Islanders at Jets
A season-long seven-game road trip has not slowed the New York Islanders, who visit the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday looking to win for the fifth time in six games since leaving home. The Islanders used a strong performance from goaltender Thomas Greiss in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at Vancouver, moving three points ahead of Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
“I don’t think it was our best game, but good teams win anyway and we found a way,” Greiss told reporters after making 31 saves in his first action since Feb. 18, improving to 6-0-1 in his past seven starts. The Jets opened a five-game homestand with their eighth defeat in their past nine home contests -- a 3-2 loss Tuesday to Florida after a 2-1 lead evaporated in the first four minutes of a lackluster third period. “We can’t take any shifts off,” Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien told reporters after the game, in which he scored his 16th goal of the season. “It’s the NHL. You’ve got to be here to work, ready to win.” The Jets have done far too little winning the past two months, losing for the 16th time in 24 games since Jan. 3.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (34-20-7): Greiss has been fantastic in his first season with New York, leading the NHL with a .931 save percentage while ranking sixth with a 2.18 goals-against average through Tuesday in posting a 17-6-3 record. Defenseman Thomas Hickey contributed a goal and an assist to Monday’s victory, and the Islanders have allowed two goals or fewer in four of the first five games of the road trip. Rookie center Shane Prince played 13:07 in his Islanders debut after being acquired from Ottawa at the trade deadline.
ABOUT THE JETS (26-32-4): Winnipeg’s offense continues to sputter, scoring two goals or fewer for the seventh time in the past 10 games on Tuesday, and its season-long struggle on special teams continued by allowing the tying goal on the power play. Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec only faced 22 shots but allowed three goals en route to his fourth consecutive defeat (0-3-1). The Jets made the playoffs last season but entered Wednesday tied with Calgary for 12th in the Western Conference, 12 points out of the final wild-card spot and only one point ahead of last-place Edmonton.
OVERTIME
1. The Jets have been outscored 66-51 in the third period this season.
2. New York C Casey Cizikas has a five-game point streak (two goals, three assists), and has recorded three goals and six assists in his past nine contests.
3. Winnipeg’s other goal Tuesday came from C Andrew Copp, who snapped a 45-game goal drought with his second tally of the season.