Game Preview: Islanders at Sabres

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (42-28-5) AT BUFFALO SABRES (45-21-8) 

7:00 PM | KEYBANK CENTER 

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The New York Islanders travel to Western New York to play the Buffalo Sabres for the back end of a back-to-back and their second-to-last road game of the 2025-26 season.

“We’re going into Buffalo, one of the best teams in the league right now,” Anders Lee said after Monday night’s game. “We need to get back to get back on our side of things and get two points.”

The Islanders dropped an 8-3 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night. Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal (1G, 1A) and Brayden Schenn were the goal scorers for New York in the loss. Ilya Sorokin (21 saves) allowed a career-high seven goals before getting pulled in the third period. David Rittich made two saves on three shots in relief.

The Islanders (89 points) dropped to third place in the Metropolitan Division after they were overtaken by the Penguins (90 points). The Columbus Blue Jackets (88 points) remain a point behind with a game in-hand, while the Ottawa Senators (86 points), Detroit Red Wings (86 points) and Philadelphia Flyers (86 points) are still in the Eastern Conference playoff race with two games in-hand.

PROJECTED LINES 

Here is how the Islanders lined up against the Penguins on Monday night. Check back closer to puck drop for any updates to the lineup. 

Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Emil Heineman 
Cal Ritchie – Brayden Schenn – Mathew Barzal 
Ondrej Palat – JG Pageau – Simon Holmstrom 
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb  

Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock 
Adam Pelech – Carson Soucy 
Scott Mayfield – Adam Boqvist 

BRAYDEN SCHENN SCORING

Schenn has four points (2G, 2A) in his last two games, marking the second time he has earned points in consecutive games since joining the New York Islanders at the trade deadline.  

The 34-year-old has eight points (4G, 4A) since the trade and 36 points (16G, 20A) total this season. 

SINGLE PERIOD SCORING 

New York scored at least three second period goals for the second consecutive game, as they netted five against the Panthers on Saturday afternoon. The last time they scored three or more goals in a single period in consecutive games was a three-game stretch from Oct. 18-23 earlier this season.

On the other side, with five second period Penguins goals, it was the first time since the Columbus Blue Jackets scored five second period tallies against the Isles on Apr. 17.

BACK AT IT 

The Islanders are 9-3-1 in the second half of back-to-back sets this season, averaging 2.69 GF/G in such contests.

SEASON SERIES  

This is the third and final regular season meeting between the Isles and Sabres this year. New York is 0-1-1 in the season series. 

The last game played at KeyBank Center between the two sides was decided in a shootout.

SABRES NOTES 

The Sabres snapped a three-game winless streak with a 3-2 shootout win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Rasmus Dahlin and Peyton Krebs scored Buffalo’s goals, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves en route to the game’s first star. 

The Sabres (98 points) sit in second place in the Atlantic Division and tied with Tampa Bay Lightning (98 points). Tampa Bay owns the top spot in the Atlantic with a game in-hand. Buffalo is set to break an NHL record 14-year playoff drought this season. 

Here is how the Sabres lined up at Monday’s practice per NHL.com’s Heather Engel. 

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch 
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn 
Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan 
Jordan Greenway – Sam Carrick – Beck Malenstyn 

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin 
Bowen Byram – Owen Power 
Logan Stanley – Conor Timmins 

While the starting goaltender is not confirmed, Luukkonen had his own net at Monday’s practice, suggesting he could get the nod and end the string of alternating starts with Alex Lyon since the Olympic break. Luukkonen is 18-8-3 with a 2.57 GAA, .911 SV% and one shutout this season.

Tage Thompson enters Tuesday’s game with six points (3G, 3A) in his last six games. He is tied for ninth in the NHL and leads the Sabres with 37 goals this season. Thompson also leads the Sabres with 76 points (37G, 39A) this year. 

With a goal against the Kraken, Dahlin hit 100 career tallies. He has 17 goals, including one in each meeting against the Islanders this season. Dahlin, who enters this game with seven points (4G, 3A) in his last six outings, ranks sixth in the league among defensemen in points (67) and seventh in goals (17) and assists (50) in this campaign.  

Peyton Krebs has recorded a point in each of his last two contests, marking his seventh multi-game point streak this season. Krebs has 35 points (10G, 25A) in 74 games this season.  

Noah Ostlund (upper-body, day-to-day) skated at the Sabres’ practice on but his status for Tuesday’s game against the Islanders is still in question. Ostlund has 27 points (11G, 16A) this year. 

Buffalo owns the 15th ranked power-play (20.9%) in the NHL this season but have capitalized on the man-advantage three times in the last three games.  

The Sabres’ penalty kill (82.0%) ranks fifth in the league this year and went four-for-four against the Kraken.