UBS Keys to the Game: Islanders at Devils

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (31-27-9) VS NEW JERSEY DEVILS (24-38-6)4:00 PM ET | PRUDENTIAL CENTERWATCH: TNTLISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM
The New York Islanders are looking to finish the season strong.
Fresh off a 3-0 shutout win over the New York Rangers, the Islanders look to extend their winning streak to four games when they take on the New Jersey Devils on Sunday afternoon at Prudential Center.
While the Islanders (71 points) are still 13 points back of the Washington Capitals (84 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, they boast a 10-3-1 record in their last 14 games.

"In the last 15-20 games we've been the team that everyone expected us to be," Matt Martin said following Friday's shutout win. "We're still focused on this season and finishing strong. With management and everyone looking from up top at the group, we want them to continue to believe in us and come back next season, put our pedal down and try to get back to where we want to be.
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 27 shots he saw vs the Rangers, while Casey Cizikas, Martin and Mathew Barzal scored in the win.
New Jersey comes into Sunday's game on the second half of a back-to-back set after a 7-6 OT loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon. New Jersey led the game 6-2 heading into the third period.
The home team has won the first three games with the Devils shutting out the Isles 4-0 on Veterans Day and the Isles earning 4-2 and 3-2 wins at UBS. The Isles are 13-4-0 in their last 17 games with the Devils, including 6-2-0 in New Jersey; four of those six wins in Newark have come in OT/SO.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Varlamov's shutout was his second of the season, as well as his fourth-straight shutout at Madison Square Garden. In the process, Varlamov became the second goalie in NHL history - and first since Alec Connell in 1926 - to shut out an opponent in four consecutive games on the road.
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  The victory was also notable since Varlamov was playing on consecutive nights after backstopping a win over Columbus on Thursday. Prior to Thursday, Varlamov hadn't even started consecutive games this season, but has seen an uptick in work with Ilya Sorokin nursing an upper-body injury.
  Varlamov is 6-1-1 in his last eight decisions with a 2.38 GAA and a .938 save percentage. Since March 10th, no NHL goalie has more wins than Varlamov (6).
  - Cizikas scored his ninth goal of the season on Friday night, as well as his third game-winning goal of the season. The goal was also Cizikas' third-career tally against the Rangers. All three of Cizikas' goals vs the Rangers have been game-winners, tying Mike Bossy for the most in team history at MSG.
  - Mathew Barzal recorded two points (1G, 1A) against the Rangers on Friday night and now has six points (2G, 4A) in his last three games. Barzal's second point on Friday - a third-period goal - was the 300th career point, making him the 23rd player in team history to accomplish the feat.
  Barzal's linemates, Oliver Wahlstrom and Zach Parise, have combined for four points (2G, 2A) in the past three games, as the trio looks to be building some chemistry.
  - The Islanders' penalty kill was a perfect three-for-three against the Rangers second-ranked power play. Per Eric Hornick, the Isles have now killed 48 of 54 in the last 19 games (88.9%).
  - Barzal, Josh Bailey and Zach Parise all lead the Islanders with three points (1G, 2A) in three games vs the Devils this season. Ilya Sorokin played in all three matchups earlier this season.

DEVILS NOTES:

• Saturday's 7-6 OT loss marked the second-straight game the Devils had allowed seven-or-more goals, following an 8-1 loss to Boston on Thursday night. The Devils' 3.68 goals against per game is the fourth-highest average in the league and their 254 goals allowed this season (including shootout winners) is one back of Columbus' 255 for the most in the Metropolitan Division.
  - Yegor Sharangovich recorded his first-career hat-trick on Saturday afternoon. Sharangovich now has 19 goals in 62 games and has set career-highs in goals, assists (20) and points (39) in his sophomore season. Sharangovich's hat trick was the Devils first since Blake Coleman in January 2020.
  - Jack Hughes scored his 26th goal of the season on Saturday afternoon and has 36 points (17G, 19A) in his past 28 games. Hughes is riding a six-game point streak, with nine points (7G, 2A) over that span. The third-year center hasn't gone more than two games without a point since Jan. 8-13.
  - Jesper Bratt leads the Devils with a career-high 65 points (22G, 43A) in 63 games. This smashes Bratt's previous high of 35 points in his rookie year (2017-18). After logging a career-long seven-game point streak from Mar. 15-27, Bratt has gone two games without a point.
  - Andrew Hammond started Saturday's game against Florida, making him the seventh goalie to play for the Devils this season. Hammond was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline for forward Nate Schnarr. The 34-year-old netminder beat the Islanders on Feb. 20 with Montreal for his first win since the 2015-16 season.
  - Per NHL.com's Mike Morreale, the Philadelphia Flyers set an NHL record for goalies used in a season with eight during the 2018-19 campaign.
  - The Devils have used three different goalies in three games vs the Islanders this season: Mackenzie Blackwood (Nov. 11), Akria Schmid (Dec. 11) and Jon Gillies (Jan. 13).
  - Nico Daws had made five consecutive starts prior to Hammond playing vs the Panthers. Per the Devils, the rookie goaltender also improved to 7-1-0 at home for New Jersey, which marks the most wins at the Rock by a New Jersey netminder this season.