Game Preview: Islanders vs. Hurricanes

New York Islanders (32-24-11) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (27-27-11)
7:30 PM, Barclays Center, Buy Tickets
TV: NBCSN
Radio: 660AM, 101.9FM - WFAN, 88.7FM - WRHU, 103.9FM - LI News
Projected Lines/Morning Skate Updates
After going 5-3-1 on their marathon nine-game road trip, the New York Islanders return to Brooklyn to kick off a home-and-home set with the Carolina Hurricanes (7:30 p.m., NBCSN) on Monday.
The Islanders banked 11 of a possible 18 points on the trip, but as of Monday morning the Isles (75 points) are one point out of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs (76 points) currently hold the second wild card, while the Tampa Bay Lightning (73 points) currently lurk two points back.

"All we can do is keep trucking forward," John Tavares said after Saturday's game. "We're still in a good spot… We know we're right there battling for that last wild card and there's a few other teams there. We'll be excited to be back home Monday in front of our fans."

Back Home:

The Islanders are 20-8-6 at Barclays Center this season and have earned the fourth-most points at home (46) in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders are 9-0-2 in their last 11 home games, their longest home point streak in the post-Cup era. Seven of the Islanders final 15 games are at home.

Islanders Looking For Answer vs Hurricanes:

The Islanders are looking for their first win over the Hurricanes this season, dropping the first two meetings this season. The Islanders fell 7-4 in Raleigh on Jan. 14 and lost the rematch 5-4 in overtime on Feb. 4 at Barclays Center.
Carolina has had the Islanders number over the past four seasons, winning the season series three times dating back to 2012-13. Despite the Islanders strong home records over the past three seasons, the Hurricanes are 7-1-1 against the Isles in New York.

Hurricanes Notes:

After beating the Islanders on Jan. 14, the Carolina Hurricanes were one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Hurricanes have gone 6-12-4, tumbling down the East standings.
Jeff Skinner leads the Hurricanes with 21 goals and 43 points, while Elias Lindholm leads the team with 27 assists. Justin Faulk is a scoring threat from the blue line with 12 goals and in goal, Cam Ward has a 22-20-9 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

Isles Notes:

John Tavares is riding a four-game point streak (2G, 3A)… Josh Bailey is one point shy of 50 this season and 300 for his career… Nick Leddy established a career-high with his 11th goal of the season on Saturday...
The Islanders have also gone 37 games without losing consecutive games in regulation; it's the longest streak by an Islander team in 35 years,
according to Eric Hornick.