The New York Islanders held an optional morning skate on March 13 ahead of their matchup with the Los Angeles Kings. Head Coach Patrick Roy said there would be no changes to the lineup following Thursday’s practice, and Ilya Sorokin is expected to start in goal. Mathew Barzal and Cal Ritchie will swap lines for the game.
The team returned to UBS Arena for only the third time since February 1, following a period dominated by road games and an Olympic break. The Islanders have played eight of their last eleven games away from home during this stretch.
“It’s nice to be home,” Anders Lee said. “It’ll be great to have our the building behind us, not only tonight, but moving forward. It’s been a huge help this season and we expect no different the rest of the way.”
Players participating in Friday’s morning skate included forwards Anthony Duclair, Marc Gatcomb, Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom, Kyle MacLean, JG Pageau, Ondrej Palat, Cal Ritchie, Brayden Schenn, and Max Shabanov; defensemen Adam Boqvist, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech; and goalies David Rittich and Ilya Sorokin.
After completing back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday at home, the Islanders will begin a three-game road trip through Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Following that trip, ten of their final twelve regular season games will take place at UBS Arena.
