UBS Keys to the Game: Islanders vs. Blue Jackets

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (21-24-8) VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (28-26-3)7:30 PM ET | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETSWATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | ESPN+LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM
The New York Islanders look to get back into the win column as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at UBS Arena on Thursday night in the first leg of a back-to-back set. The game marks the first of three meetings between the clubs this month.

The Islanders are reeling off a hard-fought 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. The game featured a resilient effort from the Islanders, who despite allowing four third-period goals in the span of 4:21, battled back to make the game an uncomfortable one-goal final for the Avs.
After being sidelined for a game due to personal reasons, Anders Lee made an impact in his return with a two-goal effort scoring both goals on the power play. The Islanders also got goals from Casey Cizikas and a late strike from Brock Nelson. Despite the loss, Semyon Varlamov put up a strong effort with a season-high 44 saves on 49 shots.
Columbus enters the matchup coming off a 5-4 loss to Toronto on Monday night. After falling 3-0 following the first period, the Blue Jackets made things interesting as it became a 3-3 game in the second period with goals from Sean Kuraly and Oliver Bjorkstrand and an early third-period power-play strike from Jack Roslovic. The effort wasn't enough as Toronto pulled away with two goals in the third even despite Columbus cutting the deficit down 5-4 with Patrik Laine's late goal. Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves on 33 shots in the loss. The Islanders and Blue Jackets last met on Oct. 21, where Columbus won 3-2 in overtime.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Lee scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season as well as his fourth and fifth power-play goals. The Islanders' captain also recorded his 200th-career goal and became the 12th player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.
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• Nelson buried his team-leading 21st goal of the season and now has goals in back-to-back games as well as a three-game point streak (2G, 1A).
• Cizikas potted his seventh goal of the season.
• Varlamov made his 16th start, while his record dropped to 3-12-1. The veteran netminder has a 2.90 GAA, and a .911 SV% this season. Varlamov has lost his last six starts, with his last win coming on Jan. 18.
• Noah Dobson dished out two assists and extended his point streak to three games (1G, 3A). The 22-year-old leads the Islanders' blueline in scoring with 30 points (10G, 20A) through 51 games.
• The Islanders were 2-for-4 on the power play and have scored three power-play strikes in their last two games. Their extra-man unit ranks 22nd in the NHL at 18.5%. On the penalty kill, the Islanders were 2-for-3 against Colorado and their PK ranks ninth in the NHL at 82.3%.
• Zdeno Chara (upper body) and Mathew Barzal (lower body) missed their fifth-straight games. Chara joined the Islanders for practice on Tuesday morning, while Barzal did not. Barzal leads the Islanders in scoring with 37 points (12G, 25A) through 45 games.
• In back-to-back sets, the Islanders are 5-4-1 in the front end and 3-6-1 in the back end.

BLUE JACKETS NOTES:

• Kuraly tallied his ninth goal of the season and extended his point streak to three games where he has produced four points (1G, 3A) in that span. Through 57 games in his first season with Columbus, Kuraly has totaled 22 points (9G, 13A).
• Bjorkstrand earned his 20th goal of the season and extended his point streak to five games where the veteran winger has as many points in that span (4G, 1A). Through 55 games this season, Bjorkstrand has posted 40 points (20G, 20A) and is four-points shy of matching his career-high.
• Roslovic scored his 10th goal of the season and first on the power play. Through 56 games in his first season with his hometown club, the 25-year-old centerman has registered 26 points (10G, 16A).
• Laine recorded his 22nd goal of the season and stretched his point streak to four games, where he collected six points (3G, 3A). Through 38 games this season, Laine has tallied 42 points (22G, 20A).
• Max Domi dished out two assists against Toronto and now has 28 points (9G, 19A) through 47 games.
• Merzlikins made his 36th start of the season and has a 19-15-3 record, a 3.47 GAA, a .902 SV% and two shutouts.
• Defenseman Jake Bean and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo were both activated off injured reserve ahead of the contest against Toronto. Bean had missed 14 games with a groin strain, while Korpisalo was sidelined for nine games with a lower-body injury. Bean played 14 shifts and logged 12:42 in his first game back.
• Against Toronto, the Blue Jackets were 1-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. In the NHL, Columbus ranks 23rd on the power play at 18.4% and 16th on the PK at 80.1%.
• Columbus averages the ninth-highest goals for per game at 3.28 and conversely, they relinquish the third-most goals against per game at 3.65.
• On average, the Blue Jackets allow the most shots against per team in the league at 35.8 shots per night.
• On the injury front, goaltender Daniil Tarasov is out for the season after undergoing hip surgery in February and more recently, forward Alexandre Texier is still sidelined with a finger injury, while defenseman Adam Boqvist is out with an upper-body injury.