Game Preview: Islanders vs. Blues

New York Islanders (10-10-5) vs. St. Louis Blues (15-7-4)

"It means we have a lot of work still to do," captain John Tavares said. "We're playing a lot better hockey, but we know we can still be a lot better, so I think that's really the mindset."

LISTEN: JOHN TAVARES ON WFAN

The Islanders are averaging 3.4 goals per game during the five game-point streak, which is an important number for the team. Per Eric Hornick, the Islanders are 9-1-2 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and 1-9-3 when they do not.
But the Islanders have improved in other areas during their recent uptick. The penalty kill is 19-for-19 over the past seven games and killed a game-changing double-minor in the first period of Tuesday's win over the Rangers.
They're getting secondary scoring. Anders Lee has five goals in his last seven games, Jason Chimera has goals in three of his last four games and even Scott Mayfield, who was an emergency callup from Bridgeport on Tuesday morning, lit the lamp that night.

After an emotional win over the rival Rangers on Tuesday, the Islanders need to avoid a letdown against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (7 p.m., MSG+).
"We have no choice," Chimera said. "We've dug ourselves a little bit of a hole and now we're trying to claw back. We've been playing some good hockey lately. Just have to keep rolling. We have no room for error."
The Islanders won both meetings against the Blues last season.

Johnny Boychuk Practices:

After missing Tuesday's win over the Rangers with flu-like symptoms, Johnny Boychuk was back on the ice for Wednesday's practice. Boychuk has nine points (4G, 5A) in 24 games this season and had three points (2G, 1A) in his last three games before coming down with the flu.

Blues Are Red Hot:

The Blues are the hottest team in the NHL, going 8-1-1 over their past 10 games, coming off a 3-2 comeback, OT win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
Jaden Schwartz and Jake Allen have been the two hottest Blues of late.
Schwartz has racked up 12 points (7G, 5A) over his last nine games, while Allen has won eight straight starts in goal. Schwartz scored both the tying and winning goals against Montreal and St. Louis is 6-1-0 in games he scores in. Allen's eight-game winning streak improved his record to 13-3-3 this season.
While Schwartz and Allen are taking the spotlight in the moment, Vladimir Tarasenko remains St. Louis' top threat and scoring leader with 13 goals and 27 points in 26 games. Tarasenko is a dynamic scorer with game-breaking potential, so while he's gone two games without a point, he scored a hat-trick the last time he hit the scoresheet.