Islanders at Blue Jackets
John Tavares is doing his best to keep the New York Islanders among the Eastern Conference elite - but he may need some help Saturday night as the team visits the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders captain scored twice, including the overtime winner, to lead the Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday for his third multi-goal performance in the last seven contests. But the Islanders could be in tough against a Columbus team that has won 12 of its previous 16 games.
The Blue Jackets will be looking to bounce back after allowing four first-period goals in Friday night's 5-2 setback against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Columbus has done a solid job of keeping Tavares at bay, limiting him to one goal and four assists in six career meetings. Saturday's matchup marks the sixth of a grueling seven-game road trip for the Islanders, who are 3-2-0 on the trek and are an impressive 13-9-1 away from Long Island this season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus (New York), Fox Sports Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (27-13-1): Much of the credit for New York's impressive 10-game run (6-3-1) goes to a special-teams unit that has been among the league's best over that stretch. The Islanders have successfully killed off 25-of-26 short-handed chances during that stretch, while scoring seven power-play goals in that span. The Islanders have also been one of the more disciplined clubs of late, allowing just five short-handed opportunities over the past three games - and only one in the win over the Devils.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (18-18-3): Lost in a disappointing performance against Toronto was yet another sensational effort from Ryan Johansen, who extended his goal and point streaks to five and nine games, respectively, with a pair of tallies. The 22-year-old, who missed all of training camp due to a contract dispute, now has two point runs of at least nine games on the season and ranks second on the team overall in goals (15) and points (38). Johansen has six goals and five assists during his latest streak.
OVERTIME
1. The Blue Jackets won three of four meetings last season, including both in Columbus.
2. New York has won six of its last seven games while playing the second leg on consecutive nights.
3. Johansen has a goal and three assists in five career games versus the Islanders.