The New York Islanders face the Philadelphia Flyers with both teams heading in opposite directions to start the season. The Islanders have a 15-8 record and with a four-game winning streak, they have the second-best record in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have a 7-10-5 record and with a 10-game losing streak, they have the second-worst record in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders are looking to remain near the top of the Eastern Conference while the Flyers are hoping to rebound on the season, making the upcoming game a pivotal one for both teams.
The Islanders are having a great season with their offense stepping up and scoring 3.35 goals per game with 14 goals in the last four games. Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, and Anders Lee have scored 21 goals and 45 assists to lead the top two lines but the entire offense has been great this season. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Zach Parise have combined for 19 goals and 18 assists while defensemen Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock have added seven goals and 19 assists from the point to overwhelm opposing defenses.
The offense has been great but the defense has carried the Islanders, allowing only 2.57 goals per game with only six goals in the last four games. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock have combined for 3.2 defensive point shares and 72 blocked shots while Noah Dobson, Scott Mayfield, and Alexander Romanov have combined for 3.5 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit. Moreover, go altender Ilya Sorokin has been remarkable with a .933 save percentage and a 2.19 goals-against average on 493 shots.