Game Preview: Islanders at Oilers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (22-15-2) AT EDMONTON OILERS (20-17-2)
9PM ET | ROGERS PLACE
WATCH: MSGSN | MSGGO | ESPN+
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050 AM
The New York Islanders dive into the first half of a back-to-back set with a matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at Rogers Place. New York leads the season series 1-0.
The Islanders are coming off an explosive 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night, featuring a three-point (1G, 2A) performance by Mat Barzal in his hometown. Eleven Islanders lit up the scoresheet in the victory, with Ilya Sorokin making 24 saves in his seventh consecutive start.

The Oilers fell to the Seattle Kraken 5-2 on Tuesday, dropping their second straight game and their fifth consecutive loss on home ice. Edmonton took a 2-0 lead early with goals from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid, but gave up five unanswered goals to the Kraken.
The last meeting between the Islanders and Oilers resulted in a 3-0 Islanders victory at UBS Arena on Nov. 23. Ilya Sorokin earned his 13th career shutout with a 49-save performance, marking a career-high in shots faced.
Both teams hold the second wild card spot in their respective conferences. The Islanders (46 points) are four points ahead of the Oilers (42 points), with both clubs at 39 games apiece.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Mat Barzal's three-point night (1G, 2A) had special meaning for him as a Coquitlam BC native, playing in front of his hometown. Barzal continued his successful track record against Vancouver, with seven points in his last five games against the Canucks.
  "It's always nice to score here," Barzal said after the win. "I know my family's here, I know a lot of people are coming to watch me, so I was excited."
  Barzal is riding a career-long four-game goal streak heading into Thursday's matchup against Edmonton, and he is also averaging over a point per game, with 40 points (10G, 30A) in 39 games.
  - Parker Wotherspoon is also a BC native, and played in his hometown for his fifth NHL game. The defenseman earned his first NHL point with an assist on the Casey Cizikas goal in the third period against the Canucks. "It was surreal," Wotherspoon said. "Just to win is awesome."
  - In Tuesday's win over the Canucks, JG Pageau contributed with a PPG and a SHG (EN). The last time the Isles faced the Oilers, he also scored a PPG and a SHG in the same game.
  - Ilya Sorokin is third in the NHL in save percentage (.926%) and goals against (2.29). With the team getting a day off on Wednesday, Lane Lambert has not named his starter for Thursday, but the pair of games will be split between Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, the latter of whom was activated off IR on Monday and backed up on Tuesday.
  - With Tuesday night's two points, the Islanders regained the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, while also holding the fifth spot in the Metropolitan Division. The top five teams in the division are all within 10 points, with the Carolina Hurricanes sitting at 56 points. The Islanders have won four of their last five games.
  - According to Islanders team statistician Eric Hornick, the Isles are 6-1-0 against Pacific Division teams this season, as they'll look to further improve that record with Thursday's trip to Edmonton.
  - The Islanders boast a winning record in back-to-back games this season; they are 4-3-0 in the front end and 5-2-0 in the back end.
  - Noah Dobson will skate in his 200th NHL game on Thursday night.

OILERS NOTES:

• Leon Draisaitl is back in the lineup and competed against the Kraken on Tuesday, after missing two games prior with an undisclosed injury. He ranks second on the Oilers in goals (21), assists (37), and is also second in the NHL in points (58). Draisaitl is five games shy of his milestone 600th NHL game.
  - Conor McDavid leads the NHL with 73 points (33G, 40A). The captain was only kept off the scoresheet five times this season, including the Nov. 26 matchup against the Islanders. Following that game, McDavid went on a 17-game point streak (16G, 21A), ending on Saturday in a 2-1 loss against the Winnipeg Jets.
  - Evander Kane has been out of the lineup since Nov. 8 with a wrist injury, but is ramping up his participation with the team on the ice. Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said Kane is evaluated week-to-week, but remains hopeful of his recovery process. "You'll see him more and more with the team," Woodcroft said during Tuesday's press conference. "We're just taking it one day at a time."
  - The Oilers have the best power play in the NHL (32.1%), while their penalty kill ranks among the lowest (72.9%) at 27th in the league.
  - Edmonton holds the second wild card spot in the tight race between the top teams in the Western Conference. The Oilers (42 points) are one point behind the Calgary Flames, who hold the top wild card spot, with both teams at 39 games played.
  - The Oilers have a losing record at home (9-11-1), with a winning record on the road (11-6-1).