Islanders at Flyers
Staring at the prospect of a season-high losing streak, the New York Islanders must overcome a nightmarish venue when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. The Islanders have dropped three in a row and now must contend with a resurgent Philadelphia club that is 17-1-2 at home against New York since 2007. The Islanders have won the past three matchups - all at home - between the Metropolitan Division rivals, including a 7-4 drubbing on Jan. 19.
The Flyers are in the midst of their hottest stretch of the season, having won four straight since the loss in New York as they attempt to wrap up a perfect five-game homestand. Despite the season-high winning streak, Philadelphia is 10 points out of the final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference. "It’s been a battle to get back to almost the .500 level, but we’ve got to get to the .500 level and beyond and start to really make some ground because of the position we’re in,” goaltender Steve Mason said.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (32-17-1): With second-leading scorer Kyle Okposo expected to miss five-to-seven weeks due to a reported detached retina, rookie Anders Lee looked to fill the void in his first goal on New York's No. 1 line by scoring both goals in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Florida. A pressing concern is the Islanders' league-worst penalty kill, which has surrendered 10 goals in the last 19 short-handed situations. “It’s no secret, special teams are killing us right now,” captain John Tavares said. “We have to be better in those areas."
ABOUT THE FLYERS (22-22-7): Mason has had a big hand in sparking the turnaround for Philadelphia, winning all three decisions since returning from a 2 1/2-week absence due to a knee injury - including a 1-0 shutout of Toronto on Saturday night. Despite a sub-par 11-12-6 record, Mason sports a 2.32 goals-against average and is among the league leaders with a .924 save percentage. "He's been unreal," said forward Jakub Voracek, who leads the NHL with 58 points. "He's been one of our best players, for sure. He's kept us in games so many times."
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia had a five-game streak with a power-play goal halted against Toronto.
2. Islanders G Jaroslav Halak is 6-2-0 with a pair of shutouts versus Philadelphia.
3. Flyers D Nicklas Grossmann, sidelined the past 10 games with a shoulder injury, is expected to return to the lineup Thursday.