Game Preview: Islanders at Senators

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (1-3-0) AT OTTAWA SENATORS (2-3-0)

CANADIAN TIRE CENTER | 3PM

WATCH/STREAM: MSG | GOTHAM SPORTS APP

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

The New York Islanders will take on the Ottawa Senators in matinee action at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

The Isles are fresh off a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Bo Horvat’s second career hat trick lifted the Isles to their first win of the season with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, along with a goal from Mathew Barzal (1G, 1A). David Rittich made 31 saves in his Islanders debut.

The Senators are coming off a 4-3 SO win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night. Shane Pinto, David Perron (PPG) and Dylan Cozens scored for the Sens in regulation and Linus Ullmark made 30 saves. After a scoreless overtime, Ottawa got the job done through three rounds of the shootout.

ISLES’ PROJECTED LINEUP

*Based on Friday’s practice, subject to change

Jonathan Drouin - Bo Horvat - Emil Heineman
Anthony Duclair - Mathew Barzal - Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Max Shabanov
Kyle MacLean - Casey Cizikas - Simon Holmstrom

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

Ilya Sorokin
David Rittich

ROMANOV OUT ON SATURDAY, BOQVIST TO MAKE SEASON DEBUT

Alexander Romanov (day-to-day, upper body) will miss Saturday's game, while Adam Boqvist will make his season debut.

Boqvist will skate in Romanov's place on the left side with Tony DeAngelo, giving the Islanders a different look on that pairing.

"[They're] more like puck moving and skills guys," Head Coach Patrick Roy said. "But they're both very good hockey players, so I'm sure they're going to find a way to make their mark here today."

Boqvist played 17 games for the Islanders last season, recording eight points (2G, 6A).

SOROKIN TO START VS SENATORS

Roy confirmed that Ilya Sorokin will start on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. Sorokin is 0-3-0 this season with 4.18 GAA and an .854 SV%. Lifetime, Sorokin is 4-0-1 against the Senators with a 1.97 GAA and an .942 SV%.

Roy offered some advice to Sorokin on the mental side of things.

"One save at a time," Roy said on his expectations for Sorokin. "Just build one save at a time. That's what I've been doing if I feel that wasn't playing my best hockey, I wouldn't try to go more than one save at a time."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Matthew Schaefer and Jonathan Drouin have recorded a point in each game they’ve played this season.

Schaefer’s four-game point streak (1G, 3A) is a historic one. The 18-year-old became the youngest player in NHL history to start his career with a four-game point streak. Schaefer leads the team in assists.

Drouin has hit the scoresheet in each game he’s appeared in, with one goal and two assists in three games.

HATTY FOR HORVAT

Per team statistician Eric Hornick, Horvat is the first Islander to score a power-play goal, shorthanded goal, and even strength goal in the same game since Patrick Flatley did it against San Jose on Feb. 1, 1994.

SEASON SERIES

The Islanders went 2-1-0 against Ottawa last season, including a pair of 4-2 road wins. The Isles are 14-3-2 in their last 19 matchups against the Sens.

ACROSS THE ICE

The Senators are 2-3-0 to start the season after their 97-point campaign last year where they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Pinto is tied for the NHL lead with six goals to start the season, along with Vegas forward Pavel Dorofyev. The Franklin Square native has goals in four of Ottawa’s five games and leads the team with seven points (6G, 1A) overall.

TKACHUK OUT

The Isles won’t face Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk, who is out 6-8 weeks after an operation on his right thumb, an injury he sustained in Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators. Tkachuk has three assists in three games this season for Ottawa and recorded 55 points (29G, 26A) in 72 games last season.