Game Preview: Islanders at Flyers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (27-19-5) AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (24-17-9)

7:00 PM | XFINITY MOBILE ARENA

WATCH/STREAM: MSGSN | GOTHAM SPORTS APP

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

The New York Islanders hit the road again as they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers in a Metropolitan Division matchup on Monday night.

The Islanders were shut out 5-0 against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon and lost consecutive games for the first time since the Sabres beat them on Dec. 20. It was New York’s first shutout loss of the 2025-26 campaign. David Rittich saved 16 of the 20 shots he faced against Buffalo.

The Islanders sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 59 points.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES AND LINES

Max Shabanov – Bo Horvat – Emil Heineman
Anthony Duclair – Mathew Barzal – Simon Holmstrom 

Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Jonathan Drouin 

Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
Cal Ritchie, Max Tsyplakov

Matthew Schaefer – Scott Mayfield

Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo

Adam Boqvist – Isaiah George

Ilya Sorokin
David Rittich

SOROKIN TO START

Ilya Sorokin will start between the pipes against the Flyers on Monday night. He made 23 saves in New York’s 4-3 shootout loss on Oct. 25 against Philadelphia. Sorokin last started on Wednesday night against the Seattle Kraken. The 30-year-old is 4-2-0 with a 2.36 GAA, a .927 SV% and two shutouts in six games this month and 16-12-2 with a 2.51 GAA, a .914 SV% and a league-leading five shutouts this season.

HOLMSTROM A GAME-TIME DECISION

Simon Holmstrom (sick) is a game-time decision. The Swedish winger has 24 points (12G, 12A) through 50 games this season.

Head Coach Patrick Roy said that if Holmstrom is unable to go, either Cal Ritchie or Max Tsyplakov will draw in the lineup in his place.

PENALTY KILL

The Islanders penalty kill has been strong all season and ranks eighth in the NHL at 82.4%. However, in their last 10 games, the penalty kill has improved to sixth in the league at 88.0% as the Isles have killed 14 of their last 16 penalties.

SEASON SERIES AND STANDINGS IMPLICATIONS

This is the third of four meetings between the Islanders and Flyers this season. New York is 0-0-2 against Philadelphia this season. Each of the last three games between the Flyers and Islanders have gone to a shootout.

The fourth contest between the two teams will be at UBS Arena on Apr. 3.

Monday’s matchup has major implications. The Islanders are third in the Metropolitan Division with 59 points, while the Flyers trail closely with 57 points and have a game in-hand.

FLYERS NOTES

Philadelphia is coming off a 7-3 win against the league-best Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. Owen Tippett (3G), Matvei Michkov, Denver Barkley and Bobby Brink were the goalscorers for the Flyers in the win.

Philadelphia is 3-5-2 in their last 10 games and rank fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 57 points.

Tippett notched the second hat trick of his career, and first by a Flyers skater since Apr. 9, 2025, in the 7-3 win over the Avalanche. He became the fifth Philadelphia skater in the past 20 years to record a hat trick that included a shorthanded goal. Tippett ranks third on the team with 33 points (18G, 15A) this season.

Michkov’s ninth multi-goal game of his career also put him with some notable Flyers company. The 21-year-old forward is tied with Peter Zezel for the second-most multi-goal games before turning 22 years old. Former Flyer and New York Ranger Eric Lindros tops that list with 17.

Travis Konecny enters the contest against the Islanders on a four-game point streak with six points (3G, 3A) in that stretch. The 28-year-old leads the team with 28 assists and ranks second with 45 points (17G, 28A) this season.

Trevor Zegras has four points (1G, 3A) over his last four games. Zegras has four points (3G, 1A) in two games against the Islanders and a team-high 17 points (9G, 8A) against Metropolitan Division opponents this season. He leads the team with 46 points (19G, 27A) this year.

Goaltender Dan Vladar (undisclosed) was placed on IR on Jan. 19. Vladar had lost three straight contests before his injury. The Philadelphia netminder is 16-7-4 with a 2.46 GAA and a .905 SV% this season.

Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) was placed on IR on Jan .17. Ristolainen missed the start of the season and didn’t make his season debut until Dec. 16. He has 24 blocked shots, 16 hist and five takeaways in 20:59 TOI/GP this season.

Philadelphia owns the 14^th best penalty kill (78.3%) in the league but have plummeted to 25^th (67.5%) this month.