Game Preview: Islanders at Kraken

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (5-6-4) AT SEATTLE KRAKEN (5-8-4)

10 PM ET | CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 98.7FM

Less than 24 hours after a 4-3 OT loss in Vancouver, the New York Islanders are back in action as they take on the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.

The Isles picked up a point, but saw their winless streak hit six games (0-4-2) after Wednesday’s loss. Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson scored power-play goals, while Bo Horvat also found the back of the net. The Islanders led 2-0 and 3-1 in the contest, but the Canucks scored three power-play goals in regulation before Quinn Hughes netted the OT winner.

The Kraken are also coming off an OT loss, as they fell 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers in northern Alberta. Seattle carried a 3-1 lead into the third period, but Evander Kane scored a natural hat trick, tying the score with 46 seconds to play in the third before completing the comeback in OT. The Kraken are 0-2-1 in their last three games.

Both teams will have played the night before and travelled, so it’ll be a level playing field as far as rest goes.  

The Islanders have split the past two season series with the Kraken, with the road teams winning in 2021-22 and the home teams prevailing in 2022-23.

AFTERNOON UPDATES:

- Matt Martin (upper body) and Julien Gauthier (illness) will both miss Thursday's game at Seattle, Head Coach Lane Lambert announced prior to the game.

Martin has two points (1G, 1A) in 14 games this season, while Gauthier is pointless in his two games with the Islanders this season. 

- Hudson Fasching is expected to draw back into the lineup in place of Martin.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

- With Ilya Sorokin playing on Wednesday night in Vancouver, Semyon Varlamov is the expected starter on Thursday in Seattle. Varlamov is 2-3-0 this season with a 2.04 GAA, a .940 SV% and two shutouts.

- Bo Horvat is riding a three-game point streak, with three points (1G, 2A) over that span. Horvat has nine points in his last nine games and is second on the Islanders with 12 points (5G, 7A).

- Pierre Engvall scored his first goal of the season on Wednesday night. It was Engvall’s first goal since March 29, ending a 19-game goalless drought.

- The Islanders scored a pair of power-play goals on Wednesday night, scoring multiple power-play tallies for the first time this season. The Isles power play is converting at 20% (8-for-40) this season.

- The Islanders penalty kill has allowed nine goals in the team’s past six games, including three against Vancouver on Wednesday.

“It seems to be killing us every night,” Horvat said. “We're just not getting those kills at the right times and they just seem to be costing us every mistake we make. I thought our five on five game was good [vs Vancouver]. The power play was good. It's just a matter of putting it all together right now.”

Per team statistician Eric Hornick:

The Isles have allowed multiple power play goals in consecutive games for the first time since December 14-17, 2019, when Buffalo and Nashville each scored twice in games played at the Coliseum.

The Isles have allowed five power play goals in a two-game span for the first time since December 13-15, 2016, when Washington and Chicago did so at Barclays Center; it had not happened in consecutive games, both on the road, since December 5-8, 2009.

- Anders Lee (693 games) will tie Duane Sutter (694) for 12th on the Islanders all-time games played list when he suits up next.

KRAKEN NOTES:

- Philipp Grubauer is the likely starter for Thursday’s game, as Joey Daccord started in Edmonton. Grubauer is 3-6-0 in nine games this season with a 3.37 GAA and a .891 SV%.

- Jordan Eberle returned to action on Wednesday night after missing four games due to a skate cut on his leg that the Seattle winger suffered in practice. Eberle, who spent four seasons with the Islanders from 2017-21, said he was fortunate that the skate cut, while scary, did not hit a tendon. Eberle has five points (1G, 4A) in 14 games this season.

- Defenseman Vince Dunn leads the Kraken with 15 points (2G, 13A) in 17 games this season. Dunn is riding a four-game point streak, with five assists over that span.

- Jaden Schwartz leads the team with eight goals and is second on the squad with 14 points.

- The Kraken have allowed three or more goals in nine of their past 10 outings.

- The Kraken have a -17 goal differential in third periods, second only to San Jose (-21). The Islanders have a -12 goal differential in third periods.