Islanders at Oilers
The New York Islanders attempt to remain perfect on their season-high road trip and secure in their position in the Metropolitan Division when they visit the cellar-dwelling Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. New York is 3-0-0 on its seven-game trek, allowing a total of two goals, and sits in third place in the Metropolitan - three points ahead of Pittsburgh and five behind the second-place New York Rangers.
Captain John Tavares has been on an offensive tear, registering eight of his team-leading 23 goals and 13 assists over his last 17 contests while being kept off the scoresheet only three times in that span. Edmonton will be glad to put an end to a horrific February as it is in the midst of seven-game slide (0-5-2) and has dropped 10 of its last 11 this month (1-8-2). Jordan Eberle reached a milestone Friday, netting the Oilers' lone tally in a 2-1 overtime loss at Anaheim to hit the 20-goal plateau for the third straight season and fourth time in his six NHL campaigns. The Islanders look to sweep the two-game season series after routing the Oilers 8-1 at home on Feb. 7.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), Sportsnet 1 (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (33-19-7): Kyle Okposo is hoping a meeting with Edmonton will help him regain his scoring touch. The 27-year-old, who trails Tavares (50) by four points for the club lead, has gone eight games without a goal since registering his second career hat trick in the triumph over the Oilers earlier this month. Anders Lee and Mikhail Grabovski both need one goal to give the Islanders eight players in double digits.
ABOUT THE OILERS (22-34-7): Three days after shipping the rights to defenseman Philip Larsen to Vancouver, Edmonton continued its housecleaning prior to the trade deadline on Saturday, beginning early in the morning by dealing Anders Nilsson to St. Louis for fellow Swedish goaltender Niklas Lundstrom. Later in the day, Teddy Purcell - who ranked fifth on the team with 32 points - was sent to Florida and defenseman Justin Schultz to Pittsburgh, both for third-round picks in this year's draft. "With expiring contracts, if you're not going to move forward with them, you have to move them along," general manager Peter Chiarelli told reporters.
OVERTIME
1. The Oilers recalled G Laurent Brossoit, who allowed one goal in a shootout loss to Winnipeg on Feb. 13, from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.
2. Islanders C Frans Nielsen is two tallies away from the second 20-goal season of his career.
3. Edmonton rookie C Connor McDavid has been kept off the scoresheet in his last two games after collecting 16 points over his first 11 contests after returning from a fractured clavicle.