In their fourth game of the NHL preseason, the New Jersey Devils take on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. The Devils are set to play a starter-heavy lineup in search of their first preseason victory. Let’s take a deeper dive into this matchup in this game preview.
The Essentials:
Matchup: New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders
Date: September 27, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Broadcast:
TV: MSG, MSGN, ESPN+
Audio: The Devils Hockey Network on Audacy
Last Devils Game: In their third preseason game, the New Jersey Devils lost to the Washington Capitals with a final score of 5-3. See the recap of that game here.
Last Islanders Game: Last night the Islanders took on the Philadelphia Flyers and were shut out 2-0.
Last Time the Devils Played the Islanders: The Devils opened their preseason with a 4-2 loss to the Islanders on September 22nd. See the recap of that game here.
Gearing Up for the Regular Season
Following the 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals, head coach Sheldon Keefe told the media he anticipated the lineup against the Islanders to be representative of the team that will travel to Prague for the season opener. I would expect the top two lines of Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Timo Meier and Tomas Tatar – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer to remain the same. In the loss to the Capitals, it appeared that both lines needed a little more time to shake off the rust before entering the regular season. In his post-game comments, Keefe also discussed missing the defensive help of the Lazar – Bastian – Cotter line so I expect that line to return to the lineup. That leaves Ondrej Palat and Stefan Noesen. I liked both of their games against Washington and if Erik Haula is healthy enough to play, I anticipate that combination playing together against the Isles.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images
The defensive roster for Friday night’s matchup is more difficult to predict. If the lineup will be similar to the roster traveling to Prague, I anticipate that Dougie Hamilton, Brenden Dillon, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Simon Nemec will play. Nemec did not play against Washington and should get more time on the ice against the Islanders if he is completely healthy. The Devils’ head coach spoke highly of Seamus Casey and Johnathan Kovacevic following Wednesday’s game, even though Kovacevic did not play against the Caps. I expect both players to start against the Isles, which would round out the six defensemen. It is worth noting, however, that Hamilton has played the most minutes out of anyone on the team in the preseason. For that reason, I would not be surprised if he sat out against the Islanders to get another look at Colton White, Daniil Misyul, or Santeri Hatakka.
See head coach Sheldon Keefe, Jack Hughes, and Dawson Mercer speak to the media following Wednesday night’s game against the Capitals here (Courtesy of the New Jersey Devils Youtube channel).
Since Jacob Markstrom played the full 60 minutes against Washington, I anticipate Jake Allen getting the start against the Islanders.
What to Expect from the Islanders
The New York Islanders will enter their second game in two days on Friday. The Isles did not start their top players against the Flyers on Thursday night, including their top line of Anthony Duclair – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal. I anticipate that line starting against the Devils on Friday. The Islanders’ potential second line of Kyle Palmieri – Brock Nelson – Simon Holmstrom did play against the Flyers on Thursday but will likely see the ice again on Friday.
Like their top line, the Islanders’ top defensive pairing of Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson sat out against the Flyers on Thursday, which tells me they will start against the Devils. I’d guess you are beginning to catch on here. The Islanders will be playing their starters against the Devils.
For those interested, the full game report from Natural Stat Trick for the Islanders versus Flyers game can be found here.
Status of Ilya Sorokin
Standout goaltender Ilya Sorokin has not played thus far in the preseason following offseason back surgery. It was initially reported that Sorokin would only miss the first few days of camp, but it is now the fourth game of the preseason. Will he be ready to start the season? I don’t envision Sorokin starting against the Devils. Backup goalie Marcus Hogberg played the entire game against the Flyers. Based on that information, Semyon Varlamov, who is no slouch himself, will likely get the start on Friday.
For more information on Sorokin’s injury status, see the full article from The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner from September 25th here.
Your Thoughts
Would you tweak any of the Devils’ lines? What have you thought of the play of Seamus Casey? Does he deserve a roster spot entering the regular season? What about the play of Johnathan Kovacevic? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Thank you for reading and GO DEVILS!!