The Islanders return to the ice tonight to square off against the Dallas Stars at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 7pm. While line combinations are not out yet there will be some changes to the roster tonight. Josh Bailey will return to the lineup after missing three games with an injury. However it is unclear who he will replace as Kyle Okposo will be a game time decision as the Okposo family is “day-to-day… waiting on the birth of their first child.
Islander rookie Matt Donovan will return to the lineup after an impressive stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Islanders’ Head Coach Jack Capuano said that they sent Donovan back to the AHL to regain his scoring touch and confidence. In seventeen games with the Sound Tiger Donovan scored three goals and added eleven assists for an impressive fourteen points. The Islanders now need some of that offense to translate to the NHL as they are desperate for scoring from their blueliners. I would like to see fellow rookie Calvin deHaan and Donovan get a chance on the power play as the Islanders desperately need a presence from the point while with the man advantage. Donovan’s return to the lineup means that the Isles will scratch Matt Carkner.
The Islanders will continue to ride Evgeni Nabokov as he gets the start in goal tonight. With the Islanders playing Toronto tomorrow night I would expect backup goalie Kevin Poulin to get the nod against the Maple Leafs. Nabokov has been terrific since his return from injury and I expect the Islanders to use him on most nights. I would expect to see Poulin only on back to back nights and until the Islanders fall completely out of the playoff picture I would expect to see Nabokov in a majority of the games.
If the Stars were in the Metro Division they would be in second place. However in a loaded Western Conference they are on the outside looking in to the playoffs as they currently stand two points out of the final playoff spot. This Dallas team has a nice blend of size and speed and are going to be a tough task for the Islanders tonight.
For the Islanders to grab points tonight they have to stop shooting themselves in the foot and cannot turn the puck over in their own end or at the opponents blue line. They have to play smart decisive hockey; something that they have not been able to do on a consistent basis all season long. As always for more on all things hockey please give me a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @DanDanNoodles78.