Game Preview: Islanders vs Sabres

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (13-6-4) VS BUFFALO SABRES (6-12-3)
1PM | NASSAU COLISEUM
WATCH: MSG+2 | MSG GO | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050 AM
The Islanders and Sabres continue their stretch of playing each other three-straight games, as they open up the first leg of their back-to-back weekend set on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Islanders will be debuting their Reverse Retro jerseys.

The Islanders defeated Buffalo 5-2 in the first of the three-consecutive meetings on Thursday night and with the win, they extended their series lead to 4-0-0. It was a complete effort from the Islanders who got balanced scoring from Matt Martin (2G), Noah Dobson, Anthony Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle. Ilya Sorokin stopped 16 of 18 shots in the win.
Buffalo's two goals were scored by Taylor Hall and Rasmus Ristolainen. Jonas Johansson made 40 saves on 45 shots.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• With the win, the Islanders extended their winning streak to three games and their point streak to six games (5-0-1). The Islanders are 10-2-2 in their last 14 games.
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• Martin's two-goal outing was his first since 2014. The winger scored his third and fourth goals of the season with a sharp-angled shot in the first period and the fifth - and final - Islanders' goal of the night.
• Dobson opened up scoring as the 21-year-old netted his second goal of the season. The blueliner has nine points (2G, 7A) through 23 games, which are the second-most among Islanders defensemen, behind Nick Leddy.
• Beauvillier scored his second goal of this season while skating in his 300th NHL game. The 23-year-old winger is in his fifth season in the NHL and with his goal on Thursday night, has totaled a solid 132 points (68G, 64A).
• Eberle scored his ninth goal of the season and is tied with Jean-Gabriel Pageau for the second-most goals scored on the team behind Anders Lee (10). Through 23 games this season, Eberle has 14 points.
• Leddy's five-game point streak (six assists) came to an end as the defenseman went without a point against the Sabres. Leddy leads the blueline in scoring and is ranked third overall in scoring for the Islanders with 15 points (1G, 14A) this season.
• Oliver Wahlstrom's five-game point streak also came to an end. The rookie winger had compiled six points (3G, 3A) during that span. Through 16 games this season, Wahlstrom has eight points (4G, 4A).
• Cizikas assisted on both of Martin's goals for his fourth and fifth assists of the season. Through 23 games, the center has eight points (3G, 5A).
• Sorokin earned his third win of the season and improved his record to 3-2-1. Sorokin has a 2.16 GAA and a .909 SV%. After allowing Hall's goal in the second period, Sorokin saw his shutout streak snapped at 143:08. It marked the third-longest shutout streak by a rookie netminder in Islanders history.
• All of the Islanders 13 wins have been in regulation and are the only team in the East Division with that many regulation wins.
• The Islanders put up 45 shots compared to Buffalo's 18. The Islanders held Buffalo to single-digit shots through all three periods.
• The Islanders have outscored the Sabres 14-5 through four games in their season series.

SABRES NOTES:

• Hall scored his second goal of the season and ended a 19-game goal drought. The left winger has registered 13 points (2G, 11A) through 21 games.
• Ristolainen totaled his eighth point (3G, 5A) with his third goal of the season. Ristolainen and defense partner Rasmus Dahlin were on the ice for all five of the Islanders goals on Thursday night.
• With an assist on Ristolainen's goal, Jack Eichel earned his 16th point (2G, 14A) of the season and is now in a three-way tie with Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson for the team lead in scoring.
• Johansson earned his second start of the season, but his record dropped to 0-2-0. Johansson's 40 saves marked a new career best.
• At Buffalo's practice on Friday, Dylan Cozens skated on a line with Eichel and Hall.