Oilers at Islanders
The New York Islanders have dropped four of their last five games overall, but the club traditionally hasn't been a gracious host when the Edmonton Oilers make the lengthy trek east. The Islanders will vie for their 10th consecutive home victory over the Oilers on Saturday when they play the fourth contest of their five-game homestand.
Although New York has enjoyed a 15-1-2 mark all-time at Barclays Center against Western Conference representatives, it's the team's middle-of-the-road offense and the offseason departures of Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen that have coach Jack Capuano apparently feeling the heat. "That's my concern. Where are we gonna get point production from? We took 134 points out of our lineup that we lost. Now we gotta find a way. Everything gets magnified. I get it,” Capuano said after the Islanders suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to Philadelphia on Thursday. Early-season darling Edmonton has cooled down significantly from its hot start, losing three in a row overall (0-2-1) - including the first two contests of its five-game, eight-day road trip. Cam Talbot yielded four goals in Thursday's 5-3 setback to his former team, the New York Rangers, but owns a 4-1-0 mark in his career versus the Islanders.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Edmonton), MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE OILERS (7-3-1): Patrick Maroon was elevated to the top line in Friday's practice, joining captain Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle. Maroon scored his third goal of the season versus the Rangers and the 19-year-old McDavid notched an assist to avert the first three-game point drought of his career. Eberle also set up a goal to snap a five-game point drought, but his minus-4 performance versus the Rangers and minus-7 total during the three-game skid might have prompted coach Todd McLellan to shuffle the deck in practice.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (4-6-1): The defense has provided sustained offense for New York, which saw Dennis Seidenberg score for the second time in as many games as the club has received a goal from a blue-liner in seven straight contests. All told, the defensemen have 10 goals in the stretch that is the team's longest since 1985 and the contingent has combined for 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) this season. Captain John Tavares scored his team-leading fifth goal and extended his point streak to three games heading into a tilt with Edmonton, against which he has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in eight career encounters.
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton C Leon Draisaitl is mired in a seven-game point drought.
2. New York has surrendered seven power-play goals in its last five contests.
3. The Oilers are a perfect 19-for-19 on the penalty kill in their last eight games.