Over and Out; Penguins Game 82 vs. Islanders: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

For one last time, the Pittsburgh Penguins will take the ice in their 2023-24 configuration as they close the season playing on the road Wednesday against the New York Islanders.

It’s perfunctory (look it up). While the Penguins (38-31-12) were idle in New York Tuesday night, the Washington Capitals clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

So the matchup Wednesday features a Penguins team that has been eliminated from playoff contention against the Islanders (38-27-16), who are locked in to third place in the Metropolitan Division and will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs.

Game Time

The game starts a little after 7 p.m.

Penguins Preview

The game has little to no meaning for the Penguins beyond playing for pride and giving the team a last chance to skate together. An intriguing offseason awaits, and there’s probably not anything any players can do in this finale that will alter any plans.

The Penguins made a valiant effort to try to avoid missing the postseason for the second spring in a row, going 8-1-3 in the dozen games leading up to this one, but it wasn’t good enough.

More specifically, it was too little, too late. There were too many bad losses before that.

Read more:

Molinari: Penguins Earned Their Season’s Sour Outcome

Kingerski: So Many Good Things; Was it Too Late?

The Islanders can take whatever approach to this game that suits them.

They can manage playing time and even the lineup to rest certain players. They can go hard as a tune-up for the playoffs.

The fact that they are playing the Penguins is nearly insignificant.

The Islanders are 7-0-1 in their past eight games, including a 4-1 win Monday against New Jersey.

Penguins Expected Lines

Drew O’Connor-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell

Reilly Smith-Lars Eller-Valtteri Puustinen

Jansen Harkins-Jeff Carter-Emil Bemstrom

Defense

P.O Joseph-Kris Letang

Marcus Pettersson-Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea-Jack St. Ivany

Goalies

Alex Nedeljkovic

Tristan Jarry

Expected Islanders Lines

Casey Cizikas-Bo Horvat-Mathew Barzal

Hudson Fasching-Brock Nelson-Kyle Palmieri

Anders Lee/Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Pierre Engvall

Matt Martin-Kyle MacLean-Cal Clutterbuck

Defense

Alexander Romanov-Sebastian Aho

Adam Pelech-Ryan Pulock

Mike Reilly-Robert Bortuzzo

Goalies

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov

Penguins Special Teams

Penguins power play: 14.6%, 31st

Penguins penalty kill: 81.3%, 9th

Islanders power play: 19.7%, 21st

Islanders penalty kill: 72.2%, 32nd

Penguins Game Notes

The Penguins beat the Islanders 7-0 on the road on Dec. 27 and 3-1 on Dec. 31 at home, and lost 5-4 in overtime on Feb. 20 at home.

The Penguins are 6-3-3 in their past dozen games against the Islanders.

Kris Letang leads all active defensemen in goals (13), assists (36) and points (49) against the Islanders.

Sidney Crosby has 132 points (41 goals, 91 assists) in 85 career games against the Islanders.

Evgeni Malkin is three goals away from 500 for his career.

Bryan Rust is two points shy of matching his career high of 58 for a season.

During the Penguins’ 8-1-3 stretch going into this game, Sidney Crosby has 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists).

How to Watch

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Radio: 105.9 FM The X

Also visit sister site Islanders Hockey Now