Blue Jackets at Islanders preview
Columbus seeks fifth straight win; Ladd returns for Islanders after knee surgery
by Craig Merz / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
BLUE JACKETS (16-14-6) at ISLANDERS (23-8-3)
7 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-O, NHL.TV
The Game
The Columbus Blue Jackets will try for their fifth straight win when they play the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Monday.
Columbus is 5-0-2 after a four-game losing streak.
The Blue Jackets will be without forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, who is tied with Pierre-Luc Dubois for the team lead with 12 goals. Bjorkstrand sustained a rib/cartilage contusion and oblique strain during a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
The Islanders are 4-1-1 in their past six games but are coming off a 6-5 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Forward Andrew Ladd will play his first NHL game since March 24, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Prior to that he missed 44 games last season with a knee injury.
Ladd was recalled Saturday after playing 19 games for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
Players to watch
Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a five-game point streak.
Islanders forward Anders Lee has four multipoint games this month and 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his past 10 games.
They said it
"Don't even talk about them. We're just getting ready to play our game." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella on his team's numerous injuries
"I've spent the last couple years watching too many hockey games. It's going to be fun to be a part of it." -- Islanders forward Andrew Ladd on his return
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Alexandre Texier -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Eric Robinson
Nick Foligno -- Boone Jenner -- Gustav Nyquist
Jakob Lilja -- Alexander Wennberg -- Kevin Stenlund
Nathan Gerbe -- Riley Nash -- Ryan MacInnis
Zach Werenski -- Seth Jones
Vladislav Gavrikov - David Savard
Dean Kukan -- Scott Harrington
Joonas Korpisalo
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratched: Gabriel Carlsson
Injured: Brandon Dubinsky (wrist), Emil Bemstrom (ribs), Markus Nutivaara (upper body), Ryan Murray (lower body), Sonny Milano (upper body), Josh Anderson (shoulder), Andrew Peeke (finger), Cam Atkinson (lower body), Oliver Bjorkstrand (ribs, oblique)
Islanders projected lineup
Anders Lee -- Mathew Barzal -- Jordan Eberle
Anthony Beauvillier -- Brock Nelson -- Josh Bailey
Andrew Ladd -- Derick Brassard -- Tom Kuhnhackl
Matt Martin -- Casey Cizikas -- Leo Komarov
Adam Pelech -- Ryan Pulock
Devon Toews -- Scott Mayfield
Nick Leddy -- Johnny Boychuk
Thomas Greiss
Semyon Varlamov
Scratched: Noah Dobson, Michael Dal Colle, Ross Johnston
Injured: Cal Clutterbuck (wrist)
Status report
Savard returns after missing two games because of illness; he replaces Carlsson. Gerbe, recalled from Cleveland of the AHL on Sunday, replaces Bjorkstrand. … Greiss was the first goalie off the ice and is expected to start. Varlamov played Saturday against Anaheim, the first time this season coach Barry Trotz started the same goalie in consecutive games.
Stat pack
Jenner has five points (one goal, four assists) during a four-game point streak. Dubois has two goals and three assists during a three-game point streak and seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past five games. Werenski has a goal in each of Columbus' past two games. Jones has five assists during a three-game point streak. … Barzal has a goal in each of New York's past two games, and his team-high 15 goals are three shy of his total for last season. Eberle has three assists in his past two games.