Game Preview: Islanders at Penguins

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (17-9-9) AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (17-13-4)

6 PM | PPG PAINTS ARENA

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The New York Islanders got right on Friday night – and on Sunday, they’ll look to get even when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time in under a week.

The Isles were shut out 7-0 by the Penguins on Wednesday night at UBS Arena, which included a six-goal second period for Pittsburgh, and while the Isles turned the page with a decisive 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Friday, the rematch with Pittsburgh is a welcome one.

“Pittsburgh’s a divisional opponent and they beat us very soundly,” Head Coach Lane Lambert said after Friday’s win. “You don't forget that. And it's a big divisional game.”

JG Pageau paced the Isles with four points (2G, 2A), while Julien Gauthier (2G, 1A) recorded the first two-goal and three-point game of his career. Noah Dobson rounded out the scoring for the Islanders, while Bo Horvat had a pair of assists.

The Islanders (43 points) are currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division, tied in points with the third place Philadelphia Flyers and one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes (44 points). The Penguins (38 points) are seventh in the Metro, but are riding a two-game winning streak after disposing of the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Saturday night.

The Penguins lead the season series 1-0. Prior to that, the Islanders had won four straight over the Pens, including both meetings at PPG Paints Arena last season.

Sunday's game marks the end of 2023 for the Islanders, but the start of a four-game road trip that will also see the Islanders stop in Colorado, Arizona and Vegas.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES:

- Scott Mayfield (upper body, IR) was activated off IR and is considered a game-time decision, per Lambert. Mayfield hasn't played since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 11. He has skated with the Islanders in the team's past four on-ice sessions. The Islanders had an open roster spot after loaning Grant Hutton on Saturday to accommodate a Mayfield return.

- Adam Pelech (LTIR) skated with the Islanders on Sunday, his first session with the team since suffering an upper-body injury on Nov. 24 in Ottawa. He won't play vs Pittsburgh, but it was a positive step forward for the injured defenseman.

"It's good to see them on the trip and participating," Lambert said. "They're both getting closer, I'd say Mayfield is closer than Pelech."

- Casey Cizikas participated in the team's morning skate. He skated on Friday, but missed the Isles' 5-1 win over Washington with an illness. He is considered a game-time decision, per Lambert.

- As expected, Semyon Varlamov joined the Islanders for the team's morning skate in Pittsburgh.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Pageau’s four-point game was the third of his career in the regular season. His two goals snapped an eight-game drought. Pageau joins Mathew Barzal as the only Islanders to record four points in a game this season.

• Julien Gauthier recorded the first two-goal game of his career on Friday night, scoring twice in a span of 18 seconds. Per team statistician Eric Hornick, Julien Gauthier is the first Islander since Alexei Yashin (0:12 on March 25, 2003, in Chicago) to score two goals in 18 seconds or less. It is the 8th fastest two goals ever by one Islander and the 85th time the team has done so (one player or multiple players).

• Matt Martin returned to the Islanders lineup on Friday, playing for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Nov. 15. Martin finished the game with one shot, three hits and a takeaway in 11:32 TOI.

• Casey Cizikas missed Friday’s game with an illness. With the Islanders off on Saturday, Cizikas’ status is unknown for Sunday. The center missed Thursday’s practice, but participated in Friday’s morning skate. With Cizikas out on Friday, Cal Clutterbuck slotted in at center.

• Ken Appleby was returned on loan to the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday. Appleby was recalled on Thursday, practicing with the New York Islanders and backing up Ilya Sorokin on Friday night. Appleby’s loan signals a return for Semyon Varlamov, who missed Thursday’s practice and Friday’s game.

• Ryan Pulock was placed on LTIR on Saturday afternoon. The defenseman was previously on IR for an lower-body injury he suffered on Dec. 7 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. LTIR designates a player must miss at least 10 games and 24 calendar days, which would make him eligible to return on Jan. 1, though Pulock has yet to skate with the Islanders.

• Noah Dobson scored his sixth goal of the season on Friday, finding the back of the net for the first time in 19 games. Per Hornick, Friday marked the 17^th straight game Dobson played at least 25 minutes, extending his own club record (no Islander has averaged 25 minutes per game since 2013-14)…Dobson is now averaging 25:45, which is 2^nd in the NHL to Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty (25:52)

PENGUINS NOTES:

• Tristan Jarry stopped 25-of-27 shots in Pittsburgh’s win on Saturday night, so Alex Nedeljkovic is the likely starter for Sunday’s game. Nedeljkovic is 5-2-2 this season with a 2.64 GAA, a .917 SV% and one shutout. Nedeljkovic, who is in his first season in Pittsburgh after two years in Detroit, is 2-0-1 in his last three games.

• Evgeni Malkin is riding a three-game point streak, with five points (3G, 2A) over that span. That includes a two-goal game against the Islanders on Wednesday. Malkin has 31 points (14G, 17A) in 34 games this season.
• Kris Letang had a historic night against the Islanders on Wednesday, becoming the first defenseman in NHL history to record five points in a single period, part of Pittsburgh six-goal barrage in the middle frame. Letang finished the game with six assists, tying the NHL record for most assists in a game by a defenseman. After recording nine points (1G, 8A) in two games, Letang was held off the scoresheet against St. Louis. Letang has 23 points (3G, 20A) in 34 games this season.

• Jake Guentzel has five points (2G, 3A) in his last two games, including a three-point game (2G, 1A) against the Islanders on Wednesday. Guentzel leads the Penguins with 40 points (16G, 24A) in 34 games.

• Sidney Crosby netted his team-leading 20^th goal of the season on Saturday. The Penguins captain has 36 points (20G, 16A) in 34 games, which ranks second on the team.