Game Preview: Islanders at Oilers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (5-5-3) AT EDMONTON OILERS (3-9-1)

8:30 PM ET | ROGERS PLACE

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The New York Islanders are hoping a change of scenery can lead to a change in results, as the team kicks off a four-game Western Conference road trip in Edmonton on Monday night.

Currently on a four-game winless skid (0-3-1), the Islanders will play Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle and Calgary in a span of six days, marking the team’s first multi-game trip of the season. The Isles are 0-2-2 in the team’s past four home games and are 2-2-0 on the road this season.

The Isles are most recently coming off a 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night at UBS Arena. Alexander Romanov scored his first goal of the season, despite the team racking up 98 shot attempts – a franchise record in the Real-Time Era, per team statistician Eric Hornick.

The Oilers picked up their third win of the season with a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night on the power of a Zach Hyman hat-trick. Edmonton snapped a four-game losing streak with the triumph in the Emerald City.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES:

- Adam Pelech is a game-time decision for Monday night. The defenseman participated in the team's morning skate. He missed the Islanders last two games - and three of the past four - with a lower-body injury. 

- Julien Gauthier is also a game-time decision. If he draws into the lineup, it'll be for the first time since Oct. 21 and it'll likely in place of Matt Martin.

- While unconfirmd, Oliver Wahlstrom is also expected to draw into the lineup in place of Hudson Fasching. Ilya Sorokin was the first goalie off at morning skate, suggesting a start vs the Oilers. 

- Stuart Skinner is expected to start in goal for the Oilers.

ISLANDERS NOTES

- Edmonton has been a traditionally tricky place to play for the Islanders, who are 1-7-3 in their last 11 trips to oil country (since 2003). The home team has won each of the past four matchups between the Isles and Oilers. The Isles last win in Edmonton came on March 7, 2017.

- Adam Pelech missed his second straight game on Saturday night, as the defenseman is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the same ailment that forced him the Isles Nov. 2 win over Washington. Pelech has missed three of the Islanders last four games and the Isles are 0-2-1 over that span.

- Bo Horvat has seven points in his last seven games after picking up an assist on Saturday night. Horvat has 10 points (4G, 6A) in 12 games.

- The Islanders have been outscored 11-3 in third periods over the past six games. They’ve gone 1-3-2 over that span.

- Noah Dobson leads the Islanders with 12 points (4G, 8A) in 13 games. Dobson’s next assist will the 100^th of his career and will put him in a tie with Pelech and Bryan Berard for 15^th on the team’s defense assists list. Dobson (34 career goals) can tie Johnny Boychuk (35 goals) for 10^th on the team’s defense goals list with his next goal.

- The Isles are 0-5-0 when allowing the first goal of the game.

OILERS NOTES

- The Oilers made a coaching change on Sunday, relieving Head Coach Jay Woodcroft and Assistant Coach Dave Manson and hiring Kris Knoblauch.

Woodcroft had a 79-41-13 record over parts of three seasons with the Oilers. Woodcroft’s first NHL game and win as a head coach came against the Islanders on Feb. 11, 2022.

Knoblauch has served as the Head Coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack since 2019. Prior to Hartford, Knoblauch spent two seasons (2017-19) as an Assistant Coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Knoblauch previously coached the OHL’s Erie Otters from 2012-17, culminating in an OHL championship in 2017. Islanders’ defenseman Adam Pelech played two seasons under Knoblauch in Erie. Knoblauch also coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid for three seasons in Erie.

The Oilers also announced that special advisor Paul Coffey will join the bench as an assistant.

- The Oilers assigned goaltender Jack Campbell to Bakersfield on Nov. 8, one day after placing the netminder on waivers. Campbell was 1-4-0 to start the season with a 4.50 GAA and a .873 SV%. Campbell is in the second year of a five-year contract. Campbell has a 93-52-18 career record with a 2.76 GAA, a .909 SV% and 10 shutouts over nine years with Dallas, LA, Toronto and Edmonton.

- Calvin Pickard was recalled from Bakersfield in a corresponding move. Pickard is 35-54-10 with a 3.04 GAA, a .903. SV% and four shutouts in his NHL career with Colorado, Toronto, Philadelphia, Arizona and most recently Detroit. Pickard last played in the NHL in the 2021-22 season.

- Stuart Skinner has seen the most starts in goal this season for Edmonton. Skinner is 2-5-1 this season with a 3.53 GAA and a .861 SV%. Skinner went 29-14-5 last season with a 2.75 GAA, a .914 SV% and one shutout. 

- Zach Hyman recorded a natural hat trick in the first period of Edmonton’s 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Hyman leads the Oilers with seven goals and is second on the team with 13 points.

- Leon Draisaitl leads the Oilers with 15 points (5G, 10A). Draisaitl’s two-game point streak was snapped on Saturday in Seattle. Three of Draisaitl’s five goals and six of his 15 points have come on the power play. Draisaitl is first in Oilers history with 128 power-play goals.

- Connor McDavid has 10 points (2G, 8A) in 11 games this season. After starting the season with two goals in his first three games, the Oilers captain has gone eight games without a goal. McDavid has won the Art Ross Trophy in each of the past three seasons, including 153 points last year.

- The Oilers are allowing 3.92 goals against per game, which is the third-highest in the NHL.

- The Oilers have 19 first period goals this season, tied for third in the NHL.