Rittich gave up one goal on three shots after replacing Ilya Sorokin midway through the third period of Monday's 8-3 loss to the Penguins.
It was a brutal night for the Islanders overall, and Rittich didn't escape unscathed after replacing Sorokin between the pipes with just over 12 minutes left. Rittich's last three outings have all been abbreviated -- two in relief, plus a March 24 start in which he got the hook himself after just one period, and through six appearances in March, he's gone 2-1-0 with a rough 4.18 GAA and .862 save percentage. Despite that recent track record, he'll likely get the nod Tuesday in Buffalo as the Isles try to hang onto a playoff spot.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Gets hook in Tuesday's start
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Rittich gave up three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Ilya Sorokin to begin the second period of Tuesday's 4-3 loss to Chicago.
Anders Lee gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead just 49 seconds into the game. However, Rittich's defense let him down after that, allowing clean breaks to Nick Lardis and Ilya Mikheyev. Rittich avoided taking the loss because Sorokin allowed the eventual game-winner. Rittich has struggled during his five appearances in March, going 2-1-0 with a rough 4.13 GAA and .868 save percentage.
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Islanders' David Rittich: First off Tuesday
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Rittich is set to start at home against the Blackhawks on Tuesday, per Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Rittich is 2-1-0 with a 3.60 GAA and an .883 save percentage over four appearances in March. The veteran netminder has a favorable matchup Tuesday against a Chicago team that is 13-15-6 on the road this season. Chicago has also generated 2.57 goals per game this season, which is the third-worst mark in the NHL.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Yields one goal in relief outing
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Rittich allowed a goal on four shots in relief of Ilya Sorokin in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Canadiens.
Rittich played 8:11 during the third period, taking over after Sorokin gave up six goals. Rittich was responsible for the third goal of Cole Caufield's hat trick, but the 33-year-old netminder will avoid any damage on his record. For the season, Rittich is 14-9-3 with a 2.69 GAA and an .898 save percentage over 27 appearances. The Islanders host the Blue Jackets on Sunday, and it's not yet clear if head coach Patrick Roy will go back to Sorokin or give Rittich a chance in that contest.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Posts strong outing in win
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Rittich turned aside 30 of 32 shots on net in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Flames.
Rittich excelled in the first two periods of Saturday's contest, keeping the Flames off the board until 42 minutes into regulation. He ultimately held on for the win and now has a 14-9-3 record, a 2.66 GAA and an .898 save percentage over 26 outings this season. The 33-year-old netminder has alternated wins and losses over his last six games and is now just two wins away from tying the 16 victories he posted with the Kings across 34 regular-season games a year ago. Rittich should continue to be viewed as a strong spot start in fantasy whenever the Islanders decide to give Ilya Sorokin a rest.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Starter for Saturday
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Rittich will guard the home crease versus Calgary on Saturday, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
Ilya Sorokin will grab the start Friday against the Kings, leaving Saturday's tilt to Rittich. Rittich is 13-9-3 with a 2.69 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 25 games this season. The Flames are last in NHL scoring this season, averaging 2.44 goals per game.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Mediocre in loss to Ducks
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Rittich allowed four goals on 25 shots in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Ducks. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.
Rittich has given up at least four goals in four of his last six outings, going 2-4-0 in that span. The 33-year-old gave up three goals in a span of 5:44 during the first period, which was enough to sink him this time. Rittich is now 13-9-3 with a 2.69 GAA and an .897 save percentage over 25 appearances. Ilya Sorokin will start Thursday's road matchup against the Kings, and he will likely see most of the playing time moving forward, leaving Rittich to fill the backup role.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Set to start Wednesday
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Rittich will defend the road crease in Wednesday's clash with the Ducks, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
With the Islanders set to play a back-to-back across Wednesday and Thursday, Rittich will take the net in the opening game before Ilya Sorokin starts Thursday. Wednesday's start will be Rittich's second in a row after turning away 29 shots on goal in the Isles' 5-4 win over Florida on Sunday. Overall, the 33-year-old netminder has a 13-8-3 record, a 2.63 GAA and an .899 save percentage across 24 outings this season. He'll face off against the Ducks, who should post a sizable challenge with the 13th-ranked offense at 3.25 goals per game this season.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Holds on for win
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Rittich stopped 29 of 33 shots in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Panthers.
Rittich picked up just his third win over seven appearances since the start of January. The 33-year-old hasn't gotten a chance at much playing time when Ilya Sorokin is healthy, and that's unlikely to change. Rittich improved to 13-8-3 with a 2.63 GAA and an .899 save percentage over 24 starts this season. He probably won't have to wait long for his next appearance -- the Islanders' road trip out west begins with a back-to-back as they visit the Ducks on Wednesday and the Kings on Thursday.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Starting against Florida
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Rittich will defend the home crease against the Panthers on Sunday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Rittich will make his first start since the Olympic break in the second half of a back-to-back set Sunday. He saw limited playing time prior to the layoff and has gone 2-4-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .844 save percentage over seven appearances since the start of the calendar year.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Just one win in last five starts
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Rittich made 20 saves Monday in a 4-1 loss to Washington. He allowed three goals.
