Game Preview: Islanders vs Senators

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (29-22-14) VS OTTAWA SENATORS (27-33-4)

12:30 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

After wrapping up a four-game cross-country road trip, the New York Islanders are returning home to take on the Ottawa Senators for a matinee tilt on Saturday at UBS Arena.

The Islanders are looking to turn the page after a 4-0 shutout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, which was the sixth time they were shut out this season.

The Islanders their scoreless streak reached 121:48 as they were shut out in back-to-back games, as they were also blanked in LA on Monday. With the regulation loss to Buffalo, the Sabres have pulled within three points of the Islanders, though New York holds two games in-hand.

“We weren’t as crisp as we needed to be tonight, I think that was pretty evident,” Captain Anders Lee said. “It wasn’t a good game by us at all. Let’s get home and re-group, we’re going to have to be better.”

The Senators rallied for a 3-2 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night after they were down 2-0. Claude Giroux scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of Thursday’s shootout win and scored a goal in regulation, powering the comeback win.

The Islanders have a chance to sweep the season series over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The Isles won 5-3 on Nov. 24 in Ottawa and 3-2 at UBS Arena. New York is 12-2-1 in their last 15 matchups against the Senators, including a home record of 6-0-1.

ISLANDERS NOTES

- The Islanders hit the ice for practice on Friday afternoon. Robert Bortuzzo (LTIR, lower body) joined the team for his first full practice since suffering an injury on Jan. 2. The defenseman missed 28 consecutive games but has been skating on his own over the past two weeks. Head Coach Patrick Roy said Bortuzzo looked good in practice, but will defer to the team's trainers on when he'll be eligible to return to the lineup. Bortuzzo will have to be activated before he can return.

- Brock Nelson was absent from practice on Friday, due to personal reasons. Roy said he expects Nelson to be available for this weekend's games. 

- Roy revealed that Varlamov will start between the pipes for the Islanders on Saturday. Varlamov is 3-2-0 in five games against the Senators since joining the Isles with a 2.23 GAA, a .931 SV% and one shutout. 

- The Islanders (72 points, 65 GP) remained in the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference after the Detroit Red Wings (72 points, 66 GP) fell 4-1 to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. The Isles are four points behind the Philadelphia Flyers (76 points, 66 GP) in the Metropolitan Division after the Flyers fell 6-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

- The Islanders allowed three goals in the middle frame of Thursday’s contest. They have been outscored 89-67 in second periods overall this season, which ranks second in the league for most goals allowed. Their first period numbers are a bright spot, as the Islanders outscored opponents 56-38 in opening periods, which marks the fewest goals allowed in the NHL.

- The Islanders have an 0-2-1 record in matinee games this year with four more upcoming afternoon games, including Saturday’s tilt against the Senators.

- Kyle Palmieri recorded three points against the Senators this season, including a two-point game (1G, 1A) on Nov. 24. The winger has 19 points (8G, 11A) through 25 career games against the Senators.

- The Islanders’ power play went 0-for-9 over the span of their last two games.

SENATORS NOTES

- The Senators picked up back-to-back wins - beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in OT on Tuesday and taking down the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday – after snapping a seven-game winless skid. Ottawa ranks eighth in the Atlantic Division with 58 points through 64 games.

- The Senators parted ways with Vladimir Tarasenko at the NHL trade deadline this year, sending the Russian winger to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2025. The 32-year-old registered 41 points (17G, 24A) with the Senators prior to the trade.

- Ottawa has made a coaching change since the meeting between the Islanders and Senators, relieving DJ Smith from his duties as head coach on Dec. 18 and hiring Jacques Martin in his place as interim head coach. The Senators were 11-15-0 to start the season under Smith and are 16-18-4 since the coaching change. 

- Tim Stützle leads the team in scoring with 60 points (16G, 44A) in his fourth season with the team. The German center is riding a four-game point streak with two goals and two assists over that span. Captain Brady Tkachuk leads the Senators with 27 goals.

- Josh Norris is out for the season after the 24-year-old forward underwent shoulder surgery. He was injured on Feb. 27 in a game against Nashville. He had 30 points (16G, 14A) through 50 games this season and is expected to be ready for training camp ahead of the 2024-25 season.

- The Senators’ penalty kill ranks 31st in the league (73.7%), while their power play ranks 28th in the NHL, converting at 16.2%.