 27A) points last season, and Chandler Stephenson, who recorded his third 50-point campaign, as Marchessault and Stephenson were signed as free agents by Nashville and Seattle respectively.
- The Golden Knights have not dropped consecutive games in regulation since Oct. 15-17.
