Devils at Islanders
The New Jersey Devils are mired in a losing streak that has knocked them out of first place in the Metropolitan Division, but their struggles pale in comparison to the skidding New York Islanders. One of the two clubs will end a slide when the Devils make the short trip to visit the reeling Islanders in a Sunday matinee.
New Jersey had won five in a row but followed that up by dropping four straight games (0-2-2) to match its longest losing streak of the season entering the final stop of a four-game road trip before its off week. "We have to get two points in that game (Sunday)," Devils forward Taylor Hall told reporters. "We don’t want to go into a break with five straight Ls. We know our conference, our division, can slip away pretty quick.” The Islanders know that feeling, getting outscored 25-8 during the five-game tailspin that has them spiraling down the standings. "I've been concerned for a few weeks," New York coach Doug Weight told reporters. "It's a concerning time. We looked tired at times. ... We have to recharge and get revamped."
TV: 1 p.m. ET, MSG (New Jersey), MSG Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (22-11-7): Taylor Hall has scored five times and collected 11 points over the past nine games to boost his team-high totals to 14 goals and 26 assists. Brian Boyle, who did not make his season debut until Nov. 1 after he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in September, continues to flourish by scoring his 11th goal in 30 games at Dallas on Thursday. Cory Schneider is 3-5-1 despite a 1.88 goals-against average versus the Islanders.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (20-18-4): New York also enters its off week after Sunday's game and it couldn't come at a more opportune time after co-leading scorer Josh Bailey was injured in Friday's 4-0 loss at Pittsburgh. Weight does not expect Bailey to be available Sunday and was unsure of the status of Andrew Ladd and defenseman Ryan Pulock. “I just have been holding my face for 15 minutes,” Weight said. “So I don’t know how long people are going to be out.”
OVERTIME
1. Special teams are killing New York, which went 13-for-20 on the penalty kill and 1-for-16 on the power play during the five-game skid
2. The Devils have lost three in a row overall in the series and their last seven visits to New York.
3. Islanders G Jaroslav Halak has lost four in a row overall, but allowed three goals in winning both starts versus the Devils last season.