Islanders at Sabres
Given their ongoing struggles at Barclays Arena, the New York Islanders might find life on the road more to their liking -- especially against the worst team in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders look to climb back into a playoff spot when they visit the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night before returning home for four in a row.
New York was less than a minute from posting back-to-back wins in regulation for the first time since the end of November before yielding the tying goal and eventually losing to Nashville in overtime Monday night. The Islanders have surrendered at least 30 shots on goal in 20 consecutive games, including at least 40 in half of those. The Sabres entered the All-Star break on a high note by sweeping all three games on a road trip through Western Canada, but they have hit the skids again despite the extended rest and a favorable schedule. Buffalo will look to avert a winless five-game homestand and avenge a 3-2 overtime loss at New York on Dec. 27.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, MSG Plus2 (New York), MSG-Buffalo
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (26-22-6): Already missing injured defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Calvin de Haan, New York lost another blue-liner when Scott Mayfield suffered a lower-body injury on Monday that is expected to keep him out at least four weeks. That doesn't bode well for a team that has surrendered a league-high 3.6 goals per game. "We have bodies and that stuff will work itself out," Islanders coach Doug Weight said. "You definitely have to put some added angst into some guys and challenge them, but just have to go play."
ABOUT THE SABRES (14-29-10): Buffalo averages a league-low 2.3 goals and has failed to score 5-on-5 during the current homestand but continues to get solid production from the power play. The Sabres are 10-for-31 with the extra skater after Jack Eichel scored his team-leading 21st goal with the man advantage against Anaheim. "We go out there and we know we're going to score," forward Ryan O'Reilly said. "I think at the beginning of the year we were a little hesitant. We weren't very comfortable. And I think we found some of that."
OVERTIME
1. The Islanders have won four in a row in the series, including both matchups this season.
2. Eichel is the fifth Buffalo player to collect at least 50 points in each of his first three seasons.
3. New York has allowed 146 shots on goal over the past three games -- a franchise record for that span.