UBS Arena, Elmont, New York | Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV/Stream: ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+; Radio: Islanders app / local options; Kings: 830 AM KLAA / apps
The Islanders look to make it three straight wins and extend a four-game point streak (3-0-1) at home, while the Kings aim to build on their first victory of the season (5-2 at Washington on Tuesday). This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season.
Injury Reports
Los Angeles Kings
LW Kevin Fiala: Lower leg/leg, IR (out until at least ~Oct. 31).
C Alex Turcotte: Undisclosed, IR/out.
D Jakub Dvorak: Upper-body, IR-NR (out until at least ~Oct. 31).
C Jan Jenik: Undisclosed, IR-NR.
RW/C Quinton Byfield: Upper-body, day-to-day / game-time decision (left Tuesday’s game early).
New York Islanders
C Mathew Barzal: Knee, IR (out until at least ~Nov. 7; inflammation controlled, skating but no firm timeline).
LW Matias Maccelli: Lower-body, out (until at least ~Nov. 17).
C Calum Ritchie: Lower-body, out (longer absence possible).
D Alexander Romanov: Knee/ACL, IR (long-term, into 2027).
Both teams are missing key pieces. The Islanders have managed well without Barzal so far; the Kings are without a top forward in Fiala and potentially Byfield.
Current Rosters & Projected Line Combinations
Los Angeles Kings
Forwards
Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe
(Lee / others) – Erik Haula – Mats Zuccarello
Trevor Moore – Scott Laughton – Joel Armia
Jared Wright / Samuel Helenius – Corey Perry (depth)
Defense
Erik Gustafsson – Brandt Clarke
Joel Edmundson – Drew Doughty
Mikey Anderson – Brian Dumoulin
Goaltenders: Darcy Kuemper (expected/probable starter after solid outing Tuesday) / Anton Forsberg.
New York Islanders (morning skate look)
Forwards
Simon Holmström – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri
Emil Heineman – Brayden Schenn – Victor Eklund
Ondřej Palát – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Anthony Duclair
Depth options as needed
Defense: Continuity around remaining blue-liners (Romanov out long-term). Goaltenders: Reports point to Semyon Varlamov (first home start in a long stretch) or Ilya Sorokin (strong early numbers). Confirmation comes closer to game time.
Key active producers: Panarin (team-leading points), Kempe (multi-goal game Tuesday), and Laferriere for LA; Horvat (strong early production), Pageau, and secondary scorers for NYI.
Recent Team Forms
Kings: Started 0-4-2 before the breakthrough 5-2 win at Washington, powered by the Panarin-Kempe-Laferriere line (multiple points each) and Kuemper’s 30 saves. They average ~2.4 goals for and ~3.8–3.9 against. Special teams have struggled (PP ~17%, PK near the bottom of the league). Road record 1-1-2. Tough early schedule against strong opponents.
Islanders: Point streak of four games (3-0-1), including consecutive wins (4-1 at Toronto, 3-2 vs. Anaheim). Strong at home (4-1-0). They average ~3.0 goals for and a stingy ~2.1 against. Excellent PK (~87.5%) and solid overall defensive structure under their coaching staff. They have held opponents to low shot totals at home.
Series History
Recent head-to-head favors the Kings in many matchups (e.g., strong results in prior seasons), though the Islanders have occasional home successes. Last 10 meetings show LA with a clear edge in wins. This is the season’s first contest; historical low-scoring trends appear in several prior games (multiple unders).
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Artemi Panarin / Adrian Kempe vs. Islanders top-six defense and PK: Panarin leads LA in early scoring; Kempe is hot after a two-goal game. They will test New York’s structure without Barzal’s two-way presence.
Bo Horvat / Jean-Gabriel Pageau vs. Kings middle-six and Doughty-led pairs: Horvat has been the offensive engine; Pageau provides faceoff and defensive reliability. LA’s improved top line must limit them.
Drew Doughty / Brandt Clarke vs. Islanders forwards: Doughty’s experience and Clarke’s early facilitation will be key against NYI’s balanced attack.
Goaltending battle: Kuemper (looking to build on Tuesday) against Varlamov or the elite Sorokin. Islanders’ strong team defense gives their netminder an edge.
Trevor Moore has historically produced well against the Islanders.
Betting Trends
Trends favor New York at home (strong record, low goals against) and the under in many Islanders games and historical meetings. Kings’ high goals-against and poor PK create vulnerability, while their recent offensive spark offers some value on the underdog side. Islanders have been reliable covering or winning at UBS Arena early.
Game Odds
Los Angeles Kings – 110
New York Islanders 5.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 21, 2026
