Game Preview: Islanders at Devils

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (30-16-6) AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS (20-25-7)
7 PM | PRUDENTIAL CENTER
WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NHL.TV
RADIO: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders are looking to get back on track after falling 3-1 to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, the Isles' first regulation loss since Jan. 12. The loss snapped the Islanders eight-game point streak (6-0-2), though the Isles' 16-4-2 record since Dec. 15 is still the league's best over that span.
  - Head Coach Barry Trotz tinkered with his lines at Wednesday's practice in Newark, swapping Michael Dal Colle and Anthony Beauvillier. Dal Colle practiced with Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey, while Beauvillier practiced with Valtteri Filppula and Leo Komarov.
  - Trotz did not reveal a starter for Thursday's game. Thomas Greiss has played two of the Islanders three games against the Devils this season, stopping 74 of 77 shots in a pair of wins. Greiss is also riding a personal shutout streak of 146:48 after recording shutouts against Washington and Tampa Bay in each of his last two starts.
  - The Islanders allowed the first goal on Tuesday for the first time since Jan. 10. Tuesday's 3-1 loss also marked the end of the Isles nine-game streak with allowing two regulation goals or fewer.
  - Mathew Barzal has points in two straight games (1G, 1A) and in three of his last four games. Barzal leads the Islanders in assists (32) and points (47) this season.
  - The Islanders (66 points) are first in the Metropolitan Division, two points ahead of the Washington Capitals (64 points) and four points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins (62 points).

#

DEVILS NOTES:

• The Devils traded center Brian Boyle to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday in exchange for Nashville's 2019 second-round pick. Boyle had 19 points (13G, 6A) in 47 games for the Devils this season, matching his goal output from all of last season.
  Boyle was a swiss-army knife for the Devils, averaging 1:59 SH/TOI GP, as well as 2:54 PP/TOI GP.
  - New Jersey is coming off a 5-1 loss to the LA Kings on Tuesday. The Devils are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games.
  - The Devils (47 points) are currently last in the Metro Division, 14 points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card berth.
  - Reigning NHL MVP Taylor Hall has been out with a lower-body injury since Dec. 23. Hall has 37 points (11G, 26A) in 33 games this season.
  - In Hall's absence, Kyle Palmieri has assumed the Devils' scoring lead with 40 points (23G, 17A) in 52 games. Palmieri also filled in for Hall at the NHL All-Star Weekend in San Jose.
  Related links:
  http://cms.nhl.bamgrid.com/images/assets/binary/304568196/binary-file/file.pdf
  Graphic courtesy of Islanders PR