Islanders at Coyotes
Coming off an improbable - and desperately needed - skid-busting win, the New York Islanders hope to close out a five-game road trip on a high note when they visit the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night. The Islanders put an end to a pair of ghastly losing streaks in dramatic fashion, rallying from a two-goal third-period deficit before prevailing with a 3-2 shootout at San Jose on Tuesday. The victory ended a 10-game overall winless drought (0-8-2) and a string of 10 straight road defeats.
The Coyotes capped a four-game road trip with a 3-1 victory at Colorado on Tuesday, but now they must regain their mojo at home. Phoenix was nearly invincible at Jobing.com Arena through the first seven weeks of the season by compiling a 9-0-1 mark, but it is winless in its last three (0-2-1) at home - albeit against top competition in Colorado, Anaheim and Chicago. The Coyotes will be out to avenge their most lopsided defeat of the season, a 6-1 drubbing at New York on Oct. 8.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FSN Arizona
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (9-18-5): Having failed to score more than two goals in nine straight games, New York made a move to address its offensive shortcomings by recalling prized prospect Ryan Strome from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. The No. 5 overall pick of the 2011 draft, Strome was leading the AHL in scoring with nine goals and 24 assists and had a nine-game point streak at the time of his promotion. The 20-year-old Strome also became only the third AHL player in 20 years to earn back-to-back player of the week honors.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (17-8-5): Antoine Vermette celebrated his 700th career game by scoring a pair of goals against the Avalanche to run his point streak to four games. Vermette's contribution was especially vital given that team captain and leading goal scorer Shane Doan was forced to miss his second straight game because of illness. "When you’ve got a guy like Shane not being around, his presence around the team, off the ice means a lot to this team," Vermette said. "With a few veterans out of the lineup, you want to make sure the other veterans on the team step up."
OVERTIME
1. Doan had 11 goals and 20 points in his previous 20 games before sitting out the past two.
2. Islanders LW Thomas Vanek has scored in back-to-back contests and has five goals in his last 10.
3. New York has not won back-to-back games since Nov. 1-2.