The Islanders look to sweep a two-game road trip with a game against Detroit (7 p.m., MSGSN)
The New York Islanders are set to face off against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, looking to gain ground in the race for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders are looking to build on the momentum of a 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. Bo Horvat buried the OT winner, while Ryan Pulock and Kyle MacLean scored in regulation. The victory snapped a two-game winless skid for the Isles.
The Islanders (62 points) trail the Tampa Bay Lightning (69 points) by seven points for the second wild card spot, though the Isles have three games in-hand. New York stands 10 points behind the Red Wings (72 points) who occupy the first wild card spot and are red-hot at the moment.
The Red Wings exploded with eight goals in an 8-3 win over the Washington Capitals for their season-long sixth consecutive win on Tuesday night. Shayne Gostisbehere (2G), Robby Fabbri, Lucas Raymond (1G, 2A), J.T. Compher (SHG), Dylan Larkin, Joe Veleno and Alex DeBrincat powered the offense for Detroit, while Alex Lyon turned aside 18 of 21 in the win.
“They’re a team with a lot of skill, they’ve been playing well,” Matt Martin said. “Obviously we know where they are in the standings and I’m sure they know where we are, it’s a very important game. We have to play a sound, disciplined game in every aspect, much like we did against Dallas.”
The Islanders faced the Red Wings early in the season and fell 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 30 at UBS Arena. After Thursday’s contest in Motown, the Isles will return again to wrap the season series on March 21.
– With two days between games, the Islanders held practice at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday to take advantage of a full session on the road.
“Loved it, I thought we had a good practice again today,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “That’s what we’re looking for, some consistency, and where it could start is in the practices. If we start to be consistent in our practices, it’ll show up in our games.”
– Bo Horvat scored his third overtime winner of the season and eighth of his career on Tuesday. His three OT goals tie three players in the NHL for most overtime goals of the season.
With both overtime goals against the Stars this season, Horvat became the third player in Islanders history with multiple OT goals against a single franchise, joining Brock Nelson (two against the Penguins in the 2009-10 season) and Jason Blake (two against the Sabres in the 2002-03 season).
– Kyle MacLean scored his second career NHL goal on Tuesday, playing on a line with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. Martin noticed improved confidence in the 24-year-old center during his second stint with the team.
“He’s a little more comfortable and confident coming in this time, knowing how well he played last time he was up,” Martin said. “I thought he was really good against Dallas, and I think he’s getting more and more comfortable talking to me and Clutter on the bench as well.”
– Ryan Pulock scored his 47th career goal on Tuesday, passing Jean Potvin for fifth place on the franchise list for most goals among defensemen.
– Per Islanders team statistician Eric Hornick, Thursday’s contest marks the only the sixth Leap Day game in Isles history, with their only win coming in 1984 in the debut of Patrick Flatley and Pat LaFontaine.
– The Islanders average 25.83 hits per game, which is good for third in the NHL.
– The Islanders rank second in the league in blocked shots per game at 18.72.
– The Red Wings will host the Islanders in the middle of a three-game homestand while looking to extend their season-long win streak to seven games.
Detroit occupies the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 72 points and a record of 33-20-6. They’re chasing the Toronto Maple Leafs (74 points) for third place in the Atlantic Division, though the Leafs have a game in-hand.
– Detroit is a team that kicked it up a notch in the new year. After hovering near the NHL-.500 in their first 38 games of the season (17-16-4), the Red Wings have made a significant playoff push.
Since Jan. 1, the Red Wings are the second-best team in the league with a record of 16-4-2 with 34 points, trailing only to the Florida Panthers over that span. Their defense has gotten stingier (2.64 GA/GP) while their penalty kill saw improvements as well, ranking fourth in the league (84.6%) since the calendar turned to 2024.
– Shayne Gostisbehere is riding a four-game point streak (2G, 3A) into Thursday’s contest against the Islanders. He scored twice against the Capitals on Thursday, snapping a 24-game goal drought while recording his first multi-goal game of the season. He leads among defenseman on the team with 38 points (9G, 29A) in his first season with Detroit.
– Lucas Raymond is having a strong season with Detroit with 51 points (17G, 34A) through 59 games. The 21-year-old recorded his 15th multi-point game of the season on Tuesday with a goal and two assists against Washington. He leads the team in assists (34) and points (51).
– Joe Veleno is having his best season with Detroit in his third full year with the organization. Through 54 games, the 24-year-old center reached career highs in goals (11), assists (14) and points (25).
– Captain Dylan Larkin is producing a point-per-game with 53 points (26G, 27A) through 53 games and leads the team in goals.
– Alex DeBrincat is tied with Larkin for the team lead in scoring (53 points) and has four goals over the span of his last three games. The Farmington Hills, MI native was acquired from Ottawa in the offseason and inked four-year contract with the Red Wings.
