Panthers at Islanders preview
New York seeks point in 12th straight game; Trocheck could return to Florida lineup
by Brian Compton @BComptonNHL / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor
PANTHERS (7-3-5) at ISLANDERS (11-3-1)
1 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-F, NHL.TV
The Game
The New York Islanders will try to extend their point streak to 12 games when they host the Florida Panthers at Barclays Center on Saturday.
The Islanders are 10-0-1 in their past 11 after their 10-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 overtime loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
Panthers center Vincent Trocheck practiced Friday and could return after missing seven games because of a lower-body injury. Florida, which has gone 4-1-2 without Trocheck, is beginning a three-game road trip and has a three-game point streak (2-0-1).
Players to watch
Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has six points (three goals, three assists) in a three-game goal/point streak after going without a goal through the first 12 games this season.
Islanders center Casey Cizikas has four points (two goals, two aasists) in his past two games.
They said it
"They've been playing phenomenal hockey since I've been out. Obviously, the streak that they went on was great. I was cheering for them the whole way. Any time you go down, you want to see the team do well and get that momentum going for when you get back." -- Panthers center Vincent Trocheck
"They've got lots of firepower, the back end is strong with a lot of veteran guys back there. They're deep; they play a real good game, they're good offensively, they play 200 feet and they're getting goaltending and special teams are solid. A lot of the right things going if you're going to have success." -- Islanders coach Barry Trotz
Panthers projected lineup
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Aleksander Barkov -- Evgenii Dadonov
Mike Hoffman -- Vincent Trocheck -- Brett Connolly
Frank Vatrano -- Denis Malgin -- Mark Pysyk
Dryden Hunt -- Brian Boyle -- Colton Sceviour
MacKenzie Weegar -- Aaron Ekblad
Mike Matheson -- Anton Stralman
Keith Yandle -- Josh Brown
Sergei Bobrovsky
Sam Montembeault
Scratched: Dominic Toninato
Injured: Noel Acciari (lower body), Jayce Hawryluk (upper body)
Islanders projected lineup
Anders Lee -- Mathew Barzal -- Jordan Eberle
Anthony Beauvillier -- Brock Nelson -- Derick Brassard
Josh Bailey -- Casey Cizikas -- Cal Clutterbuck
Ross Johnston -- Cole Bardreau -- Michael Dal Colle
Adam Pelech -- Ryan Pulock
Devon Toews -- Scott Mayfield
Nick Leddy -- Johnny Boychuk
Thomas Greiss
Semyon Varlamov
Scratched: Noah Dobson, Otto Koivula
Injured: Leo Komarov (illness), Tom Kuhnhackl (lower body), Matt Martin (lower body)
Status report
Acciari did not practice Friday and is unlikely to play either game this weekend; the Panthers visit the New York Rangers on Sunday. … Eberle (out since Oct. 12), Komarov (Oct. 17) and Leddy (Nov. 1) each practiced Friday; Eberle and Leddy were inserted into the lineup. … Lee and Cizikas each had a maintenance day Friday but will play. Koivula was recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Friday. The Islanders sent forward Oliver Wahlstrom back to Bridgeport on Saturday.
Stat pack
Huberdeau has six points (four goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak and 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his past seven games. … New York is 2-1-1 in its past four games against Florida. … Greiss is 5-0-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in his past five starts. … The Islanders' penalty kill is 24-for-25 over the past eight games.