Nabokov allowed three goals on 34 shots in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres on Tuesday. It was his second straight loss, despite having a decent start. He has a 2.29 GAA and .924 SV% and will look to build off that against an Oilers team averaging 2.86 goals per game.

Nabokov allowed three goals on 31 against Nashville on Saturday. He has been solid posting a 2.17 GAA and .927 SV% through four starts. He has a great chance to improve on those numbers tonight against the winless Sabres.

After a strong 2012-13 campaign, Nabokov has picked up right where he left off. He has started the year 2-0-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .935 SV%. He was given the night off last night in Chicago, so he draws a much easier matchup tonight against the offensively inept Predators.

Nabokov started back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. On Friday they needed overtime to beat the Devils and then lost in a shootout to Columbus on Saturday. Nabby has started 1-0-1 with a 2.31 GAA and .914 SV%.

Nabokov started the season off with a win over the New Jersey Devils last night. He stopped 26 of 29 shots (.897 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout win. He will be back in the cage tonight at home versus an 0-1-0 Columbus team.

Nabokov started the season off with a win over the New Jersey Devils last night. He stopped 26 of 29 shots (.897 SV%) in a 4-3 shootout win. He is expected to be back in the cage tonight at home versus Columbus.

Nabokov helped the Islanders to the playoffs with a 23-11-7 record, 2.50 GAA and .910 SV%. At 38-years-old, Nabby's career is winding down. He has consistently posted a GAA between 2.40-2.50 and SV% slightly above .910 over his last four NHL seasons. His numbers will not blow you away, but they will serve you well as a number-2 fantasy option.

After years of wallowing in mediocrity, things are finally starting to look up for the Islanders. They made the playoffs last year after a 5-year hiatus and played hard against the Penguins in the first round but lost in a tough six-game series.  In a few years they will move from the decrepit Nassau Coliseum in Long Island to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn.   They have a legitimate young superstar in Center John Tavares, as well as a developing cast of players that give them depth, such as forwards Matt Moulson, Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Mikael Grabner and defensemen like Travis Harmonic, Thomas Hickey and Andrew MacDonald.  They have veteran power play specialist Lubomir Visnovsky to man the power play from the blue line, and an experienced goalie in Evgeni Nabokov as their starter in goal, with Kevin Poulin as the future goalie in waiting playing the role of backup netminder.  They also have some prospects with loads of potential in forwards Ryan Strome, Kirill Kabanov and defenseman Calvin DeHaan.  The Islanders are unlikely to win the Stanley Cup this year, but they should make the playoffs again, and maybe make it to the second round. Goalies    The Islanders signed veteran goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to a one-year contract to be their starter again this season at a price of $3.25 million. This indicates that they do not yet believe that young Kevin Poulin is quite ready to take over the starting job.  While Nabokov is 38 years old, he did have a solid year last season with a 23-11-7 record a 2.50 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and 3 shutouts.  Unfortunately, Nabokov got lit up in the playoffs against Pittsburgh with a .842 save percentage and a 4.44 goal against average.  Nabokov's career save percentage is .912, despite the fact that he played many years for some very good San Jose teams.  That number translates out to him being essentially an average NHL goaltender. Remember, he is an aging average NHL goaltender who is starting on an improving team.  We expect him to get around 30 wins this season.  The 23 year-old Kevin Poulin has had several shots at playing in the NHL, including 5 games last season, but needs more time.  Expect Nabokov to play about 60 games this season. Defense The Islanders will depend on veteran Visnovsky to be the one controlling the point on the power play. Visnovsky has a lot of offensive skill, and he once scored 68 points for Anaheim as recently as the 2010-2011 season.  While he scored only 14 ...

The New York Islanders finally made the playoffs last year after a long absence, and they played quite well in the first round against Pittsburgh, making it an exciting six game series and their young players demonstrated a lot of potential.  Their defense needs some improvement, but their forwards are really coming on, especially star John Tavares. Their situation in goal is interesting, as the veteran Evgeni Nabokov was resigned last month to a one year contract for $3.35 million, after Rick DiPietro was bought out of his ridiculous contract. Apparently, the Islanders tried really hard to sign Ray Emery, but he decided to go to Philadelphia instead. Nabokov did an okay job in goal for the Islanders last season with a 23-11-7 record.  But his goals against average was a mediocre 2.50 and his save percentage was only .910.  He was a disaster in the playoffs, allowing 24 goals in 6 games against the Penguins.  His save percentage was only .842.  Now you can say that Pittsburgh has this high powered offense, and Nabokov's defensemen left him out to dry, and this is true to a certain extent, but he did give up a lot of soft goals.  Interestingly, the Boston Bruins only gave up two goals in four games to this high powered offense.  The Islanders are an improving team with a lot of young talent, but they are not going to the big prize with Nabokov in goal. At 38 years old he is close to the end of his career. His career save percentage is .912.  That is about average for an NHL goaltender, and while he did win 40+ games three years in a row for San Jose from 2007-2010, in his best year, 2007-2008, his save percenatge was only .910, and he played for a really good team. Nabokov is very quick and athletic, but he has a tendency to give up easy goals. With the one year signing New York General Manager Garth Snow is indicating a few things; he still believes in Nabokov's ability to perform well enough for an improving team, and he does not yet have confidence in back-up Kevin Poulin, who is only 23 years old and has played in just 21 games in the NHL.  Nabokov should get the majority of the starts this year for the Islanders with DiPietro gone and Poulin not quite ready.  Although the Islanders are improving, their defense is still somewhat porous.  Draft Nabokov as a late first or early second level goalie.    Quick Notes: Who will be the starting goalie in Philadelphia this year Ray Emery or Steve Mason? Emery was outstanding in Chicago the last two years, ...

Nabokov had a great year on Long Island this past season. He led the Islanders to the playoffs with a 23-11-7 record while posting a 2.50 GAA and .910 SV%.