ELMONT, N.Y. -- This isn't quite the same Islanders team that eliminated the Penguins from the postseason last spring.
Aside from Jordan Eberle being lost in the expansion draft, the Islanders have been hit hard with COVID and injuries, with a number of returning players and new faces still sidelined. Forwards Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Ross Johnston and Kieffer Bellows and defensemen Adam Pelech, Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara are all on the COVID list, while forward Brock Nelson and defenseman Ryan Pulock are out with injuries.
The Islanders enter tonight's game against the Penguins on a seven-game losing streak, the franchise's longest since early in the 2010-11 season.. This is the last of a four-game homestand to open the brand new UBS Arena, a building in which the Islanders have only scored a combined three goals in those first three losses.
Even given the personnel out of the Islanders' lineup and the slump the team is currently in, the Penguins are still expecting to see a strong effort from an Islanders team still playing within their system.
"They've gone through a little bit of a struggle, but they're a very good team," Mike Sullivan said of the Islanders. "We expect it to be a really difficult game. We've all been in those circumstances where you've lost a handful of games, or you've got a number of guys out of the lineup. We went through it through a fairly long stretch in the season where we had a lot of guys out of the lineup as well. You're trying to find ways to compete. So I would envision this being an emotionally-charged game and a game that we're going to have to fight for every inch out there."
There are emotions on the Penguins' side, too. Brian Dumoulin said that they're coming into this game with some "extra motivation" after being eliminated by the Islanders in six games in the first round last season.
"We had a good feeling last year that we had a good team," Dumoulin said. "And obviously they knocked us out. I wouldn't say 'bad blood,' but obviously a team that we're familiar with and the team that if we have a chance to beat them, we want to, extra motivation."
Sullivan said that the memory of that series is "certainly in everybody's mind," but that they can't let that change how they approach this game.
"We've got to make sure the focus is on our team, and the certain level of urgency that we need to play with in order to set ourselves up for success," Sullivan said. "And then it's just a matter of commitment and buying into the team concept and execution when we have opportunity. So that's our approach. That's always been our approach. That's how we're going to approach it tonight."
Faceoff is 7:38 p.m.
MORE FROM THE SKATE
• Tristan Jarry will start in net for the seventh game in a row.
• The lines and pairings remained the same:
Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Jason Zucker - Jeff Carter - Kasperi Kapanen
Dominik Simon - Evan Rodrigues - Danton Heinen
Zach Aston-Reese - Teddy Blueger - Brock McGinn
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson - John Marino
Mike Matheson - Chad Ruhwedel
• The first power play unit was Kris Letang, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel.
• The second power play unit was John Marino/Mike Matheson, Kasperi Kapanen, Danton Heinen, Zucker, Evan Rodrigues
• It's still November, but the Penguins are well aware of where they rank in the standings -- fifth in the Metropolitan division -- and how crucial these games against division rivals are.
"We're not in any position right now that we want to be," Dumoulin said. "We want to continue climbing the standings and continue to get these wins. ... These are important games, especially the division games, a team that we're going to be fighting with for playoffs. So it's a very important game for us."
• The Islanders' new arena is beautiful. It still feels like it has character like an old building, with all the brick and some of the murals in the main entrance. What I saw of the concourses and club areas was really nice. The videoboard is big and super clear, and there are cool elements around like the various logos at the top of the upper bowl for non-New York-based Islanders fan clubs. It's a neat way to incorporate fans from other states or countries into the building.
"This place isn't the Coliseum," Dumoulin said. "Obviously, that place had so much history, and you could feel the presence. But it'll be fun to feel what this atmosphere is like tonight."
• When Dumoulin made his return to the Penguins' lineup following his bout with COVID on Nov. 14 against the Capitals. He was visibly slower in that game and seemed especially exhausted when he spoke afterward. Now almost two weeks later, he's feeling much better.
"It's not easy coming back from COVID," he said. "I tried to convince myself it was like a bye week, almost like we're coming back and playing. It's tough, not skating. I was able to work out and stuff, but it doesn't really translate the same as getting out there on the ice practicing and feeling that speed. So I feel good now, it's good to have that behind me."
• The players had various Thanksgiving gatherings with each other on Thursday. Jason Zucker and his wife Carly were part of one gathering of players, and Zucker credited Carly 100 percent with the cooking, he didn't do any himself.
• Dumoulin and his wife Kayla hosted another gathering, with Marcus Pettersson and his girlfriend, and Chad Ruhwedel and his wife and son. They had theirs catered, and I asked Dumoulin what his favorite Thanksgiving food was.
"The whole part of it," he said. "I mean, I like the wine that comes with the dinner too. I like turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, everything. Brussels sprouts, stuffing, mashed potatoes."
• Sullivan said his favorite food was "all of it. ... I'm a food guy."
