Islanders need to bounce back on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames

The New York Islanders return to UBS Arena on Saturday night looking for a bounce-back performance as they host the Calgary Flames in the second half of a back-to-back.

The Isles enter the matchup after a 3–2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. The Islanders fell into an early hole after surrendering three first-period goals but battled back behind a pair of tallies from Emil Heineman. Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves in the loss as the Islanders pushed late but came up just short.

The Islanders are expected to turn to David Rittich in goal Saturday night. The 33-year-old will face his former team for the second time this season and is seeking his first career win against Calgary. Rittich enters the game with a 13-9-3 record, a 2.69 goals-against average and two shutouts this season.

One recent trend the Islanders will look to reverse is playing from behind. New York has trailed 3–0 in consecutive games and has allowed the first two goals in six of its last eight contests.

“It wears on you having to come back all the time,” Bo Horvat said. “We have to find ways to get leads and hold leads.”

Offensively, Mathew Barzal continues to drive the Islanders attack. Barzal leads the team with 60 points this season and has been especially productive following losses, recording 24 points in those games.

In the standings, the Islanders sit with 79 points and are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division, while the Columbus Blue Jackets remain close behind.

The Flames arrive in New York after a 5–4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Mikael Backlund recently surpassed 600 career points and now leads Calgary with 37 points following several deadline trades that reshaped the roster.

Saturday’s game marks the final meeting of the season between the Islanders and Flames after Calgary earned a 4–2 win in January.