Islanders at Avalanche
The New York Islanders' offense finished 2016 with a flourish, scoring at least four goals in each of their last five games to bring an air of optimism into the new year. New York is banking that its offense continues at a feverish pace on Friday when it continues its four-game road trip against an ice-cold Colorado Avalanche squad that is winless in 10 straight at home.
Captain John Tavares collected a goal and an assist in a 6-2 victory over Winnipeg on New Year's Eve and resides two points shy of becoming the 10th player in Islanders' history with 500 career points. The team's offense certainly has improved as it has erupted for 55 goals in the last 16 games (3.43 average) after mustering just 48 in the initial 20 (2.40) of the season. While the scoring barrage has been a welcome sight in Brooklyn, Colorado has mustered just 17 goals en route to losing 10 of its last 11 games heading into the opener of a four-game homestand. "We made stupid mistakes again," forward Joe Colborne said after Wednesday's 4-1 setback in Calgary. "We keep talking about it and we don't execute."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus2 (New York), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (15-15-6): Andrew Ladd has finally begun paying dividends on the seven-year, $38.5 million deal he signed in the offseason as the 31-year-old scored versus his former team on New Year's Eve to extend his point streak to four games (four goals, one assist). While his 12 points in 36 contests are still well off the pace of the 46 he recorded last season with the Jets and Blackhawks, Ladd has found a home on the team's third line and could contribute on Friday if history is an indication. Ladd has recorded 14 goals and 24 points in 28 career encounters against the Avalanche.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (12-25-1): Colorado doesn't have much for which to crow this season, but it ranks third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage (52.8), with Matt Duchene's 60.3 percent success rate trailing only Anaheim's Antoine Vermette for the top spot among qualifiers in the league. The 25-year-old Duchene (team-leading 13 goals) isn't faring as well as he'd like on the scoresheet, as he's been held without a point in seven of his last eight games and could find himself on the trade block prior to the league's deadline. Former top overall pick Nathan MacKinnon (team-leading 25 points) has been held off the scoresheet in four straight games after recording back-to-back two-point performances.
OVERTIME
1. New York G Thomas Greiss has yielded just five goals en route to winning three straight starts and is 6-1-0 with a 2.29 goals-against average in his last seven.
2. Colorado claimed former San Jose F Matt Nieto off waivers on Thursday.
3. Islanders LW Anders Lee has five goals and assist in his last seven games and 13 of his team-leading 14 tallies in his last 18.