Morning Skate Updates: Islanders at Sharks

The New York Islanders take on the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. Watch the game on MSG+ and MSG GO. Listen live on 88.7FM - WRHU, 103.9FM - LI News or online at Radio.com. Read the game preview. Check the game notes.

KUHNHACKL IN, BEAUVILLIER OUT:

Anthony Beauvillier will miss Saturday's game with an illness, according to Head Coach Barry Trotz. Tom Kuhnhackl will draw back into the lineup for the first time since Oct. 8 against the Sharks. Kuhnhackl will play on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Leo Komarov.
"He's a true pro," Head Coach Barry Trotz said of Kuhnhackl. "He's got two Stanley Cup rings and he's a high-commitment guy, he gets it. He knows he's getting an opportunity to jump in... A good pro with the right attitude, works at his game everyday and responsible two-way guy."
With Beauvillier out, Andrew Ladd practiced with the Islanders second power-play unit at Saturday's morning skate.

TROTZ ON SWITCHING BAILEY AND EBERLE:

Trotz tweaked his top two lines for Thursday's win over LA, moving flipping Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle. Eberle was reunited with Mathew Barzal, which was a highly-effective combination last season, while Bailey played alongside Anders Lee and Brock Nelson. Trotz said the move was about sparking more production out of the top-six.
Trotz: "More production. We need to get a little more out of our top six than we have. For the most part our leading scorers are our third and fourth lines so we need a little production out of our top lines five on five and sometimes you change one of the guys and it works."
The coach added that he'd like to see his top-six forwards go to the net a little more and take it to the interior of the ice, following the lead of the Filppula and Cizikas lines.

JONES IN NET FOR SHARKS:

Martin Jones gets the start for the Sharks. Jones is 2-3-0 with a 2.64 GAA and a .896SV%. Jones also started the previous Isles-Sharks meeting this season, stopping 26 of 29 shots in a 4-0 loss.

THORNTON OUT:

Joe Thornton (knee) will miss his sixth straight game as he is out of the Sharks lineup.

SHARKS PROJECTED LINES:

Evander Kane - Joe Pavelski - Kevin Labanc
Tomas Hertl - Logan Couture - Timo Meier
Marcus Sorensen - Antti Suomela - Joonas Donskoi
Barclay Goodrow - Rourke Chartier - Melker Karlsson
Joakim Ryan - Brent Burns
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Erik Karlsson
Brenden Dillon - Justin Braun
Martin Jones

DEBOER ON ISLES:

San Jose Sharks Head Coach Pete DeBoer shared his thoughts on the Islanders this morning.
"When we played them, they definitely had a different feel. For me that identity line, that fourth line is a huge piece of that team, has been since I was in New Jersey and I think Lou recognized that and found a way to get that back together for them. They're a hard team play against. On the Island we got behind and that's a team you don't want to play from behind against because they're heavy and they've got some veteran guys and are smart and are getting some good saves."