Rittich and Islanders weren't bad; they just couldn't score on Clay Stevenson, who earned the game's first star for his effort. Rittich is 1-3-1 in his last five games; he has allowed 14 goals in that span. Overall, he's 12-8-3 with a 2.57 GAA and .900 save percentage in 23 starts.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Between pipes Monday
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Rittich was the first goalie off during Monday's morning skate, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports, indicating that he'll draw the road start against Washington.
Rittich has seen limited playing time in recent weeks, but he'll tend the twine in the first half of a back-to-back set Monday. Across six appearances in January, he went 2-3-1 with a 3.31 GAA and .838 save percentage. The Capitals are generating 3.18 goals per game this year, which is tied for 14th in the league.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Little work in win
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Rittich stopped 14 of 16 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.
Rittich didn't have to face much pressure since the Rangers sat Artemi Panarin (not injury related), taking a major weapon out of the lineup. Rittich has faced fewer than 30 shots in each of his last seven outings, though he's a mere 3-3-1 in that span, with this being just the third time in those games he's allowed two goals or fewer. For the season, he's at a 12-7-3 record with a 2.54 GAA and a .901 save percentage over 22 starts. Ilya Sorokin will probably get the nod for Thursday's rematch with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Tending twine Wednesday
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Rittich was the first goalie off during Wednesday's morning skate, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports, indicating that he'll draw the home start against the Rangers.
Rittich enters Wednesday's clash looking to bounce back after losing each of his last three starts with a 3.08 GAA and an .864 save percentage during that time. Overall, the 33-year-old goalie has an 11-7-3 record, a 2.57 GAA and a .902 save percentage across 21 outings this season. After serving as the backup for the multi-game stretches to begin the calendar year, he and Ilya Sorokin will alternate at least four starts for the first time since early December. The nine-year NHL veteran Rittich will face a Rangers offense that he shut out at home Dec. 27, which should give him a strong fantasy outlook ahead of the favorable matchup.
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Islanders' David Rittich: No help from his teammates
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Rittich made 16 saves Saturday in a 5-0 loss to the Sabres. He allowed four goals.
Rittich kept the game close through two periods -- the score was just 2-0 heading into the third period, but he was hung out to dry by his teammates on the second goal at 19:47 of the middle frame. Rittich is back to his role as backup to Ilya Sorokin, which means he's playing every third or fourth game. He's lost his past three games, and he's allowed four goals in each of his last two games.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Facing Sabres
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Rittich will defend the home cage versus Buffalo on Saturday, per Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Due to a healthy Ilya Sorokin, Rittich has made only one appearance in the last six games. Rittich is 11-6-3 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.49 GAA and a .905 save percentage over 20 outings this season. Buffalo ranks 10th in the NHL during the 2025-26 campaign with 3.28 goals per game.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Burned by Flames
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Rittich turned aside 15 shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Calgary.
The Islanders came out flat in the afternoon contest and found themselves in a 4-0 hole before finally getting on the board midway through the second period. Rittich has been shaky so far in January, going 1-2-1 in four starts with a 3.44 GAA and .840 save percentage as the No. 2 netminder behind Ilya Sorokin.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Makes 26 saves in SO loss
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Rittich stopped 26 of 27 shots in Thursday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Predators.
Rittich was beaten with 41 seconds left in the second period via a shorthanded goal scored by Ryan O'Reilly. Despite making 26 saves and stopping two of three shots during the shootout, he was tagged with the loss since the Islanders didn't provide him with enough offense. Rittich has been inconsistent of late, posting a 4-2-2 record across his last eight outings, but his peripherals are strong with a 2.12 GAA and a .917 save percentage over that span.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Starting Thursday
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Rittich will patrol the visiting crease in Nashville on Thursday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
Rittich has been outstanding this season, registering an 11-5-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.48 GAA and a .907 save percentage across 18 appearances. The Predators are 25th in NHL scoring, generating 2.81 goals per game.
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Islanders' David Rittich: Backstops team to OT victory
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Rittich made 18 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Rittich will also go down in the history books as the goalie who allowed two goals to Auston Matthews, who became the leading goal scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs history. Ilya Sorokin (lower body) backed Rittich up and could take control of the Islanders' crease again. Still, Rittich has performed admirably as the No. 1, going 4-2-1 with one shutout. Even though his role will likely decrease, he will remain a solid spot starter.
