Crucial Battle in the Playoff Race on Long Island | PREVIEW
DEVILS (34-33-4) at ISLANDERS (30-25-15)
Head-to-Head
This is the third of four meetings this season between the Devils and Islanders. Devils won on Long Island 5-4 on October 20 with a Jack Hughes overtime goal. On November 28, Devils won at home by a score of 5-4, this time in regulation.
In two games against the Islanders this season, Jack Hughes has two goals and seven points. Mathew Barzal has a goal and three assists for four points to lead the Islanders in scoring against the Devils in 2023-24.
Devils Team Scope:
After winning two in a row, the Devils lost a tough one at home on Saturday against Ottawa. They are six points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 11 games to play for both teams.
In the month of March, Timo Meier leads the Devils with 11 goals and 15 points in 12 games. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are tied for second on the team with 12 points in 12 games each.
Islanders Team Scope:
The Islanders have had a roller coaster of a month. After winning six straight games, they lost the next six (0-5-1) before winning on Saturday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets to get back in the playoff race.
With 75 points in 70 games, they’re three points behind the Red Wings with a game in hand. They also have a game in hand on the Devils, three points ahead of New Jersey.
Mathew Barzal leads the Islanders with 73 points in 69 games. Second on the club in points is defenseman Noah Dobson who’s sixth in the NHL among blueliners with 65 points. Bo Horvat leads the team in goals with 29.
By the Numbers:
Islanders have the worst penalty kill in the NHL (32nd) at 71.9%. … Nico Hischier has been solid for a good stretch of time now with 29 points in his last 25 games. … Jack Hughes has seven points this season against the Islanders in two games. Prior to this season, he had six points in 14 games (five goals, one assist). … In his career against the Devils, Ilya Sorokin has a 6-4-1 record in 11 appearances with a 2.73 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. In his career, he has a 2.54 GAA and .919 save percentage. … Since Patrick Roy was hired as head coach on January 20, the Islanders have a record of 11-10-4 in 25 games which ranks 20th in the NHL in that time. Devils in that same time frame are 11-16-1 for 23 points in 28 games.
Injuries:
Devils
Hamilton – torn pectoral muscle, LTIRSiegenthaler – concussion, IRBastian – lower-body injury, IR
Islanders
Mayfield – lower-body injury, IR
