Game Preview: Islanders at Red Wings

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (41-22-7) AT DETROIT RED WINGS (24-37-10):
1 PM | LITTLE CAESARS ARENA
WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS

ISLANDERS NOTES:

-The Islanders open up against Detroit for the first game of a back-to-back set followed by a trip to Minnesota on Sunday. The Islanders play eight of their 12 remaining games on the road.
- The Isles are coming off of a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss made 33 saves for his second straight win, while Adam Pelech and Anders Lee provided the offense. Lee scored the game-winner during the final three minutes of action, as the captain buried a snazzy feed from Mathew Barzal on a two-on-one rush. The Islanders have won four of their last five games.
- The Isles collected an important two points over the Canadiens. Washington (91 points) continues to lead the Metropolitan Division. With a win over Detroit, and a Capitals loss, the Isles (89 points) have the potential to overtake first place.
- Goaltender Robin Lehner is expected to play in one of the two games of the Isles back-to-back set. Lehner has been sidelined since March 5 and missed four straight games with an upper-body injury following a collision with Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk.

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Johnny Boychuk will travel with the team
, but remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury according to Trotz. Boychuk has missed two consecutive games following a hit from Philadelphia winger Jakub Voracek. Voracek was administered with a five-minute major and subsequently suspended for two games.
- After claiming two straight wins in playoff-type games against wild card hopefuls, the Islanders continue to their quest for a playoff bid are looking to keep their energy high against the Red Wings. Trotz said the key for successful teams is they find ways to keep their battle level elevated regardless of opponent.
"This time of year, you want to raise your level not based on the opponent, you want to raise your level for yourself," Trotz said. "You want to raise your battle level. The trick is raising your battle level from now until the end of the year. If you do that, then you're ready for playoffs. Where players or teams get mixed up is, they look at the opponent and they play to the opponent. If you do that, you're not preparing yourself."
- The Islanders are in an 0-for-22 slump on the power play over the past 10 games.
- Casey Cizikas took a maintenance day during Friday's practice, but is expected to play over the weekend.

RED WINGS NOTES:

• Detroit is coming off of their fourth straight loss after losing 5-4 to the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning (112 points) on Thursday. The Red Wings blew a three-goal lead as the explosive Lighting surged with five goals, scoring one goal in the second period and four goals in the final 20-minutes of action. Two of Tampa's goals were scored on the power play.
  - Detroit was mathematically eliminated from the playoff race following the loss to Tampa. The Red Wings (58 points) are second-to last in the league, four points above Ottawa.
  - Red Wings points leader Dylan Larkin (27G, 35A) will return to action Saturday after missing five games with a neck strain.
  - Jimmy Howard made 34 saves in the loss to the Lightning. Howard has a goals against average of 3.07 and save percentage of .907 throughout his 47 games played this season.
  - College free agent Ryan Kuffner will make his NHL debut on Saturday afternoon against the Islanders. Kuffner played four years at Princeton University before signing with the Red Wings on March 12. The 22-year-old winger recorded 44 points (22G, 22A) in his senior year at Princeton.
  - Rookie Filip Zadina was assigned to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday. Zadina, the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, had three points (1G, 2A) in nine games for the Red Wings.
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