The Islanders, who've lost four of their past five games and eight of 10 this month, trail the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card in the East by 12 points with eight games remaining. The Blackhawks have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They were eliminated from playoff contention on March 20.
Players to watch
Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in his past 15 games. He has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 13 games against the Islanders. Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock has three goals and five assists during a five-game point streak.
They said it
"We're coming off a tough game and these guys are coming off an interesting game themselves. But one thing is they can score goals as good as anybody in the game and they've got a ton of offense and they've got some guys that can really make things happen with the puck." -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville "Chicago's a heck of a team. I think they're missing Jonathan Toews tonight, but they're playing hard, watching their last couple of games. Every game is a test. Hopefully we come out a little better than we did against Tampa (on Thursday). I think the start is crucial." -- Islanders coach Doug Weight
Toews will miss his second straight game. … Kulemin participated in the optional morning skate but is not ready to return.
Stat pack
The Blackhawks have allowed at least five goals in five straight games and have been outscored 26-12 during their losing streak. Forsberg is 0-3-0 against the Islanders. … Barzal (two goals, five assists) has a five-game point streak. Lee has scored in three consecutive games and has five goals during that stretch. Tavares has one goal and seven assists during a four-game point streak.
