Stars at Islanders
All the New York Islanders needed to snap a season-high three-game skid was a return to the Barclays Center, where they have lost a league-low one game in regulation. Battling for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division despite playing only 12 of its first 30 games at home, New York will take on the visiting Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.
The Islanders lost the final three on their four-game road trip but regained their mojo with a 3-1 win over the surging Washington Capitals on Monday night. That victory kicked off a stretch in which New York plays seven of eight games at Barclays Center, providing the team with a great opportunity to build on its 9-1-2 record at home. The Stars had also dropped three in a row before opening their four-game road trip through the Metropolitan Division with a 2-1 shootout win at the New York Rangers. Dallas hammered the visiting Islanders 5-0 on Nov. 10, but it has been outscored 23-13 in dropping its last four trips to New York.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE STARS (17-13-1): Captain Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov form a potent top line to open the season, but coach Ken Hitchcock decided to put his top three scorers on separate lines against the Rangers. Dallas responded by pouring 45 shots on goal to end the three-game slide, with Benn, Seguin and Radulov combining for 17 of those shots. "We are starting to really play strong 5-on-5 hockey right now," Hitchcock said. "We are getting a lot of scoring chances and we're not giving up a lot, which is a really good sign."
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (17-10-3): New York allowed the opening goal in five straight games -- losing four -- before scoring first against Washington to improve to 11-0-0 when netting the initial goal. "The great thing is we always have the belief, whether it's 2-0, 3-1, 3-2, we can come back with any amount of time left," coach Doug Weight said. "But the last three weeks it's a little disheartening, it's 1-0 more than not against us. For a team like ours, it's big to get the lead." The Islanders have won 16 in a row dating to last season when scoring first.
OVERTIME
1. Islanders captain John Tavares needs two goals to reach 20 for the ninth time in as many seasons.
2. The Stars are 0-for-14 on the power play over the past five games.
3. New York blanked Dallas 3-0 on Jan. 19 in Weight's first game as the team's head coach.