Red Wings-Islanders morning skate Tweets and articles: Kane out with UBI; Lyon vs. Varlamov in goal

The Detroit Red Wings wrap up their season series against the New York Islanders this evening (7 PM EST on Fanduel Sports Network Detroit/MSGN2/97.1 FM), having swept the first 2 games of the teams’ series via a 1-0 win on October 22nd and a 2-1 victory on Thursday…

Given the Wings’ performance in the 3rd period of Saturday’s loss to Boston, this is one of those games I’ve had circled on my calendar for a while as a “barometer game.” That’s doubly true given that the Wings look so very fragile right now, and rather desperately need a win to help turn around their listing ship.

This game also has Wild Card implications. The 8-10-and-2 Red Wings and their fan base have been focused upon the team’s standing in the Atlantic Division, but the 8-8-and-5 Islanders are definitely a team that the Wings may compete against for a Wild Card spot, should Detroit break its early-season funk.

Patrick Roy’s Islanders also play a really good speed game, they have strong goaltending, and his Isles play a trapping style that seems to stymie the Wings’ offense and flummox their defense, too, so it’s a bit of a “kryptonite game” whenever Detroit plays the Islanders.

I’m intrigued to see how the Wings perform in games against the Isles tonight and the Devils on Friday afternoon (3 PM EST start on Friday) to see where the Wings stand as far as battling against Eastern Conference competition is concerned.

According to the Islanders website’s Rachel Luscher, the Islanders happen to find themselves in a not-too-dissimilar spot to the Wings right now. Saturday’s win vs. St. Louis snapped a 0-2-and-1 stretch, and the Islanders are in the midst of a 3-game home stand, so they’re trying to make hay while the sun shines:

The New York Islanders will take on the Detroit Red Wings in the middle of a three-game homestand on Monday night at UBS Arena.

In a much-needed 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the Islanders snapped a three-game winless skid. Brock Nelson led the way with a three-point performance (1G, 2A), including the game-winner, while Kyle Palmieri (2G) scored the opening goal for the Islanders and an empty-net tally to seal the deal in a victory. Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for the Islanders. Monday’s win was the fifth regulation win of the season for the Islanders and first on home ice.

“We wanted to win that game,” said Head Coach Patrick Roy after the win. “It was a key game for us, and I saw it this morning when I came to the rink. At morning skate, the guys were ready for it and, they wanted to have a strong night.”

…

It hasn’t been long since the Islanders last faced the Red Wings, as Detroit edged the Isles in a 2-1 victory on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena. The Islanders trail the season series 0-2-0 as they also dropped a 1-0 decision on Oct. 22 although they allowed just 11 shots on goal in the contest. Monday’s tilt will conclude the season series for these two teams.

Though it’s early in the season, Roy likes to emphasize that games against Eastern Conference opponents are four-point contests. The Islanders are 5-5-1 against the East this season, including a 3-3-0 record against opponents in the Atlantic Division.

MLive’s Tyler Kuehl notes that the Isles are starting to feel heat as it applies to their standing in the Metro Division:

The Islanders are jammed in the middle of the Metropolitan Division, which is starting to get top-heavy. Their loss last week to Detroit marked the team’s third consecutive defeat, though they were able to put an end to that skid with a 3-1 win at home against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. The Isles are fifth in the Metro, nine points back of the first-place New Jersey Devils.

The NHL has posted tonight’s game notes in PDF form, and Jean Hebert and Peter MacDougall are going to referee tonight’s game, with Jesse Marquis and Dan Kelly working the lines:

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The Islanders took to the ice at their practice rink just after 10 AM for their morning skate:

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a Red Wings-Islanders game preview after New York’s game-day skate, and here are the notable parts thereof:

“They’re going to play hard, especially being in their building,” said goalie Alex Lyon, who will start between the pipes for the Red Wings on Monday. “When you beat a team twice, I think they have a bad taste in their mouth.”

Detroit is officially a quarter of the way through the season after dropping a tight 2-1 game to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Lucas Raymond, who scored the lone goal, said gaining and playing with consistency will help Detroit as it heads deeper into the season.

“We’ve had some good moments,” Raymond said. “I don’t think it’s the start we would have wanted, but at the same time we’ve played games where we’ve played the way we’re supposed to. We know we can be successful that way, so it’s just about getting the compete up and start playing the right way. I think the wins will follow.”

Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde had a similar assessment, describing Saturday’s game as “a microcosm of our whole season.”

“Thirty minutes of some pretty good hockey,” Lalonde said. “It felt like we were at a good spot in the game, then we kind of got away from it towards the end of the third period. Seeking some consistency, but the one positive is we’ve had some stretches of some very good hockey. It’s just finding it more often.”

…

Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen did not practice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center on Sunday afternoon, as they both took maintenance days per Lalonde.

“I would expect getting [Joe Veleno] back in,” Lalonde said. “No matter what the scenario is with Kane and Rasmussen [on Monday].”

The Red Wings hit the ice at UBS Arena’s main ice sheet just after 11 AM on Monday…

And this news dropped at 11:13 AM:

It has been evident that Kane has been trying to play through something for a while now. His mobility isn’t what it usually is, and his shooting and passing are a little off.

Meanwhile, in the Isles’ locker room…

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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