Game Preview: Islanders vs Devils

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (26-15-4) VS NEW JERSEY DEVILS (18-21-7)
7 PM | NYCB LIVE | BUY TICKETS
WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NHL.TV
RADIO: 660AM/101.9FM WFAN | 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS
MORNING SKATE UPDATES | GAME NOTES

ISLES-DEVILS NOTES:

• The Islanders are 9-1-0 in their last 10 home games against the Devils (3-0-0 at the Coliseum, 6-1-0 at Barclays Center).
  - This is the first Islanders-Devils game at the Coliseum since Dec. 15, 2014. The Isles beat the Devils 3-2 in a shootout.
  - The Islanders are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games against the Devils.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders are wrapping up a four-game homestand on Thursday night. The Isles are 2-1-0 through three games, all at Barclays Center, and have won two straight games.
  - Valtteri Filppula scored the overtime winner on Tuesday night, his first-career OT goal in 919 NHL games. Filppula's goal was his 10th of the season.
  - Jordan Eberle scored his 200th career NHL goal on Tuesday. Eberle scored 165 in seven seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and has potted 35 in two seasons with the Islanders. Eberle's goal was his 10th of the season and the winger is heating up, with eight points 4G, 4A) in his last 10 games.
  - With Filppula and Eberle each scoring their 10th goals of the season, the Islanders now have eight players in double-digits. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson lead the team with 16 goals, while Mathew Barzal (13), Anthony Beauvillier (12), Casey Cizikas (11) and Josh Bailey (10) all have at least 10.
  - Robin Lehner made 30 saves on Tuesday for his 13th win of the season. Lehner is 9-1-0 in his last 10 games, leads the NHL with a 2.16 GAA and is second with a .928 SV%. With back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday, it's likely that both Lehner and Thomas Greiss will see action.
  - The Islanders (56 points) are currently third in the Metropolitan Division, three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals, who are tied with 59 points. The Pittsburgh Penguins (56 points) are tied with the Isles in points, but the Islanders have played one fewer game.
  - Thursday's game kicks off a back-to-back set for the Islanders, who visit the Washington Capitals on Friday night in DC. The Islanders are 4-2-0 on the first night of back-to-backs and are 6-0-0 in the second night.
  - The Islanders penalty kill is a perfect 10-for-10 over the past three games.
  - The Islanders next win will be the 1600th in franchise history. Currently, the Islanders are 1599-1535-347-146 (3691 points).

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NEW JERSEY DEVILS NOTES:

• Taylor Hall has missed the last 11 games with a lower-body injury. Hall has not played since Dec. 23 against Columbus. Hall, the league's reigning MVP, has 37 points (11G, 26A) in 33 games this season, one point back of Kyle Palmieri for the team lead.
  - Blake Coleman is red-hot for the Devils, with seven points (5G, 2A) in his last five games. Coleman has goals in four of his last five games playing on a line with Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The third-year pro has already set career-highs in goals (17) and points (27) in 46 games this season.
  - The Devils (46 points) are currently 13 points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are currently seventh in the Metropolitan Division.
  - New Jersey enters Thursdays game on the heels of a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The loss snapped the Devils' two-game winning streak. Overall, New Jersey is 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.
  - Cory Schneider has been out since Dec. 17 with an abdominal strain. Prior to being placed on IR, Schneider was 0-5-1 with a 4.66 GAA and a .852 save percentage. Keith Kinkaid (13-14-6, 3.10 GAA, .899 SV%) and Mackenzie Blackwood (5-2-0, 2.25 GAA, .935 SV%) are manning the Devils net.
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