Game Preview: Islanders at Lightning

ISLES NOTES

– The Islanders added reinforcement to their blue line on Friday afternoon, claiming Adam Boqvist off waivers from the Panthers. The 24-year-old, right-handed shot has six points (2G, 4A) through 18 games played the Panthers this season. The 2018 first-round pick (8^th overall) has played six NHL seasons with the Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Chicago Blackhawks, totaling 91 points (25 goals and 66 assists) over 227 games.

– Isaiah George was returned to Bridgeport on loan in a corresponding move.

– The Islanders are three games over NHL-.500 for the first time this season. They’re in the mix in the tight Eastern Conference standings with 53 points, four points behind the Lightning (57 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (57 points) for the top two wild card spots, though the Boston Bruins (56 points) and the Detroit Red Wings (55 points) stand in the Isles’ way.

– Simon Holmstrom scored for the third time in his last two games. The Swedish winger has been hot since his return to the lineup after a seven-game absence, with five points (4G, 1A) in his last six games since returning from injury.

– Marc Gatcomb recorded his first goal and point on Thursday in his seventh career NHL game. He became the third Islanders rookie to score their first goal this season, after Max Tsyplakov (Oct. 10 vs UTA) and Isaiah George (Dec. 21 at TOR).

“It’s definitely something you dream of your whole life, so it’s special,” Gatcomb said. “Definitely super excited to get that one and, most importantly, a huge win.”

– Kyle Palmieri ended a 14-game goal drought with a tally against the Flyers. He has 13 goals and 33 points through 50 games this season.

– Scott Perunovich has assists in his first two games with the Islanders. Per Islanders team statistician Eric Hornick, Perunovich is the first Islanders player to tally assists in his first two games since Johnny Boychuk (2014).

– The Islanders have turned a corner since the year flipped to 2025. Since Jan. 1, their penalty kill (91.3%) ranks first in the NHL and their 1.75 GA/GP is also best in the league. The Isles completed the month with a points percentage of .750, which ranks third in the NHL. Per Hornick, the Islanders’ record of 9-3-0 is their best January since the 1982-83 Islanders posted a record of 9-2-1.

– The Islanders are 4-1-1 on the front end of back-to-back sets this season.