Blue Jackets at Islanders
The Columbus Blue Jackets face an uphill climb in their quest for an Eastern Conference playoff berth - and while Friday provided some help in that regard, things are about to get a whole lot tougher. The Blue Jackets look to build off the momentum of an incredible comeback win as they kick off a five-game road trip Saturday night against the formidable New York Islanders. Columbus upended Philadelphia 4-3 in overtime after rallying from two goals down.
The win over the Flyers marked the first time all season the Blue Jackets had won when trailing after two periods, having gone into the game 0-20-0 in such situations. Saturday presents another stiff challenge, with the Islanders sporting a 19-6-0 record on Long Island and coming off consecutive 3-2 victories over Buffalo, Edmonton and Toronto. Saturday marks the third contest of a four-game homestand which wraps up Monday against the rival New York Rangers.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Columbus), MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (24-26-3): If Columbus manages to achieve the miraculous and land a playoff spot, it can point to its record in one-goal games as a major reason why. The Blue Jackets improved to 14-7-3 in one-goal outcomes with the victory over the Flyers, good for a top-8 ranking and well ahead of several teams locked into playoff spots. Columbus failed to convert on its only power-play chance versus Philadelphia and is now a dismal 1-for-20 with the man advantage over its last nine games.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (36-18-1): Contributions from a host of players have fueled New York's storybook run to the top of the Metropolitan Division race - and it was Anders Lee's turn on Wednesday. The unheralded rookie scored twice, including the game winner, in the 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs and ranks second in goals among first-year players with 18. Lee has been particularly dangerous in his own building, having scored 11 times in 22 games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus has won five of the last seven meetings, though the Islanders prevailed 5-2 in the previous encounter Jan. 10.
2. New York owns the league's 30th-ranked penalty-killing unit at 72.8 percent.
3. The Islanders are 22-4-1 in one-goal games.