The New York Islanders open their 2019-20 regular season with a home date against the Washington Capitals. Here’s what you need to know about tonight’s game.
The 2019-20 regular season is finally here. After a long summer (and hopefully a good one for everyone) the New York Islanders are back with meaningful hockey.
After impressing with a 103 point season the Islanders are back on the ice to prove 2018-19 wasn’t a fluke. Their first opponent: the Washington Capitals.
The same team that beat out the Islanders by a single point for the Metropolitan Division. The same team who the Islanders last saw on the last day of the 2018-19 regular season.
18-19 Head to Head
Last year, the Caps and Isles played four times and it was a close series between the two divisional rivals. The Islanders won twice and the Capitals won twice. Both teams scored seven goals across the four games.
I know we’re supposed to think that the Caps are still the class of the division, but adding Gudas on the back-end isn’t a great step forward.
They’ve still got great talents like Ovie and Backstrom so their still a good team, but maybe they aren’t the class of the division anymore. We’ll see tonight.
Projected Lines
Islanders
Lee-Barzal-Eberle Pelech-Pulock
Beauvillier-Nelson-Bailey Toews-Mayfield
Dal Colle-Brassard-Komarov Leddy-Dobson
Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck Varlamov (Greiss)
I think Dobson gets the start. Why keep take him if you aren’t ready to watch him play? Although we’ve seen opening night shenanigans with rookies from the Islanders before, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Trotz plays Boychuk instead.
I also think Varlamov gets the start here. He’s looked great in pre-season, and the Islanders have been after him for a while. Why not play him now?
Capitals
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson Seigenthaler-Carlson
Vrana-Eller-Oshie Orlov-Jensen
Hagelin-Stephenson-Panik Fehervary-Gudas
Leipsic-Dowd-Hathaway Samsonov (Holtby)
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Where Can You Catch the Game:
Live: Nassau Coliseum (Get tickets here)
TV: MSG+ and MSG GO
Radio: WHRU 88.7FM, LI News 103.9FM, ESPN 1050 AM