Game Preview: Islanders at Flames

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (25-16-5) AT CALGARY FLAMES (20-23-4)

3:00 PM ET | SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME

WATCH/STREAM: MSGSN | GOTHAM SPORTS APP

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | ISLANDERS + UBS ARENA APP

The New York Islanders continue their seven-game road trip with a matinee matchup against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

The Islanders earned a 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, which ended Connor McDavid’s 20-game point streak and marked the first shutout win in Edmonton since 1983. Anthony Duclair netted the game’s lone goal on the team’s only power play. Ilya Sorokin turned away all 35 shots the Oilers directed his way and earned his fifth shutout of the season, which leads the NHL.

PROJECTED LINES

See below for how the Islanders lined up at practice on Friday. Check back on Saturday morning for any updates to the lineup.

Anders Lee – Mathew Barzal – Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Drouin – JG Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Max Shabanov – Cal Ritchie – Emil Heineman
Kyle MacLean– Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb

Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Adam Boqvist– Scott Mayfield

RITTICH TO START AGAINST FLAMES

David Rittich will start between the pipes against the Flames on Saturday afternoon. Rittich began his NHL career in Calgary and played with the franchise for five years.

The Islanders goaltender is 3-0-0 with a 1.30 GAA, a .953 SV% and one shutout against Pacific Division opponents this season but is searching for his first career win against his former team.

Rittich is 11-5-3 with a 2.40 GAA, a .910 SV% and two shutouts this season.

BARZAL'S BRILLIANCE

Mathew Barzal notched a secondary assist on Duclair’s goal in the 1-0 win over the Oilers on Thursday night to earn the 500th point (145G, 355A) of his career.

“A lot of credit to my teammates,” Barzal said. “[I’ve been] more so a passer my entire career, so a lot of credit to my teammates for putting the puck in the back of the net.”

Barzal passed Derek King for the 14th most points in Islanders history and ranks fourth among active players.

The 28-year-old forward has found the scoresheet in five of his last six games and leads the Isles with 38 points (11G, 27A) this season.

DAZZLING DUCLAIR

Duclair has found his stride in 2026 and recorded goals in back-to-back games for the first time since March 2024. He leads the Isles with five goals this month and is up to seven points (5G, 2A) in the same stretch.

Duclair’s 20 points (9G, 11A) ties him with Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Pulock for seventh on the Islanders this season.

SEASON SERIES

This is the first of two meetings between the Islanders and Flames. New York is 1-0-1 against Calgary on the road in the last two seasons, with both games decided in a shootout.

The second contest between the two squads will be on Mar. 14 at UBS Arena.

FLAMES NOTES

Calgary is entering Saturday’s contest coming off a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. None of their three tallies came at even strength on Thursday night. The Flames are beginning a five-game homestand fresh off a a five-game road trip. They have won two of their last seven outings.

Calgary began their season 5-12-3 (13 points) and last in the Pacific Division. Since then, they have gone 14-10-1 (42 points) but only jumped one spot to seventh in the Division.

Mikael Backlund recorded points 30 and 31 on the season with a goal and an assist in the win against the Blackhawks. His shorthanded game-winning goal on Thursday night was Calgary’s seventh shorthanded tally of the season, which is tied with the Los Angeles Kings for the most in the NHL this year. Backlund leads the Flames with five points (2G, 3A) in their last three games.

Connor Zary enters Saturday’s contest on a team-high four-game point streak, with five points (2G, 3A) in that stretch. The third-year centerman has 18 points (8G, 10A) in 45 games this season.

Blake Coleman was placed on the injury reserve (IR) on Tuesday and will be out against the Islanders. Coleman suffered the injury in Calgary’s 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 8 and hasn’t played in a game since. Coleman has 21 points (13G, 8A) ties him with Jonathan Huberdeau for the sixth-most on the team this season.

Calgary owns the 27th ranked power-play percentage in the NHL at 15.6% this season, but have capitalized on the man-advantage in each of their last two games, including going 3-for-3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.