Game Preview: Islanders at Ducks

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (28-20-14) AT ANAHEIM DUCKS (23-37-3)

8 PM ET | HONDA CENTER

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The New York Islanders are looking for their sixth-straight win on Sunday night, when they take on the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.

The Isles are red-hot, fresh off a 7-2 win over the San Jose Sharks and riding a season-high five-game winning streak. The seven goals tied a season high, as 13 different Isles found the scoresheet.

Suddenly, the Isles (70 points) are on the cusp of a playoff berth, two points back of Detroit Red Wings for the second Wild Card berth, with two games in hand. The Isles are four points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning (74 points), but have three games in hand on the Bolts. The Philadelphia Flyers (74 points) are also within striking distance, as the Isles are four points back with three games in hand. Tampa beat Philadelphia 7-0 on Saturday night.

As for Anaheim, the Ducks are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday night. The Ducks are 5-7-1 since the All-Star break and have alternated wins and losses in their last four contests.

The Isles scored a 4-3 comeback win over the Ducks on Dec. 13, with Simon Holmstrom scoring the shorthanded game-winner with 1:33 to play. The Isles have won five straight against the Ducks, outscoring Anaheim 25-10 over that span.

ISLES NOTES:

- The Islanders stood pat at Friday’s trade deadline, as GM Lou Lamoriello didn’t feel his team could have upgraded and wasn’t interested in making a lateral move, especially at the expense of his team’s current chemistry. Read more from Lamoriello here. Watch or listen to his media availability here. 

- The Islanders have scored 24 goals and only allowed 10 during their five-game run. At even strength, the Isles have scored 21 goals and only allowed eight. The Isles have scored five-or-more goals six times in the past 11 games.

- Semyon Varlamov will start in goal on Sunday evening, his first start since Feb. 22 against St. Louis and just his third start since Feb. 10. Varlamov is winless in his last seven starts, going 0-4-2 over that span with a no decision. Varlamov’s last win came on Dec. 13 against the Ducks.

- The Islanders got goals from three different defensemen on Thursday night, marking the first time that happened since Oct. 15, 2022 – against the Ducks – when three Isles blueliners combined for five goals. Defensemen have recorded 10 points in the past two games for the Islanders and are now up to 48 points (10G, 38A) in 17 games under Patrick Roy, including 38 points (9G, 29A) in the past 13 games.

- Mathew Barzal is riding a six-game point streak, with seven points (3G, 4A) over that span. Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson are both riding four-game point streaks. Nelson has eight points (3G, 5A) over that span, while Dobson has four (1G, 3A). Anders Lee (2G, 3A), Bo Horvat (2G, 4A) and JG Pageau (1G, 3A) are all on three-game runs. Adam Pelech has four assists in his last four games.

- Barzal (303 assists) is one shy of tying Bob Bourne for 11th in team history. Kyle Palmieri is one goal shy of his sixth 20-goal season, but first since 2019-20.

DUCKS NOTES

- The Ducks were sellers at this year’s trade deadline. Anaheim dealt Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to the Edmonton Oilers as part of a package that netted Edmonton’s 2024 first-round pick. Henrique was third in Ducks scoring with 42 points at the time of the trade, while Carrick had 11 points on the season.

Prior to the deadline, the Ducks dealt defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2025 third-round pick. Back in January, Anaheim made a splash, sending defenseman Jamie Drysdale – the sixth-overall pick in 2020 – to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Cutter Gauthier, the fifth-overall pick in 2022. Gauthier is currently playing at Boston College, where he’s racked up 51 points (31G, 20A) in 33 games.

- The Ducks are in seventh place in the Pacific Division with 49 points and third last in the Western Conference. The Ducks average the third-fewest goals-per-game averaging 2.62 and are allowing the fifth-most goals-against-per-game at 3.52.

- Leo Carlsson, the second-overall pick in the 2023 Draft, is currently out of the lineup with a concussion and will miss Sunday’s game. Carlsson has 20 points (9G, 11A) in 40 games in his rookie year.

- Trevor Zegras missed his 23rd straight game with an ankle injury on Friday. His status for Sunday is to be determined. Injuries have limited Zegras to just seven points (4G, 3A) in 20 games this season.

- Alex Killorn extended his goal streak to three games on Friday night. Killorn has four tallies in his last five contests and has 26 points (11G, 15A) in 44 games this season.

- Former Islanders Assistant/Associate Coach Greg Cronin is in his first season as the Ducks bench boss. Cronin spent 11 years with the Islanders, nine as a coach and an additional two as Director of Player Development and Bridgeport Sound Tigers Head Coach.