Game Preview: Islanders vs Kings

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (5-3-1) VS LOS ANGELES KINGS (1-4-2)

7:30 P.M. | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

HOW TO WATCH/STREAM: ESPN+ | HULU | DISNEY+

HOW TO LISTEN: 88.7 FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | 92.5FM THE BEACON | ISLES + UBS ARENA APP

The New York Islanders conclude their brief two-game homestand at UBS Arena against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

The Isles are coming off a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, markingthe first time the Islanders have won consecutive games this year.

Read a full game recap here

Nine different players got on the scoresheet against the Ducks including goal scorers Simon Holmstrom, Ondřej Palát and Victor Eklund.

The Islanders have secured at least one point in the standings in each of their last four games (3-0-1) and lead the Eastern Conference with 2.11 goals allowed per game.

They’ll put their point streak up against the Kings who began the season 0-4-2 before their first win of the season on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.

Adrian Kempe scored twice, Artemi Panarin had three points (1G, 2A) and goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves in the 5-2 win over the Capitals.

The Kings are the second of six straight Western Conference matchups for the Isles that started on Tuesday against Anaheim and runs until Oct. 31.

Important to note, the Isles won’t be broadcast on MSGSN. Instead, the game will be on ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+.

PROJECTED LINEUP

The Islanders held an optional skate on Wednesday and didn’t hold line rushes. Stay tuned for updates following Thursday’s morning skate for lines.

Here’s how the Islanders lineup looked against the Ducks on Tuesday.

Simon Holmström – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri
Emil Heineman – Brayden Schenn – Victor Eklund
Ondřej Palát – JG Pageau – Anthony Duclair 
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Mitchell Chaffee

Logan Stanley – Matthew Schaefer
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Matthew Kessel – Tony DeAngelo

Extra: Scott Mayfield

HOLMSTRÖM ON A HEATER

It was a unique start to the season for Simon Holmström who took a puck to the face against the New York Rangers and was placed on the fourth line against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 13.

Head Coach Pete DeBoer said dropping Holmström in the lineup was to help him reset mentally and reorient the 25-year-old on the importance of the small details within his game.

Since that game, Holmström has been bumped back up the line chart and on the top line each of the last two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ducks.

He’s cashed in offensively with three goals over the last two games with a pair of tallies against Toronto and a tip-in goal on the power play on Tuesday.

Holmström has certainly returned to the roots of his game by utilizing his long stick to win pucks back and shooting the puck more, which works to his benefit as four of his 12 shots on goal have gone in.

“I’ve been very happy with my last couple games,” Holmström said. “I've been playing a very solid game and creating a lot offensively and defensively as well, not really letting anything up. And I thought me and Bo [Horvat] and Palms [Palmieri] and even [Matias] Maccelli, the first couple shifts there (have) been playing a very solid game together. I think we've been building a lot of chemistry and just got to keep it going.”

SCOUTING THE KINGS

Notably for the Kings, they may be without top six center Quinton Byfield who left the game against the Capitals in the first period with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. It’s unclear if he’ll play so stay tuned for updates on Thursday.

The Kings have played a gauntlet of an early season schedule as each of the first six teams they played currently hold a playoff spot including the first-place Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights. They also played the Colorado Avalanche to open the season, the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers.

Despite their difficult opponents, they had one goal losses to San Jose, Florida and Vegas but scored just one goal in four straight games prior to their win against Washington.

It’s been a shaky start for former Islanders head coach Peter Laviolette, who’s in his first year with the Kings. It’s also the first time in 20 seasons former captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion Anze Kopitar hasn’t suited up for the Kings as he retired following last year.

The always dangerous Panarin leads the Kings in points (7) and goals (4) while Kempe has six points (3G, 3A) in seven games. Kuemper and Anton Forsberg comprise the goaltending tandem for the Kings and their starter will be announced following their morning skate on Thursday.