Game 5 Preview: Islanders at Bruins

GAME 5: ISLANDERS AT BRUINS
6:30 PM | TD GARDEN
SERIES TIED 2-2
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It's no surprise that a tightly-contested series like the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins are currently embroiled in is going into Game 5 tied at two games apiece.
The Islanders evened up their second round series against the Bruins on Saturday night, skating to a 4-1 win in an electric atmosphere at Nassau Coliseum. Now the series shifts back to Boston in a pivotal Game 5, as a best-of-seven series has shrunk to best-of-three. The Isles are 6-6 in their last 12 series that have been tied 2-2, while the Bruins are 18-17 when notched after four games.

"If we had gone down 3-1 heading back to TD Garden [for Game 5], that's a death sentence," Mathew Barzal said after Saturdays' win. "That was a huge game for us tonight."
The Isles and Bruins series has been very close through four games. Both Games 2 and 3 were decided in overtime, while Games 1 and 4 were tied at some point in the third period. The physicality and animosity have ratcheted up as the series has progressed, as evidenced in the two fights in the first period of Game 4.
With the series poised to go at least six games, don't expect the temperature to go down.

BARZAL HEATING UP

Mathew Barzal factored into the game-tying and game-winning goals in Game 4, feeding Kyle Palmieri to make it 1-1 and batting the winner out of the air 13:03 into the third period.
After a slow start, production-wise, to the playoffs, Barzal is now riding a three-game point streak, with four points (2G, 2A) over that span. Barzal also has goals in two-straight games, so the Islanders' leading scorer in the regular season seems to be finding his offensive rhythm.
"It's nice anytime you get on the board and help your team," Barzal said. "Throughout the whole playoffs I've been pretty happy with my compete level and we're winning games. So if the points aren't there, but we're winning games I'm okay with that. It's not going to be the same guy every night, so the last few games I knew I had to step up, it's been a heavy series and I had to step up and that's all I've tried to do is raise my compete. Again, just trying to do what I can to help this team win."
Barzal isn't the only Islander riding a hot streak, as Kyle Palmieri is also on a three-game heater, with two goals and two assists over that span.
ISLES VS BRUINS GM 5
ISLANDERS ARTICLES
Five Takeaways: Isles Even Series
Barzal Brings It in Big Game 4
Tensions Rising in Isles-Bruins Series
ISLANDERS VIDEO
Trotz Pregame
Eberle and Zajac Pregame
Game 4 Highlights
GAME EXTRAS
Talkin' Isles
Arena Safety FAQ

SAME SKATERS LIKELY:

Head Coach Barry Trotz said he will probably go back to the same skaters from Game 4.
"We don't have really any injuries that I know of," Trotz said. "I would say we'll go with the same group again. They might, or they might add [Brandon] Carlo, so you'll probably see similar lineups."
During Sunday afternoon's media availability, Trotz said the team was still deciding whether Oliver Wahlstrom would make the trip, but said he was pretty sure the rookie forward would. Wahlstrom has been out since suffering a lower-body injury in Game 5 vs Pittsburgh.

BACK TO BOSTON:

While each team has split their first two home and road games, the home team has scored exclusively in the third period in this season. The Bruins have five third period goals (three in Game 1, two in Game 2) while the Islanders have four (one in Game 3, three in Game 4).
Trotz matched the Palmieri, JG Pageau and Travis Zajac line up against the Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak trio during the two games at the Coliseum, utilizing the last change. The Islanders won't have that luxury in Massachusetts, but Trotz said won't be looking to chase matchups if it disrupts the Islanders' cadence and that he has trust in his group.
"I try to," Trotz said of getting matchups on the road. "What happens if you try to change too much on the fly, you never get anything going offensively, you're always changing, so I trust whoever they put out there and I'll make it hard for them, but when there's a whistle, I'll put Pageau's line on the ice, they don't put Bergeron's line on the ice, maybe they put another line on. We try different things nad just like Bruce, I have a certain matchup at home and he has a certain matchup in Boston. We each lost a game even though we had our matchups. You just trust the people you have."

Video: NYI Vs BOS 6/7: Barry Trotz

BRUINS NOTES:

• While the Islanders are likely to stick with the same lineup, the Bruins are considering making some changes. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy told the
  Bruins official website
  he was contemplating a change to the team's third line, which is currently made up of Nick Ritchie, Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk.
  Cassidy spoke about potentially inserting Trent Frederic or Karson Kuhlman in, though he did not specify who - if anyone - would come out. Frederic hasn't played since the Bruins regular season finale, while Kuhlman played in Game 2, filling in for Craig Smith.
  UPDATE: Kuhlman will draw in for DeBrusk on the third line.
  - Cassidy did not have a definitive update on the status of injured defensemen Brandon Carlo, who was hurt in the third period of Game 3, or Kevan Miller, who has been out since suffering an injury in Game 4 vs Washington. Both blueliners are believed to have upper-body injuries. The Bruins expect to have more information on Monday morning.
  UPDATE: Brandon Carlo will not play in Game 5.
  - David Krejci was fined $5,000 by the NHL for slashing Barzal in the second period in Game 4.
  - Patrice Bergeron was named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy - given to the league's top defensive forward - for a 10th straight season. Bergeron has previously won the award four times and his nomination ties Wayne Gretzky - who was a Hart Trophy finalist for 10 straight seasons - as the only players to be a finalist for an NHL award 10 years in a row.