Flyers at Islanders
The New York Islanders hope to take advantage of the remainder of their lengthy stretch of home games, beginning with Thursday's matchup against the Metropolitan Division-rival Philadelphia Flyers. New York, which has lost all three of its road contests this season, is in the midst of a second five-game homestand that falls within a span during which it plays 10 of 11 contests at Barclays Center but is 1-1-0 on this string and 4-3-0 overall during the run.
The Islanders continue to receive offensive contributions from their blue line as Dennis Seidenberg's tally in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay extended the team's streak of goals from a defensemen to six games - the club's longest such run since a seven-game stretch from March 5-17, 1985. Philadelphia is coming off an impressive 4-3 comeback victory at home over Detroit on Wednesday in which defenseman Mark Streit forged a tie with 64 seconds remaining in the third period before Jakub Voracek scored the winning goal 1:41 into overtime. Voracek has netted three tallies in as many games and six in 11 this season after totaling 11 in 73 contests last campaign. Since being kept off the scoresheet in the Flyers' season opener in Los Angeles, captain Claude Giroux has collected two goals and 11 assists during a career-best 10-game point streak.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, MSG Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (5-5-1): Wednesday's victory was memorable for several members of the team, as 24-year-old left wing Roman Lyubimov scored his first NHL goal while Brayden Schenn reached the 200-point plateau for his career with the first of his two assists on the night. Chris VandeVelde also has a day he'll never forget, scoring his first goal in 55 games just hours after his wife gave birth to the couple's second child. Philadelphia has shown an ability to bounce back early on this season as it has erased a deficit of at least two goals seven times in 11 games.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (4-6-0): Anthony Beauvillier is making a good case to remain with the team, recording a goal and four assists in his first nine NHL games. New York faces the decision of sending the 19-year-old left wing back to juniors or activating the first year of his entry-level contract by allowing him to appear in a 10th contest. Captain John Tavares, who has notched a point in six of his last eight contests and is seeking his first three-game streak of the season, is one goal away from overtaking Derek King (211) for sole possession of ninth place on the franchise list.
OVERTIME
1. Islanders defensemen have scored a total of nine goals during their six-game streak.
2. Philadelphia has scored four goals in each of its last four contests, going 2-2-0 in that span.
3. New York RW Ryan Strome and D Calvin de Haan both will reach the 200 career game plateau with their next appearance.