Game Preview: Islanders vs Blues

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (26-20-14) VS ST. LOUIS BLUES (32-26-3)

7:30 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: HULU | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The New York Islanders are on the hunt for their fourth straight win when they host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.

Kyle Palmieri’s natural hat trick paved the way for a 5-1 win for the Islanders over the Boston Bruins at UBS Arena. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson also found the back of the net in the win, while Ilya Sorokin turned aside 22 of 23 shots.

“We’re definitely building something here, but there’s a long road ahead of us,” Casey Cizikas said after Monday’s practice. “We have a good test tomorrow night and that’s what we’re focused on.”

With the help of their three-game win streak, the Islanders are in striking distance of a playoff spot. The Islanders (66 points) are chasing the Philadelphia Flyers (72 points) for third place in the Metropolitan Division and the Tampa Bay Lightning (72 points) for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Though the Islanders trail by six points, they have three games in-hand over both the Flyers and Lightning.

The Blues ultimately did the Islanders a favor on Monday night by edging out Philadelphia Flyers in the shootout with a final score of 2-1, though Philly picked up a point in the loss. Kevin Hayes scored against his former club in regulation to tie the game for the Blues at 15:47 of the second period. After a scoreless third period and extra frame, the Blues got the job done in the fourth round of the shoutout with Pavel Buchnevich scoring the game-deciding goal. The victory created a two-game win streak and three-game point streak (2-0-1) for the Blues.

The Islanders are hungry for a rematch after they were shut out by the Blues 4-0 on Feb. 22 in St. Louis, where the Isles allowed three goals in the span of 32 seconds in the loss. After Tuesday’s tilt at UBS Arena, the Islanders will embark on a four-game road trip to visit all three California teams and conclude the trip in Buffalo.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES

- Scott Mayfield was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Tuesday morning, Islanders President of Hockey Ops and General Manager Lou Lamoriello confirmed to reporters. Lamoriello said Mayfield, who has been out since Feb. 22 with a lower-body injury, will be out a "minimum" of four-to-six weeks, but that timeline could be longer.

- Hudson Fasching was activated off IR on Tuesday. Fasching had been out since Jan. 25, missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. The Islanders forward recently completed a three-game conditioning stint with Bridgeport, scoring one goal in three games.

- Ilya Sorokin is the expected starter, Head Coach Patrick Roy announced on Monday. Sorokin has won three straight games, stopping 74 of 80 shots over that span.

WOMEN IN SPORTS NIGHT

In collaboration with the NHL for Women's History Month, the Islanders are hosting Women in Sports Night, presented by Northwell. 

The Islanders are showcasing female athletes, business leaders and medical experts for in a special panel at 4:30 p.m. Fans who purchase a ticket to the game through this link will be invited to the panel located in the lower bowl at UBS Arena. 

Northwell and the Katz Institute for Women’s Health will be tabling during the game to educate and spread awareness about women’s health. The Hance Family Foundation is the evening's Hockey with a Heart Charity.

ISLANDERS NOTES

- Samuel Bolduc joined the New York Islanders for practice on Monday morning after concluding his conditioning stint with the Bridgeport Islanders. He rotated in with different pairings in practice. The 23-year-old blueliner was loaned to Bridgeport for conditioning on Feb. 23. He scored a goal and recorded 14 shots over the span of five games played for Bridgeport.

- Kyle Palmieri recorded the earliest natural hat trick in franchise history on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins, scoring three goals at the 12:19 mark of the opening frame. The feat marked his third career hat trick and first as an Islander. Palmieri ended the night with four points (3G, 1A) which marks his second career four-point evening. 

Palmieri has 37 points through 60 games this season and is tied with Mathew Barzal for third on the team in goals (18). 

- Brock Nelson scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season on Saturday night. He has four goals in his last four games. 

- The Islanders shorthanded unit went a perfect 2-for-2 for the second consecutive game and first time the penalty kill has not allowed goals in consecutive games since Jan. 19 – 21. 

- With 66 points through 60 games and a record of 26-20-6, the Islanders are one point ahead of last year’s pace of 65 points through 60 games (29-24-7). 

- The Isles are 14-8-9 on home ice this season.

BLUES NOTES

- The Blues are on the doorstep of a playoff spot but still have some heavy lifting to do. With 67 points through 61 games, the Blues are chasing the Nashville Predators (72 points) and the Los Angeles Kings (72 points).

- With Jordan Binnington starting between the pipes on Monday, Joel Hofer is the expected starter for the Blues on Tuesday against the Islanders. Hofer is 10-10-0 this season, along with a 2.88 GAA and a .910 SV%. The 23-year-old netminder played in 30 NHL games and has not faced the Islanders yet in his career.

- Pavel Buchnevich leads the team in goals (24) and game-winners (5). The 28-year-old forward has the hot stick with six goals in his last seven outings.

- Robert Thomas leads the team with 69 points and 49 assists in his sixth season with the Blues.

- Justin Faulk played in four games since he was activated off LTIR after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old defenseman has 20 points (2G, 18A) through 44 games this season, along with 77 blocked shots and 52 hits.

- Zack Bolduc made his debut against the Islanders on Feb. 22 and has stayed in the Blues lineup since. The 21-year-old center scored his first career NHL goal on Feb. 24 and he played in six games including Monday's contest.