24 hours after their first regular-season matchup on Saturday, the New York Islanders will look to avenge their overtime loss against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

Saturday’s game was the first of eight games against the two teams in a rematch of a second-round matchup in last year’s playoffs. Philadelphia notched the first two goals of the game in the first period off the sticks of Jakub Voracek and Kevin Hayes. Islanders’ head coach Barry Trotz said after the game, “Didn’t like our start. Thought we were too soft.”

However, the Islanders found their game in the second and tied the game with goals by Jordan Eberle and Scott Mayfield. New York’s momentum continued deep into the third, but regulation solved nothing between the teams. In the extra session, Scott Laughton was able to cut through the slot, fake out Noah Dobson and Semyon Varlamov, and bury the game-winner to finish a 3-2 overtime win for the Flyers.

For both teams. the names to watch will be the backup goaltenders. After Varlamov and Carter Hart each started the front end of the back-to-back, Ilya Sorokin and Brian Elliot will each start tonight for their respective sides. The rookie Sorokin is still looking for his first NHL win after making 22 saves in a 2-0 Islanders loss to the Devils. Elliot, meanwhile, is looking for career win 244 and his third on the 2021 season after making 23 stops in a 5-3 Flyer victory, also over the Devils.

In terms of lineup, it is possible that Trotz may make a change or two. He said in his postgame that some of the veterans made bad decisions, and a change could give someone a chance for a night off. Look for Michael Dal Colle to replace the player that comes out. For the Islanders, one of the marquee names to watch is Mathew Barzal. He is riding a three-game point streak with four points, a goal, and three helpers, and looks to extend it to five. The Islanders’ third line of Kieffer Bellows, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Oliver Wahlstrom also looks to continue to develop chemistry with several opportune shifts on Saturday.

For Philadelphia, the main name to watch was not in the lineup in the first game. Travis Konecny was benched by Alain Vigneault, likely due to performance reasons, and replaced by new forward Samuel Morin. However, Konecny will be back in the lineup per Vigneault, but a corresponding move is unknown at this time. Voracek also looks to continue to add to his fantastic season thus far, as he is riding a six-game point streak with two goals and six assists, along with points in all but two of his nine games overall.

The puck drop between the Islanders and Flyers on Sunday is at 7 P.M. at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The game can be found on television at MSG+ and NBC Sports Philadelphia, and on the radio at 88.7 FM WRHU on Long Island and 97.5 FM WPEN in Philadelphia.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.