Islanders at Senators
The Ottawa Senators’ desperate push for a playoff spot continues when they host the New York Islanders on Wednesday. The Senators have collected points in their last five games (4-0-1) but still trail the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot by five points. The Islanders are also 4-0-1 in their last five as they try to conclude a lost season on a positive note.
The Islanders defeated Ottawa 5-4 in a shootout on Nov. 1 in the only previous meeting between the teams this season. New York has won 10 games against representatives from the Atlantic - more than any other division - while the Senators have struggled to maintain a winning record against Metropolitan Division opponents, going 9-8-2. Despite the eight points that separate these teams in the standings, Ottawa and New York have surprisingly similar goal differentials and the Senators yield 34.9 shots per contest while the Islanders only allow 30.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, MSG Plus (New York), TVA (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (30-35-10): Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov helped New York stave off elimination on Tuesday with a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers, so Anders Nilsson could see the start on Wednesday. Kyle Okposo has missed three games with a lower-body ailment and is day-to-day, joining a growing list of injuries that includes concussions to defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and Michael Grabner. Rookie Ryan Strome has four points in his last four games and will get plenty of opportunities to impress with so many offensive weapons sidelined.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (32-29-14): Captain Jason Spezza is not expected to play Wednesday due to a lower-body injury that forced him to miss Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Colin Greening and defenseman Jared Cowen also missed Monday’s game with lower-body injuries, making Ottawa’s playoff push all the more daunting. Netminder Craig Anderson is expected to start after looking solid in victories over the Hurricanes and the Chicago Blackhawks.
OVERTIME
1. The Senators are 5-0-4 in their last nine games against New York and have not lost to the Islanders in regulation since Feb. 5, 2011.
2. The Islanders have two power-play goals in their last 19 opportunities.
3. These two teams will meet once more to wrap up their three-game season series on Tuesday.