Islanders vs Capitals: Start of two in D.C., Odds, Lineups, TV, and More

The New York Islanders start their two-game set with the Washington Capitals tonight in the nation’s capital, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

The Islanders will be looking to win the first game of their current five-game road trip after getting shutout by the Devils in New Jersey on Sunday night.

The Blue and Orange will also be looking to give the Capitals something they haven’t experienced yet in this new season… A regulation loss! Through six games the Caps have yet to lose in regulation and currently have a 3-0-3 record.

Although they may not have a regulation loss, last time out the Capitals lost 4-3 to the Sabres in a shootout on Sunday afternoon.

The New York Islanders will look to pick up where they left off with the Washington Capitals

The last time the Islanders and Capitals met was in the first round of the 2020 NHL Playoffs in the Toronto bubble. During that series the number six seed, Islanders completely dominated the number three seed, Capitals, en route to a  4-1 series win. Through five games the Islanders outscored the Caps, 17-8.

Although the Capitals may have a different roster compared to last year, expect the rivalry between these teams to be reignited when the puck drops tonight.

Tale of the Tape

Betting Odds

The Islanders come into today as the favorites, courtesy of the Action network.

It is no surprise the Islanders are considered the favorites for tonight’s contest with the Capitals missing some of their top players, but as shown in recent performances, Washington has performed well without their top guns.

Expect tonight to be no walk in the park for the blue and orange. Expect a tight-checking game that should go down to the wire.

Projected Lineups

The Islanders may be forced to make a lineup change going in tonight’s game. Anthony Beauvillier was injured on Sunday and is considered to be day-to-day according to Barry Trotz.

If Beauvillier is out we may see Kieffer Bellows take his spot on the second line. Bellows took some practice reps with that line when Josh Bailey was forced to miss practice last week due to Covid protocols.

Besides Beauvillier, Trotz did not reveal any other information regarding any of the Islanders and his potential lineup for tonight.

The Islanders’ defense and pairings are projected to remain the same as the first five games of the season.

Semyon Varlamov is projected to get the start in net after Ilya Sorokin played on Sunday night against the Devils.

The Islanders are projected to lineup like this:

Lee-Barzal-Eberle
Bellows-Nelson-Bailey
Wahlstrom-Pageau-Johnston
Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Pelech-Pulock
Dobson-Mayfield
Leddy-Greene

Varlamov (Sorokin)

The first thing many people will notice when looking at the Capitals projected lineup tonight is there are a handful of noticeable omissions. The Capitals had four players placed on the NHL Covid Protocol list including Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitri Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov. All of these players will be unavailable for both games of the two-game series between these teams.

Also, Tom Wilson missed the last game with a lower-body injury and looks doubtful for tonight’s clash.

With all these top names out, Isles fans should keep an eye on rookie forward Connor McMichael. The twenty-year-old is coming off his NHL debut and is considered as one of the Capitals’ top prospects.

One familiar face that Islanders fans will see on the Capitals blueline is Zdeno Chara. The former Isles draft pick signed a one-year deal with Washington this offseason.

Vitek Vanecek is projected to start for the Capitals this evening. So far this season Vaneckek has played in four games, has a 2-0-2 record with a 2.87 goals against average, and a .912 save percentage.

The Capitals are projected to lineup like this:

Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
McMichael-Eller-Panik
Hagelin-Dowd-Hathaway
Sheary-Pinho-Sprong

Dillon-Carlson
Chara-Schultz
Siegenthaler-Van Riemsdyk

Vanecek (Anderson)

Where to Catch the Game

TV: NBCSN, NBCSWA+

Radio: 88.7FM 103.9FM 1050AM

Today in the East Division

If you love to watch hockey, tonight is a perfect night for you. Every team in the East will be playing this Tuesday evening and in total there are 14 games in the NHL. Tonight’s East Division matchups are located below with and all are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Penguins vs Bruins
Rangers vs Sabres
Flyers vs Devils

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*All Stats Provided by the NHL*