Game Preview: New York Islanders face Boston Bruins in must-win road matchup

The New York Islanders will square off against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night in a road matchup at the TD Garden. Both clubs have struggled of late, with each team riding a four-game losing streak. For the Isles, Thursday night’s matchup is now in must-win territory. The Isles cannot afford to leave any more points on the table as their postseason hopes hang in the balance.

As for the Boston Bruins, they are stuck in the bottom half of the Atlantic Division, and can’t seem to gain any traction in climbing the standings. This tilt features two teams who could be looking to play desperate hockey as the season winds down.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm EST. Fans can catch the action on MSG+ and ESPN+.

LAST GAME

The New York Islanders (25-25-7) are coming off a 5-1 pounding at the hands of the New York Rangers last Tuesday night at UBS Arena. The Isles had a tough time getting past Igor Shesterkin despite outshooting the Rangers 37-18. The Rangers ended up chasing Ilya Sorokin after he gave up five goals on 11 shots. Alexander Romanov had the only goal for the Isles in the matchup.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins (27-24-8) are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins held a 3-1 lead heading into the third period before blowing the lead, eventually giving up the game-winner to Mitch Marner with less than 30 seconds left in the extra frame.

HISTORICAL MATCHUP

Thursday night’s matchup will be the third and final meeting between these two clubs this season. The teams have split the two previous meetings. The Bruins won 6-3 on November 27, 2024 at UBS Arena. The Islanders won their last meeting, getting a 5-4 overtime win at the TD Garden on Bo Horvat’s brilliant winner.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

The New York Islanders have been struggling to score goals over their last four games. As such, top scorers Bo Horvat, Anthony Duclair, and Anders Lee will have to step up to power the Isles. Similarly, blue liners Alexander Romanov and Tony DeAngelo will hopefully continue to anchor the top-pairing, providing the Isles solid defensive work.

The biggest news seems to be the return of Noah Dobson. According to Andrew Gross, Dobson was at practice on Wednesday alongside Adam Pelech. That puts Adam Boqvist with Ryan Pulock on the bottom pairing. It remains to be seen if that will be the defense core lining up on the ice.

As for the Bruins, fans should keep an eye on David Pastrnak. Pastrnak had two goals in his last game and could be the deadliest Bruins player on the ice. Also, Jeremy Swayman will be looking to bounce back after the tough loss against the Leafs. So, he could be tough to beat.