Game Preview: Islanders at Canucks

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (29-29-8) AT VANCOUVER CANUCKS (24-32-9)
10 P.M. ET - ROGERS ARENA
TV: MSG+, MSG GO
RADIO: 88.7FM - WRHU, 660AM/101.9FM - WFAN
GAME NOTES

QUICK NOTES:

• The Islanders are looking to snap a six-game winless streak (0-4-2)
• Mathew Barzal is playing in his hometown for the first time on Monday
• Barzal and Brock Boeser will face off on Monday in a matchup of Calder Trophy contenders
• The Islanders are five points out of a playoff spot with 16 games to play

LINEUP NOTES:

Jaroslav Halak will start in goal. The Islanders are going back with the same skaters from Saturday's game in Pittsburgh.

STANDINGS IMPLICATIONS:

The Islanders (66 points) are five points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets (71 points) for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Between the Islanders and Jackets are the Florida Panthers (70 points), Carolina Hurricanes (69 points) and the New York Rangers (66 points), so every game is now a must-win.

SEASON SERIES:

The Islanders lead the season series 1-0-0, beating the Canucks 5-2 on November 28. John Tavares (1G, 1A), Anders Lee (1G, 1A) and Adam Pelech (2A) each had two points in the win.
The Islanders are 4-2-0 in their last six trips to Vancouver.

BARZAL VS BOESER:

Two of the NHL's top rookies will face off on Monday when Mathew Barzal and Brock Boeser take the ice. Barzal leads all rookies in assists (49) and points (67) while Boeser leads all first-years in goals (29). Both Barzal and Boeser are contenders for the Calder Trophy.

THE CANUCKS:

Last Game:OTL 4-3 vs Nashville
Leading Scorers: Goals: Brock Boeser - 29
Assists: Henrik Sedin - 41
Points:Brock Boeser - 55
As of Monday, the Canucks (57 points) are 20 points out of a playoff spot and are likely to miss the playoffs for a third straight year. The Canucks are winless in their last three games (0-2-1) entering Monday's contest, most recently dropping back-to-back games in overtime.
A bright spot for Vancouver is the team's young talent, as rookie Brock Boeser leads the team with 55 points (29G, 26A) in 61 games, while 22-year-old Bo Horvat has 35 points in 47 games. Boeser has six points (2G, 4A) in his last six games, while Horvat has four (2G, 2A) in his last two.
The Canucks got some bad news on the injury front over the past few days, as both Sven Baertschi (separated shoulder) and Loui Eriksoon (fractured rib) are both out for the season.