Phoenix aside from goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who is nursing a sore back have no reported injuries and start play three games over five hundred in seventh place.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Last time the Islanders played in Glendale they were slaughtered in Ted Nolan's debut as Islander coach. This time they face a much better team with offensive talents like former Islander Olli Jokinen, Shane Doan and Peter Mueller.
A prospect the Islanders did not select last summer in Mikkel Boedker when they traded down twice has seven goals/seventeen points and is a plus four.
From the Islanders side of things we see how the daily waiting game on injuries plays out with Hunter vs Trevor Smith (or another wing) or by some outside chance Frans Nielsen is ready to play.
Coaches tend to play the same lineup after wins so we'll see.
Tonight and Edmonton are the easy games (on paper) in the next few weeks in terms of opposing clubs record but nothing easy for any club in this league. It will be interesting to see how if this club can play well enough to stay together a little longer in terms of some veterans or attempt to win nine of ten and get back on the fringes of playoff contention.
Newsday: Mr Logan in the Islander Newsday blog had the lines from practice (which did not include Jon Sim) and speculated Rick DiPietro would start in goal with head coach Scott Gordon's comments.
Radek Martinek also made the trip and is skating with the club.
