IMG_4103

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (17-10-9) AT COLORADO AVALANCHE (23-11-3)

9 PM ET | BALL ARENA

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The calendar flipped to 2024 and the New York Islanders are continuing their four-game road trip with a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night at Ball Arena.

The Islanders dropped a 3-1 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night in their final matchup of 2023. Sam Bolduc buried his first goal of the season at 13:51 of the third period to pull the Islanders within one, but Lars Eller scored his second of the night with an empty net goal to ice the game for Pittsburgh. Ilya Sorokin turned aside 35 of 37 shots, but Alex Nedeljkovic had a standout performance in the goalie duel, making 37 saves in the victory for the Penguins.

The Avalanche are carrying a five-game point streak (4-0-1) into 2024, most recently defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on home ice on Sunday. Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin (1G, 1A) and Josh Manson paved the way for the Avalanche offensively, while Alexandar Georgiev made 10 saves for the win.

The Islanders trail the season series 0-1-0 after falling 7-4 to the Avalanche at UBS Arena on Oct. 24. The Isles are 1-4-1 in their last six games against Colorado and haven’t won in the Mile High City since Dec. 18, 2018.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES

- Semyon Varlamov is the expected starter for the Islanders. He is 6-4-2 this season and owns a .918 SV% along with a 2.75 GAA and two shutouts. Against the Avalanche, Varlamov is 2-2-0 since joining the Isles. 

- Pierre Engvall is expected to draw back into the lineup after he was a healthy scratch on Sunday night. Head Coach Lane Lambert is hoping to see a spark from the winger in his return. 

- Alexandar Georgiev is expected to face the Islanders on Tuesday. He leads the NHL with 19 wins this season and a 19-8-2 record, sporting a 2.86 GAA and a .900 SV%. Georgiev has a career record of 10-4-0 with 2.11 GAA .931 and three shutouts.

TOTT_AWAY_1920x1080_Game37_web

ISLANDERS NOTES

- The Islanders went 2-2-1 in their recent five-game stretch against divisional opponents, with the Pens handing the Isles both regulation losses. In a packed Metropolitan Division, the Islanders (43 points) stand in fourth place. The middle six teams in the Metro are separated by four points.

- Scott Mayfield made his return to game action on Sunday night after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. Robert Bortuzzo was a healthy scratch as a result.

- The identity line consisting of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck was reunited on Sunday night, with Cizikas drawing back into the lineup after missing Friday’s matchup with an illness. Martin played in his second consecutive game after missing 19 games with an upper-body injury.

- Sam Bolduc scored his first goal of the season on Sunday night, which represented the only tally for the Isles in their 3-1 loss to the Penguins. The 23-year-old defenseman has three points (1G, 2A) through 26 games this season.

- The Islanders’ power play ranks 11th in the NHL (23.0%) but has cooled off in their past five games, failing to convert in 13 opportunities over that span. On the other hand, the penalty kill ranks 29th in the league (73.4%) but has shown improvement as of late, going a perfect 9-for-9 in their last three games.

- Anders Lee lit the lamp on Oct. 24 when the Islanders hosted the Avalanche in their first meeting of the season. The captain has 12 points (8G, 4A) in 17 career games against Colorado.

AVALANCHE NOTES

- Colorado is having a dominant season, leading the Central Division with a record of 23-11-3. Their 49 points matches the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Canucks, though the Canucks have one game in-hand.

- Nathan MacKinnon is looking to hit the scoresheet for the 20th consecutive game on home ice when the Avalanche host the Islanders at Ball Arena on Tuesday. The center is riding a home point streak that extends all the way back to their home opener on Oct. 19, with 15 goals and 25 assists over the span of all 19 home games. MacKinnon leads the NHL with 39 assists and ranks second in points overall (58).

- MacKinnon’s hot stretch on home is a contributing factor in his team’s success at home this season. The Avalanche boast a home record of 15-4-0 (30 points), which is the best home record in the NHL in the categories points percentage and points overall. Colorado is proven to be an offensive threat - especially at Ball Arena - with a 4.32 GF/GP on home ice.

- Mikko Rantanen ties MacKinnon for the team lead in goals (19) and is one of four players on the team pacing a point-per-game. The 27-year-old forward has 45 points (19G, 26A) through 37 games this season.

- Cale Makar ranks second among all NHL defenseman in both points (41) and assists (31) in his fifth season with the Avalanche.

- Samuel Girard made his return to the lineup on Sunday after receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, playing for the first time since Nov. 18. The 25-year-old defenseman has four points (1G, 3A) through 16 games this season.

Related Content