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NY Islanders shoot for first road win versus Minnesota Wild since 2019-20 season

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Jan 15, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (3) pokes the puck away from Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) and left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) during the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images
Jan 15, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (3) pokes the puck away from Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) and left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) during the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images | Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

The New York Islanders continue their seven-game road trip Saturday night when they visit the Minnesota Wild.

The Isles are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Simon Holmstrom scored the Islanders’ lone goal, and David Rittich made 26 saves in regulation and overtime before stopping two of three shootout attempts. Filip Forsberg scored the decisive goal in the tiebreaker for Nashville.

The Islanders are expected to make a few lineup changes. Defenseman Adam Boqvist is slated to return after missing the past three games and is projected to skate alongside Scott Mayfield. Winger Max Tsyplakov is also expected to rejoin the lineup after sitting out the last two games as a healthy scratch. Cole McWard is projected to come out on defense.

Kirill Kaprizov
Minnesota Wild v New York Islanders | Steven Ryan/GettyImages

Ilya Sorokin is expected to start in goal for New York. Sorokin is coming off a 44-save shutout against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, the 26th of his career, which set a franchise record. He is 13-10-2 this season with a 2.45 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage and four shutouts.

Mathew Barzal enters the game riding a three-game point streak. He has six points (one goal, five assists) during that span and leads the Islanders with 36 points in 43 games. Barzal is two points shy of reaching 500 for his career.

The Islanders’ penalty kill continues to be a strength. New York is tied for seventh in the NHL at 82.0 percent and has killed all eight penalties it has faced over the past two games.

Minnesota is coming off a 3-2 overtime victory against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night, snapping a two-game winless streak. Mats Zuccarello scored the overtime winner, and Kirill Kaprizov recorded two assists to move into second place on the Wild’s all-time scoring list. Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 51 points this season.

This is the second meeting between the teams. The Wild won 5-2 at UBS Arena on Nov. 7. The Islanders are seeking their first road win against Minnesota since the 2019-20 season.

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