Update (12:07 p.m. ET, Thursday): The probable starting goaltender for the Islanders has changed. Semyon Varlamov, not Ilya Sorokin, is set to start Thursday’s game against the Kings, according to CBS Sports. Darcy Kuemper remains the probable starter for Los Angeles.
The Kings vs Islanders preview for Thursday night centers on two teams heading in opposite directions, with a new twist in net for New York. Los Angeles finally snapped a long skid with a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Oct. 20, while New York has won three of its last five and sits at 5-3-1 overall. The teams meet at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the Islanders looking to build on a 4-1-0 home record and the Kings trying to carry momentum into their first true test on this road trip.
Los Angeles Kings Vs. New York Islanders Game Information
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
- TV/Streaming: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu
- Season series: First meeting of 2026-27
Can The Kings Build On Their First Win?
Los Angeles enters at 1-4-2, including 1-1-2 away from home, after opening the season 0-4-2 against a brutal early slate that included the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. Adrian Kempe scored twice in the win over Washington, and Kings captain Drew Doughty pointed to the team’s chemistry on the road as a factor in snapping the drought.
“We’re on the road. I think this is a good thing for us. Just the boys getting together, going for dinner, it’s a good time for us to gel even more than we already do. I know that once we get one (win), we’re going to start rolling,” Doughty said.
The numbers still paint a team searching for consistency. Los Angeles ranks 31st in the league scoring just 2.00 goals per game and 30th defensively at 4.17 goals allowed per game, according to NHL.com. Kings coach Peter Laviolette said the group has shown flashes but needs more.
“I think we’ve had some. We’re pushing for more. Every game has been a little bit different with regard to that,” Laviolette said.
What Injuries Are Affecting Both Rosters?
Both teams are dealing with significant absences up front. The Islanders are without center Mathew Barzal (knee), on injured reserve with a return date projected for Nov. 7, along with Matias Maccelli (lower body, projected back Nov. 17), Calum Ritchie (lower body, projected return Dec. 1) and Alexander Romanov, who remains on injured reserve following knee surgery with a return not projected until April.
Los Angeles is similarly thin down the middle. Forwards Jakub Dvorak (upper body), Jan Jenik (undisclosed) and Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) are on injured reserve, while Kevin Fiala remains out recovering from lower-leg surgery. Quinton Byfield is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and his status for Thursday had not been upgraded as of the official report. The Kings’ roster situation ties into a broader pattern this month after Dylan Cardwell’s calf injury sidelined him for at least two weeks.
Who Is Starting In Goal For The Islanders Now?
Semyon Varlamov is now the probable starter for New York in place of Ilya Sorokin, according to CBS Sports. Varlamov carries a 0-1-1 record with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage this season. The 18-year veteran has served as Sorokin’s backup and the Islanders have managed his workload to roughly once every seven to 10 days, per the report. Varlamov missed all of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury, and Thursday marks his first home start since returning.
He will need a much better performance behind him than the Kings have managed so far, given Los Angeles owns the NHL’s 30th-ranked goals-against average.
By The Numbers
- Goals scored: Kings 17, Islanders 27
- Goals against: Kings 27, Islanders 19
- Goals-against average: Kings 3.86, Islanders 2.11
- Save percentage: Kings .874, Islanders .929
- Shooting percentage: Kings 8.3%, Islanders 12.1%
- Faceoff percentage: Kings 51.8%, Islanders 53.8%
- Shots on goal total: Kings 205, Islanders 224
- Power-play goals: Kings 4, Islanders 5
- Penalty minutes: Kings 86, Islanders 102
Key Matchup: Kings’ Depleted Attack Vs. A Change In The Islanders’ Net
Los Angeles produces 29.8 shots per game, eighth-best in the league, but converts at just 8.3%, nearly four points below New York’s 12.1% shooting rate. That gap shows up directly in the goal totals, with the Islanders outscoring the Kings 27-17 through their first nine games. With Varlamov now the probable starter in place of Sorokin, the Kings face a goaltender working his way back from a season missed to knee injury rather than New York’s usual No. 1.
Varlamov’s 1.94 GAA and .905 save percentage this season still represent a tighter mark than Kuemper and the Kings have shown defensively. The Kings’ power play, which ranks 26th at 14.3%, will need to cash in against an Islanders penalty-kill unit that has allowed just 19 goals all season.
What To Watch
New York sits third in the Metropolitan Division at 11 points, three behind the New York Rangers and six behind division-leading Carolina. A win would extend the Islanders’ home success and keep pace in a tightly packed division. For the Kings, who rank last in the Pacific Division at four points, stringing together back-to-back wins would mark a meaningful step after the 0-4-2 start. The goaltending change adds a new variable: Varlamov’s first home start since returning from a season-long absence comes against a Kings team that ranks 31st in the league in scoring, and his performance will factor heavily into whether Los Angeles can build on Kempe’s two-goal effort against Washington.
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