New York Islanders vs. St. Louis Blues Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 17th 2024
Preview and Prediction
During the recent offseason, the New York Islanders made some key additions to their roster, bringing in the speedy winger Anthony Duclair and KHL winger Maxim Tsyplakov. These new additions have given coach Patrick Roy the opportunity to create two powerful forward lines for the team.
The Islanders will put their newfound depth to the test when they face off against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
In the Islanders' first three games of the season, Duclair has already made an impact with two goals and one assist. He has found chemistry with center Bo Horvat and play-making winger Mathew Barzal, who have each contributed one goal and one assist to the team's 1-1-1 start.
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While the top line draws a lot of defensive attention, the second line has also been productive. Tsyplakov, who joined the team from Russia, has quickly adapted to the NHL and has one goal and one assist to his name. He has formed a strong connection with veteran Kyle Palmieri (one goal, one assist) and center Brock Nelson (two goals, one assist).
Nelson has been impressed with Tsyplakov's ability to communicate and adjust to a new environment and language. He believes that their chemistry will continue to improve as they learn to read and react off each other on the ice.
Coach Roy is pleased with the team's depth, which has allowed Tsyplakov to thrive on the second line. He also praised Nelson for his strong play and hopes that the line will continue to produce for the team.
On the other side, the Blues are looking to improve their offense and tighten up their defense after starting the season with a 2-2 record. They have struggled to come back from multiple goal deficits in their last two games.
Their most recent game was a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, where they fell behind early and were unable to catch up. Coach Drew Bannister believes that there are still areas where the team can improve and put more pressure on their opponents.
Defenseman Justin Faulk also acknowledged that the team was a bit sloppy with the puck and could have been more aggressive in their play. The Blues had two goals disallowed in the game, one due to a whistle and the other coming just after the second period ended.
Despite the loss, forward Jordan Kyrou believes that the team played well and had plenty of chances to score. He also noted that they were playing a fast and aggressive game, which is a positive sign for the team moving forward.
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As the Islanders and Blues prepare to face off, both teams will be looking to improve their play and secure a win. With strong depth and chemistry on both sides, it should be an exciting matchup to watch.
New York Islanders vs. St. Louis Blues
Colton Parayko scored a wraparound goal in overtime to lift the St. Louis Blues over the visiting New York Islanders 3-2 Thursday night.
The Blues won their sixth consecutive game after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime.
Brayden Schenn and Vince Dunn also scored for the Blues, and goaltender Jordan Binnington made 15 saves.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jordan Eberle scored for the Islanders and Thomas Greiss, making his first start in seven games, stopped 29 of 32 shots.
The Islanders struck first with Pageau's power-play goal 8:20 into the game. He scored on a one-time blast from the slot off Mathew Barzal's pass.
That was Pageau's second goal in two games since arriving in a trade with the Ottawa Senators. Barzal has seven assists in his last five games.
Eberle put the Islanders up 2-0 with the Blues caught in a line change late in the period. He burst in unchecked on the right wing to convert Ander Lee's deft backhand pass. Barzal received the secondary assist on the goal, for his second of the night and his eighth in his last five games.
Schenn cut the lead in half with 55 seconds left in the period, Schenn beat Greiss off the rush from the right circle after taking Ryan O'Reilly's cross-ice pass.
After failing to score a goal in eight straight games, Schenn has scored in three games in a row.
The Blues outshot the Islanders 10-1 in the second period but failed to pull even. They led again in the third period, 11-3, and tied the game with 1:44 left with Dunn stepping in as the trailer to claim a loose puck and hammer home a slap shot from straight away.
Both teams had good scoring chances in overtime, but Parayko finally decided the game with his unassisted goal.
Islanders forward Michael Dal Colle was able to play after getting knocked out of his previous game with an upper-body injury. But defenseman Andy Greene (upper-body injury) remained sidelined.
With forward Sammy Blais sidelined with an undisclosed injury, the Blues played seven defensemen and deployed Robert Bortuzzo for some shifts on the wing.