Game Preview: Islanders at Blues

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (8-6-2) AT ST. LOUIS BLUES (13-3-1)
8 P.M. - SCOTTRADE CENTER
TV: MSG+2, MSG GO
RADIO: 88.7FM - WRHU, AM970 - The Answer, 103.9FM - LI News
SEASON SERIES: 0-0-1
Friday's 5-0 loss to the Dallas Stars should be all the motivation the New York Islanders need when they take on the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at Scottrade Center.
The Islanders will need to be better out of the gate on Saturday, as they've given up the first goal in 12 of their first 16 games this season. Shooting the puck more will also be a focus after putting 14 shots on net on Friday night - a season-low.

"We just have to come out ready to play," John Tavares said Friday. "Maybe [we're] not executing as well as you'd like to be, but you got to find a way to turn the momentum around and that's getting back to the habits of our system and the way we need to play… it's defending hard and not giving them any easy opportunities."
The Islanders and Blues have already played this season, with the Islanders earning a point in a 3-2 shootout loss on Columbus Day. Anders Lee scored in the final minute of that game to force overtime.
The Islanders are 1-5-0 in their last six games in St. Louis.

LINEUP NOTES:

Anthony Beauvillier left Friday's game after taking a pair of shots off his right leg in the third period. If he can't go on Saturday night, Weight said the plan is to play Thomas Hickey at forward.
UPDATE: Josh Ho-Sang was recalled under emergency conditions from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday morning.
Thomas Greiss will start in goal for the Islanders on Saturday, as Head Coach Doug Weight said he would alternate his goalies in the back-to-back scenario.
ISLANDERS PROJECTED LINES:

BY THE NUMBERS:

POWER PLAY
19.6% - Islanders (T-12th)
15.8% - Blues (23rd)
PENALTY KILL:
81.5% - Islanders (T-13th)79.3% - Blues (T-19th)

THE OPPOSITION:

St. Louis brings a three-game winning streak into Saturday's game, as well as the top record in the Western Conference (13-3-1, 27 points).
The Blues are allowing a league-low 2.29 goals against per game, while averaging 3.18 goals for, 11th in the NHL. St. Louis is also ninth overall in 5v5 Corsi For (51.59%), one spot above the Islanders (51%). The Blues are seventh overall in Corsi in all situations (51.36%).
Vladimir Tarasenko - who scored both regulation goals in the Isles-Blues first meeting this season - garners most of the attention around the league, but Jaden Schwartz is outscoring the Russian sharpshooter. Schwartz is tied for fourth in league scoring with 21 points (9G, 12A), one ahead of Tarasenko (8G, 12A).
Offseason acquisition Brayden Schenn (4G, 15A) and captain Alex Pietrangelo (7G, 9A) are also in the top-35 in league scoring.
Goalie Jake Allen - who made 40 saves against the Islanders - is 9-3-1 this season with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
BLUES PROJECTED LINES:
| FORWARDS | | --- | | LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING | | VLADIMIR SOBOTKA | PAUL STASTNY | ALEXANDER STEEN | | JADEN SCHWARTZ | BRAYDEN SCHENN | VLADIMIR TARASENKO | | MAGNUS PAAJARVI | OSKAR SUNDQVIST | DMITRIJ JASKIN | | SCOTTIE UPSHALL | KYLE BRODZIAK | CHRIS THORBURN |

| DEFENSE | | --- | | CARL GUNNARSSON | ALEX PIETRANGELO | | JOEL EDMUNDSON | COLTON PARAYKO | | VINCE DUNN | ROBERT BORTUZZO |