The Islanders return to the ice after a four-day layoff to host the Carolina Hurricanes at Barclays. New York had a Jekyll and Hyde weekend as they failed to show up against the Dallas Stars and manhandled the St Louis Blues the next day.
This is the first of three games in four days. They’ll head south to face the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday and face the Canes in Raleigh the next night. The Islanders are 5-12-3 in their last 20 home games against the Hurricanes. 1-1-2 at Barclays.
A bunch of lineup changes today as Anthony Beauvillier, Thomas Hickey and Ryan Pulock will dress. Alan Quine, Scott Mayfield and Dennis Seidenberg will sit. With Beauvillier back in the lineup, Josh Ho-Sang’s emergency callup has been changed to a regular callup. Ho-Sang will play in his second straight game. Ho-Sang missed practice on Monday and Tuesday with a stomach bug.
Pulock’s grounding lasted one game. Head coach Doug Weight mentioned Pulock’s lack of shooting and getting pucks to the net as reasons for Saturday’s benching. Seemed like he was singled out for the team failing to show up in Dallas. Personally, I think Pulock has gotten better each game he has played.
Thomas Greiss will start for the second straight game. Weight is still waiting for Greiss or Jaroslav Halak to take the reigns of the number one goaltender.
The Hurricanes are on a five-game point streak (3-0-2). They last played on Monday so both teams are rested. Scott Darling will start for the Canes.