Game Preview: Islanders at Hurricanes

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (11-6-2) AT CAROLINA HURRICANES (8-6-4)
5 P.M. PNC ARENA
TV: MSG+, MSG GO
RADIO: 88.7FM, 103.9FM, AM970
Fresh off a 5-3 win over the NHL's top team, the New York Islanders look to extend their winning streak to four games when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena (5 p.m., MSG+, MSG GO).
The Islanders are feeling good after a pair of marquee wins on their current streak, beating the Western Conference leading St. Louis Blues 5-2 last Saturday and defeating the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on Saturday.

"It's good results for us, but we have to go back, learn from it, grow with confidence from it," Head Coach Doug Weight said. "It can be something that can take your team to new levels and obviously we have to make that happen as a group and learn from how we played and how hard it was to win."
Andrew Ladd said the confidence in the Islanders room is riding high as the team finds a groove. As of Sunday morning, the Islanders (24 points) are one point back of the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins (25 points) for first in the Metropolitan Division. A win over the Hurricanes vaults the Isles into sole possession of first place.
"We know in here we have a really good hockey club and can beat any team on any given night," Ladd said. "The confidence is there that we can play with anybody and beat anybody on any given night."

ISLES AND CANES MEET AGAIN:

This is the second meeting in four days between the clubs, as the Isles skated to a 6-4 win over the Hurricanes at Barclays Center on Thursday night.
The Islanders win over Carolina didn't come easy, as the Isles saw a 3-1 lead after the first period turn into a 4-3 deficit after the second. They were able to rally with a three-goal third period, but know they can't sit back with a lead - a lesson that was reinforced after Tampa Bay scored three goals in 13 minutes in a comeback bid on Saturday.
The Islanders have won three straight games over the Hurricanes dating back to last season and are 6-2-0 in their last eight games in Raleigh.

LINEUP NOTES:

Cal Clutterbuck missed Saturday's game with an illness and is out again on Sunday.
Jaroslav Halak is the likely starter as Weight has split his goalies on back-to-backs.
UPDATE: Halak in goal, same lineup from Saturday's win.
ISLANDERS PROJECTED LINES:
| FORWARDS | | --- | | LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING | | ANDERS LEE | JOHN TAVARES | JOSH BAILEY | | ALAN QUINE | MATHEW BARZAL | JORDAN EBERLE | | BROCK NELSON | ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER | JASON CHIMERA | | ANDREW LADD | CASEY CIZIKAS | JOSH HO-SANG |

| DEFENSE | | --- | | NICK LEDDY | JOHNNY BOYCHUK | | CALVIN DE HAAN | ADAM PELECH | | THOMAS HICKEY | RYAN PULOCK |

BY THE NUMBERS:

The Islanders have three players - Josh Bailey, John Tavares and Anders Lee - in the top-20 in league scoring. Bailey is tied for 11th with 23 points (4G, 19A), Tavares is tied for 14th with 22 (14G, 8A) and Lee is tied for 18th with 21 (11G, 10A).

THE OPPOSITION:

The Hurricanes are also playing their second game in as many nights after beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Saturday night in Western New York. The win improved Carolina to 4-1-1 in their last six, as they look to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division .
Sebastian Aho is heating up for the Hurricanes, with goals in three straight games after busting out of a 15-game goalless drought. Aho scored the game-winner in Buffalo on Saturday and makes up one third of the effective TSA line with Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Staal.
Cam Ward could get the start on Sunday, as the Hurricanes are traveling on the second night of a back-to-back. Ward is 2-2-0 this season with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Ward is 22-4-5 with a 2.72 GAA and a .910 SV% lifetime against the Islanders.
HURRICANES PROJECTED LINES:
| FORWARDS | | --- | | LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING | | SEBASTIAN AHO | JORDAN STAAL | TEUVO TERAVAINEN | | BROCK MCGINN | DEREK RYAN | JUSTIN WILLIAMS | | JEFF SKINNER | VICTOR RASK | ELIAS LINDHOLM | | JOAKIM NORDSTROM | MARCUS KRUGER | PHILLIP DI GIUSEPPE |

| DEFENSE | | --- | | JACCOB SLAVIN | BRETT PESCE | | HAYDN FLEURY | JUSTIN FAULK | | NOAH HANIFIN | TREVOR VAN RIEMSDYK |