Ilya Sorokin will be in goal for the New York Islanders’ game against the LA Kings. The team held practice at Northwell Health Ice Center on Thursday, where some changes to the lines were revealed.
Barzal and Ritchie Swap Places in Islanders Lineup
Mathew Barzal and Cal Ritchie have swapped places. Barzal skated alongside Brayden Schenn and Ondrej Palat at Thursday’s practice. Ritchie got a run on Bo Horvat’s wing opposite Emil Heineman.
Barzal commented on playing with Schenn and Palat, saying, “I really liked how we practiced today. Both of them are smart players. Both of them have played with highly skilled players in the past… I know they’re going to be looking for me and I have a lot of trust in them. They’re veterans. They know how to play the game, and they’ve been in the NHL for a long time.”
Schenn said he has a good idea of Barzal’s game and can lean on his experience playing with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou in St. Louis for how to mesh with a dynamic presence like Barzal.
“Simplify the game, see the ice and try and get those guys the puck and let them work their magic,” Schenn said of Barzal. “He’s obviously so smart and so gifted, so talented with the puck that, you try and find guys like him or [Matthew] Schaefer on the ice. You want the puck in their hands. That’s the reality of it. And those guys, turn games for for our team.”
Ritchie Hopes to Capitalise on Opportunity
Ritchie appreciated the vote of confidence from the Islanders’ coaching staff to put him alongside Horvat.
“It feels great, but obviously, I have to perform,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie said Horvat is an easy player to play with. Horvat will shoulder more responsibilities as the center on their line, so Ritchie understands his role is to support Horvat on the wing.
“I want to be good on the walls, down low, protect pucks, hang on to pucks and make those skilled plays,” Ritchie said. “He plays with a lot of pace, and I just have to play with pace and keep up with him and kind of read off him and learn from him.”
Horvat said Ritchie’s hockey IQ is an asset he can bring to his line. He praised his development as a rookie.
“He just continues to keep getting better and better,” Horvat said of Ritchie. “His playmaking abilities, his vision, the way he sees the ice is what stands out to me.”
Islanders’ Lineup
The expected lines are:
- Emil Heineman – Bo Horvat – Cal Ritchie
- Ondrej Palat – Brayden Schenn – Mathew Barzal
- Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
- Max Shabanov – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
- Kyle MacLean, Anthony Duclair
The expected defensive pairings are:
- Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
- Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
- Carson Soucy – Scott Mayfield
- Adam Boqvist
David Rittich will start on Saturday against the