Islanders at Bruins
The Boston Bruins have used a spirited surge to reclaim first place in the Northeast Division. The Bruins look to strengthen their position and vie for their sixth win in seven outings on Thursday, when they host the New York Islanders. Gregory Campbell scored twice to double his season total and Daniel Paille added a short-handed goal and an assist in Boston's 5-4 road victory over New Jersey on Wednesday.
The Bruins aren't the only team playing well down the stretch as the Islanders have collected points in eight of their last nine contests (7-1-1). New York continued its sprint toward a potential postseason berth by skating to a 4-1 triumph over Atlantic Division-rival Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Islanders are tied with Ottawa and the New York Rangers for the final three postseason spots in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), NESN Plus (Boston)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (20-16-4): The Islanders will play six of their remaining eight games away from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. While playing 75 percent of a team's remaining contests on the road usually is not a reason to celebrate, the Islanders have made themselves at home in their opponents' arenas (11-5-2). John Tavares, who has a team-leading 24 goals, has scored three times and set up as many tallies in his last five contests. However, Tavares was held off the scoresheet in both outings versus Boston.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (26-9-4): Although Boston has erupted for 11 goals in its last two games, it likely will be without the services of Brad Marchand. The pesky Nova Scotia native, who leads the team with 16 goals, absorbed an elbow to the head from New Jersey defenseman Anton Volchenkov late in the second period on Wednesday and needed assistance to get off the ice. Marchand isn't the only Bruin dealing with an injury to the head as center Patrice Bergeron has missed four straight games with a concussion.
OVERTIME
1. Campbell was mired in a 22-game goalless drought prior to his outburst versus New Jersey. The Islanders, however, permitted Campbell's previous tallies - one in Boston's 4-2 home win on Jan. 25 and another in a 4-1 triumph on Long Island on Feb. 26.
2. New York has killed off all 11 short-handed situations in its last six contests.
3. Boston veteran RW Jaromir Jagr has recorded a pair of assists in back-to-back games. Jagr has one goal and four assists in four contests since being acquired from Dallas.