The New York Islanders are on a three-game losing streak and seem unable to score. They need a win at the Buffalo Sabres tonight. Next, the Islanders have a tough game at Madison Square Garden against the rival Rangers on Saturday at 1 pm. The Islanders will likely lose that game, so they need a win on November 1 in Buffalo to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division. They will fall further behind if they do not get two points against this bad team.
The Islanders are still missing the injured Anthony Duclair. He is set to be out for at least six weeks. The Islanders need to figure out how to score without him. Star Mathew Barzal makes $8 million a year and is on an unsatisfactory points pace. He needs to step it up and he can start tonight in Buffalo.
Sabres Are a Must-Win For New York
It is early for a must-win game, but this is one for the New York Islanders. The Islanders are currently in last place in the Metropolitan Division but can leapfrog two teams, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburg Penguins, with a needed win. This is an opportunity, and the Buffalo Sabres have a similar skill level to New York.
Buffalo Has a Dangerous Scorer
The Buffalo Sabres are well rested, they have been off since they lost to the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Tuesday. Despite the Buffalo Sabres being off for several days, they are only 4-5-1 in ten games. Tage Thompson, who plays center on the Sabres top line, has twelve points in ten games.
The next game the Islanders have is Saturday, November 2nd at Madison Square Garden against the rival Rangers, who are one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. The game the Islanders have against the Buffalo Sabres is a road game, but the Islanders need to score goals and come away with two points.
Buffalo’s Roster
The Buffalo Sabres have a top-heavy roster. On the first line, the Sabres have JJ Peterka, the dangerous Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch. On the second line, they have Dylan Cozens, centers Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Jack Quinn. On the third line, they have Jordan Greenway, Ryan McLeod, and Jason Zucker. On the fourth line, the Buffalo Sabres have Beck Malenstyn, Peyton Krebs, and Sam Lafferty.
On defense, the Sabres have Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju as a dangerous top pairing. The second pairing is Bowen Byram and Owen Power. The third pairing is Mattias Samuelsson and Connor Clifton. In goal, the Sabres have Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. Having such a long time off means the Islanders will see the Sabres’ top goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Conclusion
Islanders sniper Mathew Brarzal has five points and is on a pace for just 41 points. He is just fifth on the Islanders in scoring, which is saying something on this team that does not score. He must do better. The game against the Buffalo Sabres will be on the road, but it is a must-win for the New York Islanders against another weak opponent. If it sounds like that has been said before, it has. It is like Groundhog Day for the Islanders.
The Sabres have only one injured player as they are fairly healthy. So, the Islanders will not catch a break because of injuries. The New York Islanders play at the Rangers on November 3rd at Madison Square Garden. The Islanders take on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin on November 5, and then the Ottawa Senators at home on November 7.
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