Game Preview: Islanders at Devils

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (34-33-12) AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS (41-31-7)

1 PM | PRUDENTIAL CENTER

WATCH: TNT | truTV | MAX

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | ISLANDERS + UBS ARENA APP

The New York Islanders wrap up a back-to-back weekend set on Sunday afternoon when they visit the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

It’s the first game for the Islanders since being eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday afternoon in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s just the second time in seven seasons the Isles won’t be going to the postseason and first time since the 2021-22 season. Saturday’s shootout loss also extended the Islanders’ winless streak to three games (0-1-2).

Being eliminated was a disappointing development for the Islanders, who are focusing on finishing the final three games of the season strong.

"You find yourself on the outside looking in, and it's disappointing," Anders Lee said. "That's not where we want to be. It's not what we worked for. And we have a job to do to finish the regular season."

New Jersey has clinched a playoff berth and will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the First Round of the playoffs. The Devils have lost two straight games, most recently falling 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.

SEASON SERIES

The Islanders are 1-0-1 against the Devils this season, winning their previous trip to Prudential Center 4-3 in overtime. The Isles fell 4-3 in overtime in the rematch on Nov. 9 at UBS Arena, where they let a 3-1 third period lead slip away.

The Isles are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games against the Devils.

ISLES NOTES:

- Noah Dobson scored his 10^th goal of the season on Saturday, marking his fourth season with 10-or-more goals. Dobson is just the third blueliner in team history to score 10 goals four times, joining Denis Potvin (14 times) and Tomas Jonsson (four times). Dobson has 39 points (10G, 29A) this season.

- Anders Lee scored his team-leading 29^th goal of the season on Saturday, putting the Isles captain on the cusp of his third, 30-goal season. If Lee gets to 30, it’ll mark his first 30-goal season since he netted 40 in 2017-18.

- Marcus Hogberg stopped 19-of-22 shots on Saturday and four of five in the shootout. Head Coach Patrick Roy did not reveal his netminder for Sunday’s matinee, so it’s unclear if Hogberg will start on back-to-back days, or if Tristan Lennox will make his first NHL start.

- The Islanders power play has scored in back-to-back games, going 2-for-6 (33%) over that span.

- Defenseman Tony DeAngelo recorded a pair of assists on Saturday for his third multi-assist game of the season. DeAngelo also played a team-high 26:47, marking his fourth-highest TOI in a game this season.

DEVILS NOTES:

- Jesper Bratt leads the Devils with 88 points (21G, 67A) in 79 games. Bratt set career highs in assists and points and his 67 helpers are a single-season record for New Jersey.

- Nico Hischier leads the Devils with 35 goals, which also doubles as a career-high. New Jersey’s captain has 67 points (35G, 32A) in 73 games this season. Hischier has eight points (5G, 3A) in his last five games.

- Timo Meier has three goals in his last three games. Meier has 50 points (25G, 25A) in 78 games this season, marking his second straight 50-point season with the Devils and fourth-straight 50-point season overall.

- Defenseman Dougie Hamilton practiced with the Devils on Saturday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on March 4, but despite joining the team, the blueliner was ruled out for Sunday’s game. Hamilton has 40 points (9G, 31A) in 63 games this season.

- Jack Hughes suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on March 2 and will not play in Sunday’s game. Hughes is also expected to miss New Jersey’s upcoming playoff run, but is expected to be back for the Devils 2025 training camp. Despite missing the past month, Hughes is still second in team scoring with 70 points (27G, 43A) in 62 games.