Game Preview: Islanders vs Hurricanes 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (29-23-15) VS CAROLINA HURRICANES (42-20-6)

7:30 PM | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: ESPN+ | HULU

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The New York Islanders are looking to jump back into the win column with a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.

The Islanders’ winless skid reached four games (0-3-1) with a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday night. Bo Horvat scored both goals for the Isles and Brock Nelson had two assists, while Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves. Over the span of their four-game winless streak, New York was outscored 16-5.

The Islanders (73 points) fell out of the playoff picture over the weekend but they're in the mix of a tight wild card race. The Washington Capitals (75 points) beat the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Monday night to leapfrog the Detroit Red Wings (74 points) for the final wild card in the East. 

The Hurricanes earned their third straight win with a dominant 7-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Carolina has wins in six of their last seven games, with their only loss over that stretch being a 1-0 defeat to the New York Rangers on Mar. 12.

The Islanders picked up five of a possible six points against the Hurricanes this season, leading the season series 2-0-1. They let a 3-0 lead slip in a 4-3 OT loss on Nov. 4 to open the season series, grinded out a 5-4 OT win on Nov. 30 and came out on top 5-4 on Dec. 23.

ISLES NOTES

- Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was activated off LTIR on Monday afternoon. Bortuzzo has missed 30 straight games since suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 2 in Colorado, but has been skating over the past three weeks. Bortuzzo joined his teammates for practice on Friday, which was his first since being placed on LTIR. The veteran blueliner recorded 16 hits and 17 blocked shots in his first 11 games with the Isles prior to the injury.

- Bo Horvat netted a pair of goals for the Isles on Sunday – including the team’s 10th shorthanded goal of the year - for his fourth multi-goal game of the season. He reached 497 career points, three shy of his milestone 500th.

Horvat is one goal shy of his third 30-goal season and two assists shy of matching his career-best 34 helpers set in the 2018-19 season. With nine more points this season, the 28-year-old center can tie a career-high with 70 points, recorded last year season split between the Islanders and Vancouver Canucks.

- Brock Nelson recorded two assists on Sunday for 250 in his career, becoming the 17th player in Isles history to accomplish the feat. Nelson is one goal shy of his third straight 30-goal season. His 250 career goals are two behind John Tavares for seventh in club history.

- Anders Lee had a three-point game (1G, 2A) in the most recent meeting on Dec. 23. The captain has 26 points (10G, 16A) through 33 career games played against the Canes. Lee is one point shy of his ninth 30-point season.

- Mathew Barzal buried the overtime winner in a 5-4 contest in Raleigh on Nov. 30 to cap off his fifth career four-point night. The winger has eight points (2G, 6A) through three games against Carolina this season.

- Simon Holmstrom scored two of his five shorthanded goals against the Hurricanes this season. The 22-year-old winger is tied for the league lead in goals (5) and points (7), though he hasn't scored a shorthanded point since Jan. 23.

- The Islanders haven’t allowed a first period goal in their last 10 games, which breaks a franchise record of nine set in the 1978-79 season.

- The Islanders are 15-10-8 this season on home ice. The Islanders have a three-game point streak at UBS Arena (2-0-1) including a 5-1 win over Boston on Mar. 2, a 4-2 victory over St. Louis on Mar. 5 and picking up a point most recently in a 4-3 loss to Ottawa.

- The Isles have fared well in their own division and conference this season, as they have an 8-5-5 record against Metropolitan Division opponents and an 18-11-9 record against teams in the East.

CANES NOTES

- The Hurricanes rank second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points, trailing the first place New York Rangers by four points with an equal number of games played. 

- Carolina was busy at the NHL trade deadline this year, acquiring Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals. Both players are off to a hot start with their new team, as Guentzel is riding a three-game point streak (1G, 4A) and Kuznetsov has 4 points (2G, 2A) in his last three games. 

- Jack Drury will not face the Islanders, as he suffered a lower-body injury on Mar. 9 and did not join the team for the three-game road trip. The 24-year-old forward has 27 points (8G, 19A) through 63 games. 

- Teuvo Teravainen missed two straight games after suffering an upper-body injury on Thursday and it is unknown if he'll suit up against the Islanders on Tuesday. The 29-year-old winger has 47 points (21G, 26A) through 66 games this season.

- Sebastian Aho has nine points (3G, 6A) in his last five outings in a trio of three-point efforts. The 26-year-old forward leads the team in scoring with 27 goals and 74 assists. 

- Frederik Anderson returned this month after dealing with a blood clot issue that sidelined him for 50 games. In four starts since he returned to action, the goaltender is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA and a .949 SV%, including one shutout on Mar. 12 in a 4-0 decision over the Florida Panthers.  

- The Canes are a tough road team with an away record of 20-11-2 overall this season. They’ve won their last five road games and are 14-1-2 in their last 17. 

- The Hurricanes penalty kill (85.8%) ranks second in the NHL. Carolina has not allowed a power-play goal in seven consecutive contests.