Islanders Game 12: Romanov Out; Damaged Defense Vs NYR, Lines

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Islanders (4-5-2) travel to Madison Square Garden to take on their crosstown rivals, the New York Rangers (7-2-1). The Islanders will play without their three left-shot defensemen who played on Friday in Buffalo.

Head Coach Patrick Roy told the media pregame that Alexander Romanov would not play despite hopes that he could go. Romanov has already missed three games due to an upper-body injury but returned to play Friday in Buffalo. During that game, Jordan Greenway hit Romanov and re-injured him, knocking him out of today’s lineup.

Mike Reilly remains day-to-day despite his scary injury in Buffalo after another Greenway hit. The Islanders placed Adam Pelech on IR after he took a puck to the jaw and left Friday’s game. Mat Barzal, placed on LTIR, and Anthony Duclair remain sidelined for the Islanders. Almost one-third of the Islanders’ opening-day lineup is injured less than a month into the season.

As for the Rangers, the story is Igor Shesterkin. He’s been the Blueshirts’ MVP through the first 10 games, with Peter Laviolette shaking up their lines for today’s game ahead of the divisional matchup.

Islanders Lines:

Forwards

Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Maxim Tsyplakov – Brock Nelson- Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmtrom -Casey Cizikas – Pierre Engvall

Oliver Wahlstrom -Kyle MacLean – Hudson Fasching

Defense

Dennis Cholowski – Noah Dobson Ryan Pulock – Scott Mayfield Samuel Bolduc – Grant Hutton Goalies  Ilya Sorokin (Semyon Varlamov)

Rangers Lines:

Forwards

Artemi Panarin – Mika Zibanejad – Alexis Lafrenière Chris Kreider – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko Will Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Reilly Smith Adam Edström – Sam Carrick – Jimmy Vesey Defense Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox Ke’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba Zac Jones – Braden Schneider Goalies Igor Shesterkin (Jonathan Quick)