Game Preview: Islanders vs Blackhawks

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (21-13-4) AT CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (15-21-6)
7:30 P.M. | NYCB LIVE | BUY TICKETS
WATCH: NBCSN | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS
The New York Islanders kick off 2019 with a nationally-televised game against the Chicago Blackhawks on NBCSN. Islanders play-by-play voice Brendan Burke and analyst AJ Mlezcko will be a part of the NBCSN broadcast.

SEASON SERIES: 0-0-0:

This is the first of two meetings this season between the Islanders and Blackhawks. The two teams meet again on Jan. 22 in Chicago.
The Isles and Blackhawks split the season series last year, highlighted by a 7-2 win and a five-point night from Ryan Pulock in Chicago. The Isles last home win over the Blackhawks was Dec. 13, 2014, Chicago's last visit to the Coliseum.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders have won four straight games, most recently beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on New Year's Eve.
  - The Islanders (46 points) are one point back of the Montreal Canadiens (47 points) for the second wild card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Isles are two points back of the Buffalo Sabres (48 points) for the first wild card and three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets (49 points) for third in the Metro Division.
  - Mathew Barzal is riding a five-game point streak (6G, 3A). Barzal was named to the Metropolitan Division all-star team on Wednesday night.
  - Robin Lehner has won five straight games and currently leads the league in goals-against average (2.14) and is tied for the league lead in save percentage (.930). Lehner has allowed eight goals over his last eight games.
  - Jordan Eberle (stiffness), Valtteri Filppula (upper body) and Thomas Hickey (IR - upper body) all missed Wednesday's practice. Eberle, Filppula and Hickey are all considered day-to-day, per Head Coach Barry Trotz.
  - Tom Kuhnhackl practiced with Leo Komarov and Michael Dal Colle on Wednesday and could return to the lineup on Thursday, per Trotz. Kuhnhackl last played on Dec. 28 vs Ottawa.
  - After allowing a league-high 293 goals last season, the New York Islanders begin 2019 with the fewest goals allowed (99 - excluding shootout winners) in the NHL. The Isles have are averaging 2.61 goals-against per game, second only to the Nashville Predators (2.51).

BLACKHAWKS NOTES:

• The Blackhawks (36 points) are in the midst of a down season, as they are currently in sixth place in the Central Division, nine points out of a playoff spot.
  - The Blackhawks fired Head Coach Joel Quenneville on Nov. 6 after 10-plus seasons and three Stanley Cups with the club. Quenneville is second in all-time NHL wins (890) and games coached (1636).
  - Former New York Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers forward Jeremy Colliton replaced Quenneville behind the bench in Chicago. Colliton was drafted by the Isles in 2003 and played 57 games with the club and is
  reportedly looking forward to his first game against the Islanders
  . Colliton is 9-15-3 as the Blackhawks coach.
  - Chicago has won five of their last seven games, but are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins in the NHL Winter Classic.
  - The Blackhawks acquired Drake Caggiula and Jason Garrison from the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 30 for Brandon Manning and Robin Norell. Garrison was placed on unconditional waivers on Wednesday.
  - Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks - and is tied for eighth in the NHL - with 50 points (22G, 28A) this season. Jonathan Toews is second with 36 points (16G, 20A) in Blackhawks scoring.
  - The Blackhawks have allowed the second-most goals-per-game in the NHL (3.62). They are 19th in goals-per-game with 2.88.
  - The Blackhawks have the league's 31st-ranked penalty kill (73.6%) and their power play is tied for 25th in the league (15%).
  http://cms.nhl.bamgrid.com/images/assets/binary/303503552/binary-file/file.pdf
  *Graphic courtesy of Islanders PR