Game Preview: Islanders vs Blue Jackets

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (39-22-7) VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (38-27-3)
7 PM | NYCB LIVE | BUY TICKETS
WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS
MORNING SKATE UPDATES | GAME NOTES

Video: Cizikas, Greiss lead Isles to 3-0 win in Columbus

STANDINGS IMPLICATIONS:

The stakes are high for Monday's Metro Division clash. The Islanders (85 points) are four points back of the Washington Capitals (89 points) and are looking to stay in the mix for the division lead, as well as stay ahead of the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins (83 points).
The Blue Jackets (79 points) are fighting for a playoff spot, currently holding down the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, holding a game in hand over the Montreal Canadiens (79 points).
Columbus needs points badly and the Islanders can deal the Blue Jackets a body blow, as well as strengthening their own position. If Columbus wins, they'll pull within four points of the Islanders. If the Isles win, that gulf extends to eight points.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night at NYCB Live. The Isles are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.
  "It's not something we're taking lightly," captain Anders Lee said on Saturday. "It's a rough patch ... and we just have to find a way to regroup tomorrow. We have a huge one on Monday. This one was obviously awful, it stings, it sucks, but we have 14 or 15 games here to figure it out and it starts on Monday."
  - Johnny Boychuk (upper body) left Saturday's game in the third period and is considered "very questionable" to play on Monday. Boychuk suffered the injury after a hit from Flyers winger Jakub Voracek, who was assessed a five-minute major for interference on the play and was subsequently suspended for two games. UPDATE: Boychuk is out for Monday's game.
  - With Boychuk likely out, Thomas Hickey is slated to return to the Islanders lineup. Hickey missed two months with an upper-body injury, returned to the lineup on Feb. 26, but has sat out as a healthy scratch for the past six games. UPDATE: Hickey will return to the lineup and will likely be paired with Devon Toews.
  Hickey's lengthy absence, coupled with the Isles success, made it hard for Trotz to re-insert the defenseman in the lineup immediately, but the coach said Boychuk's injury is Hickey's chance to re-assert himself.
  - Andrew Ladd is also likely to return to the Islanders lineup after sitting out two games as a healthy scratch.
  - Cal Clutterbuck, who has missed three games with an upper-body injury, was reportedly back on a line with Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas at Sunday's practice.

BLUE JACKETS NOTES:

• As aforementioned, the Blue Jackets are in the thick of a playoff race, holding down the second wild card position. They're 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, and have not won consecutive games since Feb. 22-23.
  - Columbus went all-in at the NHL trade deadline last month, acquiring forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel in separate deals with Ottawa, as well as defenseman Adam McQuaid from the Rangers and goalie Keith Kinkaid from the Devils.
  Duchene has four points (1G, 3A) in nine games, Dzingel has three assists in seven games and McQuaid has played five games with the team.
  - The Blue Jackets are coming off a key home-and-home set against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team directly ahead of Columbus in the standings. Pittsburgh shut out Columbus 3-0 on Thursday, but the Blue Jackets beat the Penguins 4-1 on Saturday.
  - Artemi Panarin leads the Blue Jackets with 73 points (25G, 48A) in 65 games this season. Panarin, who is a pending UFA, has gone three straight games without a point.
  - Cam Atkinson leads the Blue Jackets with 38 goals this season - a career-high. Atkinson has also set a career-high with 63 points this season and has four points (3G, 1A) in his last four games.
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