Isles Day-to-Day: Sorokin To Start, Line Changes vs Kings

The New York Islanders hit the ice for practice at Northwell Health Ice Center on Thursday. 

See below for lines, news, photos and interviews.

PRACTICE LINES

Emil Heineman - Bo Horvat - Cal Ritchie
Ondrej Palat – Brayden Schenn - Mathew Barzal
Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Max Shabanov – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb 
Kyle MacLean, Anthony Duclair

Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock 
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy – Scott Mayfield 
Adam Boqvist

Ilya Sorokin
David Rittich

BARZAL AND RITCHIE SWAP SPOTS

Mathew Barzal and Cal Ritchie swapped spots at Thursday's practice, with Barzal skating alongside Brayden Schenn and Ondrej Palat and Ritchie getting a run on Bo Horvat's wing opposite of Emil Heineman.

“I really liked how we practiced today,” Barzal said of playing with Schenn and Palat. “Both of them are smart players. Both of them have played with highly skilled players in the past… I know they're going to be looking for me and I have a lot of trust in them. They're veterans. They know how to play the game, and they've been in the NHL for a long time.”

Given that Palat and Schenn have a combined 15 games as Islanders between them, it's a new-look line, and Head Coach Patrick Roy has long expressed his desire to try new combos. Schenn said he has a good idea of Barzal's game as an opponent and can lean on his experience playing with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou in St. Louis for how to mesh with a dynamic presence like Barzal.

"Simplify the game, see the ice and try and get those guys the puck and let them work their magic," Schenn said of Barzal. "He's obviously so smart and so gifted, so talented with the puck that, you try and find guys like him or [Matthew] Schaefer on the ice. You want the puck in their hands. That's the reality of it. And those guys, turn games for for our team."

Ritchie appreciated the vote of confidence from the Islanders' coaching staff to put him alongside the team's leading goal scorer in Horvat.

"It feels great, but obviously, I have to perform," Ritchie said.

Ritchie said Horvat is an easy player to play with in their time together on the power play, or when the Islanders have been between line changes. Horvat will shoulder more responsibilities as the center on their line, so Ritchie understands his role is to support Horvat on the wing. 

"I want to be good on the walls, down low, protect pucks, hang on to pucks and make those skilled plays," Ritchie said. "He plays with a lot of pace, and I just have to play with pace and keep up with him and kind of read off him and learn from him."

Horvat said Ritchie's hockey IQ is an asset he can bring to his line and praised his development as a rookie. 

"He just continues to keep getting better and better," Horvat said of Ritchie. "His playmaking abilities, his vision, the way he sees the ice is what stands out to me."

SOROKIN TO START FRIDAY, RITTICH ON SATURDAY

Ilya Sorokin will start on Friday against the LA Kings, while David Rittich will start on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

SHABANOV STAYING IN

Max Shabanov is poised to play a second straight game after missing the previous nine as a healthy scratch. Shabanov skated with Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb during line rushes and also saw time on the Islanders second power play unit. 

"I like his skills. I like what he could bring to the power play, what he could bring five on five," Roy said. "I'm curious to see him, play a second game. It's hard when you haven't played in a long period of time, and give him the chance to feel more comfortable out there."

Shabanov has 16 points (4G, 12A) in 41 games this season.