Islanders shuffling lines pays off —however finding long-term consistency…
The Islanders introduced an entirely different set of ahead lines with them to Philadelphia.
After getting beat 5-0 by the Sabres on house ice Saturday, all 4 lines had been switched up Monday against the Flyers, and Cal Ritchie was out as a result of a lower-body injury.
Ritchie was called day-to-day by the team, while Simon Holmstrom also missed the game as a result of sickness.
Marc Gatcomb drew again in for Ritchie, with coach Patrick Roy reuniting the fourth line of Gatcomb, Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean that had appreciable success before being damaged up.
Anders Lee and Maxim Tsyplakov — initially meant to be a healthy scratch before Holmstrom got here down ailing — performed on the third line on both aspect of Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Jonathan Drouin skated with Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair, while Max Shabanov jumped as much as the top line with Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman.
The new-look lines did produce some much-needed outcomes, serving to spur the Islanders to a 4-0 win.
Philadelphia Flyers’ Nick Seeler, left, and New York Islanders’ Marc Gatcomb collide during the first interval of an NHL hockey game Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Philadelphia. AP
“We try a bit of a mix of everything,” Roy told reporters in Philadelphia before the game. “Mostly Bo’s been playing really well with, let’s say, Heiny. So, feel comfortable to put a guy like Shabby there. Barzy’s been playing well with Anthony Duclair [but] lately with Anders, the line was not performing as well as we wish.”
The configuration did come right down to the final minutes before the game, as Holmstrom had skated in the morning on Barzal’s line, prompting more adjustments when he was made a scratch.
“A lot of talk, a lot of communication on the ice, makes it way easier when you’re on the ice and you know where your teammates are,” Pageau said after scoring twice, the second off Tsyplakov’s backhand feed. “When one guy was in trouble, we supported him quick in the corners. Same on the forecheck.”
Saturday’s loss marked the first time in over a month the Islanders had dropped back-to-back games, and put them susceptible to dropping three in a row for just the third time all season.
Max Shabanov #49 of the New York Islanders skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NHLI through Getty Images
The line shuffling, though, has been occurring for for much longer than that, as the Islanders have struggled to search out any combos that can deliver them some wanted consistency.
One game, after all, doesn’t let you know a lot about whether or not they’ll obtain that right here. But it’s a very good signal not less than.
Ilya Sorokin’s 21 saves had been his fewest in a shutout since Oct. 17, 2023, when he had a 14-save shutout against the Arizona Coyotes.
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