Game Preview: Islanders at Devils

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (2-2-2) AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS (5-4-1)

7 PM | PRUDENTIAL CENTER

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The New York Islanders kick off a back-to-back weekend set on Friday when they take on the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

The Isles are coming off a frustrating 1-0 shutout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, a game in which they outshot their opponent 29-11, but came away empty. The Isles have been shut out three times in their first six games of the season, which is a franchise first to start a year.

While offense has been hard to come by, the Islanders have been quite good defensively, as their 2.50 goals against per game is tied for fifth lowest in the NHL.

The Devils are coming off a 5-3 loss against Detroit on Thursday night in the Motor City. The regulation defeat extended New Jersey’s winless streak to three straight games (0-2-1) and they’ve allowed 19 goals over that span.

The Isles went 1-2-1 against the Devils last season, but are 17-7-1 in their last 25 games against the Devils and are 9-3-0 in their last 12 trips to Prudential Center.

ISLES NOTES:

- There’s one lineup change expected for Friday’s game, as Casey Cizikas and Oliver Wahlstrom swapped spots in the lineup. Wahlstrom was on the right wing with Anders Lee and JG Pageau, while Cizikas was on the left wing with Kyle MacLean and Liam Foudy.

Cizikas and MacLean were linemates for first five games of the season and is a line that Head Coach Patrick Roy expects to provide speed, energy and match up against top lines.

Wahlstrom was reunited with Pageau on Thursday, who has been a relatively regular linemate for Wahlstrom over the past three seasons, as they've skated 520:22 together at five-on-five. Roy praised Wahlstrom's defensive play and said he wants to see the 24-year-old continue to play with that mindset.

- Roy did not announce his goalie for Friday’s game, but it’s likely both netminders will see action on the back-to-back set.

Ilya Sorokin is 1-1-1 this season with a 1.34 GAA and a .947 SV% and is 6-5-1 lifetime against the Devils with a 2.76 GAA and a .912 SV%. Varlamov is also 1-1-1 this season with a 3.27 GAA and a .868 SV%, but is 5-2-0 against the Devils since joining the Isles in 2019 with a 1.88 GAA and a .934 SV% over that span.

- New York has only taken one penalty in each of its last two games. The Isles have been disciplined this season overall, only taking 11 penalties over their first six games. That will come in handy against the Devils, who are converting at 29.7% this season (11-of-37).

- The Islanders announced that Anthony Duclair, who was injured on Saturday against Montreal, will be out 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury.

DEVILS NOTES:

- Devils captain Nico Hischier leads the Devils with seven goals and is tied with Timo Meier with a team-leading 10 points this season. Hischier netted a pair of goals against the Red Wings on Thursday night and has five points (4G, 1A) in his last three games.

- Meier is riding a four-game point streak with seven points (2G, 5A) over that span.

- The Devils got defensive reinforcements on Thursday night, as Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce made their season debuts. Hughes, the fourth-overall pick in 2021, had a standout rookie year with 47 points (9G, 38A) in 82 games, which tied Minnesota’s Brock Faber for most by a first-year blueliner. Pesce made his Devils debut on Thursday as the defensemen signed in New Jersey as a free agent in the offseason after spending the first nine years of his NHL career with the Carolina Hurricanes.

- After allowing the fifth-most goals-against-per-game in 2023-24, New Jersey acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom in the offseason from the Calgary Flames. Markstrom finished second in Vezina Trophy voting in 2021-22. This season, Markstrom is 3-3-1 with a 3.15 GAA and an .891 SV%

- Given that Markstrom played in Detroit, Jake Allen is the likely starter on Friday night. Allen is 2-1-0 this season with a 3.01 GAA and an .880 SV%. Allen was in net for Tuesday's 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay, allowing all eight goals.

- The Devils has scored first in six straight games.