Game #11
New York Islanders (3-5-2) vs. Buffalo Sabres (4-5-1)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EDT | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, NY
TV: MSG
Know Your Opponent
New York Islanders
Record: 3-5-2 | 8 PTS
Last Game: 2-0 loss to Columbus Blue Jackets
Division Ranking: 8th in Metropolitan
PP: 12.9%
PK: 62.5%
What to Watch
1. Losing Ways
The Islanders are driving the struggle bus as of late, having lost three in a row and four of their last five games. Earlier this week, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks before falling 2-0 the next night to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After some other divisional games on Thursday, they now sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan division.
The Sabres, meanwhile, won three in a row before falling to the defending champs on Monday night. Buffalo sits fifth in the Atlantic division, with all the bottom four teams having nine points each. Buffalo and Detroit have an identical record on paper, too.
2. Struggling Power Plays
Heading into tonight’s game, we’re looking at two of the four worst power plays in the NHL. The Sabres are a measly 6.9 percent on the man advantage this season, while the Islanders are only slightly better at 12.9 percent.
Jason Zucker has scored both of Buffalo’s power play tallies to date, so let’s hope some other guys can get in on the action soon and that facet of the team’s play steps up.
3. Levi’s Turn
Devon Levi returns to the net for the fourth time this season, as he’s expected to get the start on Friday night. Levi has one win on the season and a 3.79 GAA, coupled with a .874 save percentage. (Of course, given how few games he’s played, those numbers are slightly skewed.)
He hasn’t played in over two weeks, with his last action coming on October 17 against the Blue Jackets when he allowed six goals on 25 shots faced.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jordan Greenway – Ryan McLeod – Dylan Cozens
Jason Zucker – Peyton Krebs – Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn – Sam Lafferty – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Henri Jokiharju
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Mattias Samuelsson – Connor Clifton
Goalies: Devon Levi (projected starter), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
New York Islanders
Honestly – who knows… The Islanders have been putting their lines in a blender the last few games.
Forwards
Maxim Tsyplakov – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal
Simon Holmstrom – Brock Nelson – Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Casey Cizikas
Matt Martin – Kyle MacLean – Hudson Fasching
Defense
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Mike Reilly – Noah Dobson
Dennis Cholowski – Scott Mayfield
Goalies: Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov