Islanders Vs Ducks: New York’s Comeback Streak Hits Anaheim as Injuries and Goaltending Plans Come Into Focus
islanders vs ducks arrives at 10: 00 p. m. ET with New York opening a four-game road trip in Anaheim, carrying a season-high five-game win streak and a recent habit of erasing early two-goal deficits.
What’s at stake in Islanders Vs Ducks at 10 p. m. ET?
The New York Islanders (35-21-5) visit the Anaheim Ducks (33-24-3) at Honda Center with New York aiming for its sixth straight win, which would extend a season-high run. The matchup begins at 10: 00 p. m. ET.
New York enters with 75 points, sitting third in the Metropolitan Division and tied with the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins at 75 points, with Pittsburgh holding one game in hand. In the conference snapshot provided for this matchup, the Islanders are seventh in the Eastern Conference with 75 points, while the Ducks are fifth in the Western Conference with 69 points.
Recent results frame the game’s tone: the Islanders have come back from 2-0 deficits and won in each of their last three outings, a stretch that has helped fuel the current streak. Their most recent win cited here was a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night, decided by Anders Lee in the final minute.
Who’s in, who’s out, and what the lines show heading into islanders vs ducks
New York’s practice lines in Anaheim offered an early look at potential combinations, with the caveat that updates could follow after the morning skate.
Forwards at Tuesday’s practice were listed as:
Ondrej Palat – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal
Anthony Duclair – Cal Ritchie – Emil Heineman
Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
Defense pairs were listed as:
Matthew Schaefer – Scott Mayfield
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy – Adam Boqvist
Two health-related items stood out for New York. Jonathan Drouin joined the Islanders on the ice at their first practice in Anaheim on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury. The first-year Islander has 20 points (3G, 17A) in 53 games this season.
Ryan Pulock (maintenance) missed Tuesday’s practice. In his absence, Scott Mayfield moved up to pair with Matthew Schaefer, while Adam Boqvist skated with Carson Soucy. Pulock recorded an assist in Sunday’s win over Florida and sits one goal away from tying Kenny Jonsson for the third most goals by a defenseman in Islanders history.
On the Anaheim side, the matchup injury list provided for this game included: Alexander Romanov (Out For Season, Upper Body), Mikael Granlund (Day-To-Day, Upper Body), and Petr Mrazek (Out For Season, Lower Body). No additional details were provided here beyond those designations.
Why goaltending and milestones could swing islanders vs ducks
Head Coach Patrick Roy confirmed David Rittich will start in goal for the second straight game against Anaheim. Rittich earned his second win in his last three starts in Sunday’s 5-4 win, stopping 29 of 33 shots. He is 13-8-3 this season with a 2. 63 GAA and a. 899 save percentage, along with two shutouts.
Rittich also started in New York’s earlier meeting with Anaheim this season, a 5-2 Islanders win, making 31 saves on 33 shots. The Islanders’ plan for the back-to-back was also outlined: Ilya Sorokin is set to start against the LA Kings on Thursday for the second half of that set.
New York’s surge has been aided by timely scoring from multiple places. In Sunday’s comeback win, Matthew Schaefer (2G, 1A), Carson Soucy, and Bo Horvat scored to keep the Islanders within striking distance, before Lee delivered the late winner. Lee’s current totals also put franchise milestones in view: he has 303 career goals with the Islanders, leaving him one goal from tying Clark Gillies for fourth-most in franchise history. He also scored twice in the previous meeting with Anaheim in December.
With a road trip opening, a defined goaltending plan, and several lineup questions still pending, islanders vs ducks will test whether New York’s recent formula—resilience after falling behind and late-game finishing—travels as effectively to Anaheim.
