This Metropolitan Division matchup pits the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders in a crucial contest for playoff positioning. The Penguins, riding a strong recent road form, aim to close the gap on division leaders, while the Islanders look to snap a two-game skid and leverage their home advantage at UBS Arena.
Venue Location
UBS Arena, Elmont, New York.
This 17,255-seat venue, opened in 2021, is known for its modern amenities and energetic crowd, providing a significant home-ice boost for the Islanders.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET (4:30 PM PT / 12:30 AM GMT on February 4).
The game will be broadcast on TNT, HBO Max, and TVAS, with streaming available on ESPN+.
Injury Report
Pittsburgh Penguins: Kris Letang (D) – IR (Foot, expected return Feb 28); Ryan Graves (D) – Recently activated from IR (Lower Body, but status uncertain); Jack St. Ivany (D) – IR (Hand surgery, expected return Mar 26); Caleb Jones (D) – IR (Lower Body, expected return Feb 5); Filip Hallander (C) – IR (Leg); Bryan Rust (F) – Out (Undisclosed).
The Penguins’ blue line is depleted, forcing reliance on younger defensemen like Ilya Solovyov.
New York Islanders: Calum Ritchie (C) – Out (Lower Body, expected return Feb 26 or out for season); Kyle Palmieri (C/RW) – IR (Knee, expected return Sep 15); Pierre Engvall (LW) – IR (Ankle); Semyon Varlamov (G) – Out (Knee, expected return Feb 26); Alexander Romanov (D) – Out for Season (Upper Body); Jonathan Drouin (F) – Day-to-Day (Illness).
The Islanders’ forward depth and goaltending options are thinned, with Ilya Sorokin likely starting.
Key Player Matchups
This game could turn on special teams and defensive pairings, with both teams featuring veteran scorers and physical forwards. Key battles include:
| Matchup | Position | Penguins Player | Islanders Player | Notes |
| Forward | Center | Evgeni Malkin (18G, 32A) | Bo Horvat (21G, 14A) | Veteran centers: Malkin’s playmaking (three assists in last meeting) vs. Horvat’s faceoff wins and net-front presence. |
| Forward | Wing | Sidney Crosby (25G, 30A) | Mathew Barzal (15G, 35A) | Superstars: Crosby’s leadership and scoring vs. Barzal’s speed and assists; both drive their teams’ offenses. |
| Forward | Wing | Bryan Rust (if available, 20G) | Anders Lee (18G, 20A) | Power forwards: Rust’s shot volume vs. Lee’s goal-scoring around the net. |
| Defense | D | Erik Karlsson (10G, 28A) | Noah Dobson (8G, 32A) | Offensive defensemen: Karlsson’s puck-moving vs. Dobson’s power-play quarterbacking. |
| Goaltending | G | Tristan Jarry (2.75 GAA, .908 SV%) | Ilya Sorokin (2.45 GAA, .915 SV%) | Elite duel: Jarry’s recent form vs. Sorokin’s consistency; save percentages could be pivotal in a high-shot game. |
Recent Team Forms
Pittsburgh Penguins: 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, on a three-game winning streak, averaging 3.6 GPG while allowing 2.9 GPG.
Highlights include a 6-5 win over the Rangers and strong road play (7-1 in last 8 away games); power play at 22%, penalty kill 84%.
New York Islanders: 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, on a one-game losing streak, averaging 2.8 GPG while allowing 2.7 GPG.
Recent 4-1 loss to Washington; solid defense (top-10 GA/G) but offense has struggled, scoring three or fewer in four of last five.
Series History
The all-time regular-season series is closely contested, with the Penguins holding a slight edge (112-102-16-10 in 240 games).
Recently, Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in their last 7 against New York, but has won 7 of the last 10 overall per some sources.
This season, the Penguins won the first meeting 4-3 on October 9, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
The Islanders have won 9 of the last 12 home games against Pittsburgh. In playoffs, the series is tied 3-3 across six meetings, with New York winning the most recent in 2021 (first round, 4-2).
Betting Trends
Penguins: 29-25 ATS overall; 18-10 ATS on road; 6-4 ATS as underdogs. Over in 28 of 54 games (51.9%).
Islanders: 25-31 ATS overall; 15-12 ATS at home; 15-10 SU as favorites. Under in 32 of 56 games (57.1%).
Game Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins 5.5
New York Islanders – 112
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, February 2, 2026
