New York Islanders News

The Islanders have quietly been one of the better teams in the NHL over the last month, going 10-5-1, largely credited to the improved play of Ilya Sorokin. The 30-year-old Sorokin is coming off a 32-save performance for his third shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He boasts a solid 2.47 GAA and .912 SV% in 20 games this season (10-8-2). The Islanders enter Tuesday's contest as +122 road underdogs against a Vegas Golden Knights team on a four-game winning streak.

Drouin was a late scratch from Thursday's game against the Colorado Avalanche due to a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old Drouin has 15 points (3G / 12A) through 26 games in his first season with the Islanders. Anthony Duclair saw an uptick in deployment with Drouin sidelined, taking his spot on the top powerplay unit.

The Islanders snapped a three-game losing skid in their most recent game, a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning courtesy of a tremendous 30-save performance (.968 SV%) by Sorokin. The 30-year-old Sorokin, boasting a 2.57 GAA and .905 SV% in 18 games this season (8-8-2), returns to the crease on Thursday in a challenging matchup against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, who have amazingly only lost one game in regulation this season (19-1-6). The Islanders enter Thursday's contest as sizable +180 home underdogs against the Avalanche.

The Islanders snapped a three-game losing skid in their most recent game, a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning courtesy of a tremendous 30-save performance (.968 SV%) by Sorokin. The 30-year-old Sorokin, boasting a 2.57 GAA and .905 SV% in 18 games this season (8-8-2), likely returns to the crease on Thursday in a challenging matchup against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, who have amazingly only lost one game in regulation this season (19-1-6). The Islanders enter Thursday's contest as sizable +180 home underdogs against the Avalanche.

DeAngelo was absent from practice on Tuesday due to an illness and his status against the Tampa Bay Lightning was up in the air. The 30-year-old DeAngelo was expected to quarterback the Islanders' top powerplay unit, but was quickly demoted due to the immediate impact of rookie Matthew Schaefer. DeAngelo has nine points (1G / 8A) in 26 games this season.

The Islanders have lost three straight (0-2-1) and will turn to Sorokin to tend the twine on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 30-year-old Sorokin was having a terrific November before ending it on a sour note, allowing five goals on 31 combined shots (.839 SV%) in his last two games (0-2-0). He has a 2.67 GAA and .901 SV% in 17 games this season (7-8-2). The Islanders enter Tuesday's contest as +122 home underdogs against a Lightning team riding a seven-game winning streak.

DeAngelo was absent from practice on Tuesday due to an illness and his status against the Tampa Bay Lightning is unclear. The 30-year-old DeAngelo was expected to quarterback the Islanders' top powerplay unit, but was quickly demoted due to the immediate impact of rookie Matthew Schaefer. DeAngelo has nine points (1G / 8A) in 26 games this season.

The Islanders will try to snap a two-game losing skid on Sunday, turning to Sorokin to tend the twine against the Washington Capitals. The 30-year-old hopes to rebound after struggling in his most recent outing, allowing three goals on 14 shots (.786 SV%) in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. That said, Sorokin has been stellar during November, posting a 2.01 GAA and .926 SV% in eight games (4-3-1).

Palmieri suffered a lower-body injury in the second period, and actually picked up an assist on his way to the locker room. If Palmieri isn't available for Sunday's game against the Capitals, look for Maxim Tsyplakov to draw into the lineup to replace him.

Kyle MacLean will draw back into New York's lineup on Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers, resulting in Tsyplakov watching the game from the press box as a healthy scratch. After a solid rookie season, scoring 35 points (10G / 25A) in 77 games, the 27-year-old Tsyplakov has struggled finding his footing in 2025-26, with only one point (1G / 0A) through 15 games.

MacLean has not played since November 7th, but will draw into the lineup on Friday, replacing Maxim Tsyplakov. The 26-year-old MacLean has one assist while averaging 9:35 time-on-ice through 10 games this season.

Mitchell is an undrafted 26-year-old defenseman that has spent the previous three seasons playing exclusively in the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders. He has three points (0G / 3A) in 12 games with Bridgeport this season. He has never played an NHL game.

The Islanders have scored only two goals in their last three games (1-2-0) and will turn to Rittich on Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 33-year-old Czech goalie has been outstanding lately in a supporting role to Ilya Sorokin, winning three straight starts while saving 69 of 73 combined shots (.945 SV%). He has a 2.59 GAA and .905 SV% in eight games this season (6-2-0).