The New York Islanders and the Colorado Avalanche face off tonight at Ball Arena in what promises to be a compelling matchup between two of the league's hottest teams. Both teams are riding impressive winning streaks, with the Avalanche having won five straight and the Islanders four. The puck drops at 9 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on MSGSN, ALT, SN, and TVAS.
Team Records and Season Standings
The Avalanche enter the game with a 12-1-5 record, placing them at the top of the NHL Central Division. Meanwhile, the Islanders hold a 10-6-2 record, positioning them fourth in the Metropolitan Division.
Projected Lineups
Here are the projected lineups for both teams:
New York Islanders:
- Emil Heineman — Bo Horvat — Kyle Palmieri
- Jonathan Drouin — Mathew Barzal — Simon Holmstrom
- Anders Lee — Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Anthony Duclair
- Casey Cizikas — Calum Ritchie — Max Shabanov
- Matthew Schaefer — Ryan Pulock
- Adam Pelech — Tony DeAngelo
- Alexander Romanov — Scott Mayfield
- Ilya Sorokin (likely starter)
- David Rittich
Colorado Avalanche:
- Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
- Ross Colton — Brock Nelson — Gavin Brindley
- Gabriel Landeskog — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson
- Parker Kelly — Zakhar Bardakov — Taylor Makar
- Devon Toews — Cale Makar
- Josh Manson — Brent Burns
- Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski
- Scott Wedgewood (confirmed starter)
- Mackenzie Blackwood
Injury and Roster Updates
New York Islanders: The Islanders will see the return of Max Shabanov to the lineup after he missed 12 games due to an upper-body injury. He is expected to play on the fourth line. Scott Mayfield is also expected to return after missing two games for the birth of his son. However, Semyon Varlamov (knee) and Ethan Bear (upper body) remain sidelined with injuries. Other scratches include Kyle MacLean, Adam Boqvist, Travis Mitchell, and Maxim Tsyplakov.
Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche have a few injury concerns. Logan O'Connor is out due to hip surgery, while Joel Kiviranta is sidelined with a lower-body injury. Valeri Nichushkin is also out with a lower-body injury. Kiviranta has resumed skating in a non-contact jersey but is still a couple of weeks away from returning. Ilya Solovyov is a scratch for the Avalanche.
Storylines to Watch
Several compelling storylines surround this game:
- Jonathan Drouin returns to Ball Arena for the first time since departing in free agency.
- Brock Nelson faces his former team, the Islanders, for the first time since being traded to Colorado.
- Matthew Schaefer, the Islanders' rising star defenseman and No. 1 overall draft pick, will face off against Cale Makar for the first time.
- Both the Avalanche and Islanders are among the league's hottest teams.
With both teams boasting impressive records and exciting young talent, tonight's game promises to be a thrilling contest.
