Islanders Vs. Flames Gameday: Need The Points

The Islanders really need to not mess this up. The second-worst team in the league (even worse than the Rangers) is in town and the Isles need the points in the very tight Eastern Conference playoff race. David Rittich will get the start, so hopefully he and the skaters in front of him recapture their better forms.

The Flames are two games from finishing a long trip, having lost 4-0 at MSG but then winning 5-4 in Newark. Both teams have equally putrid power plays, clicking at 16% for a tie for 29th in the league.

With the Isles having played (and lost to) the Kings last night, lineup updates and injury statuses will come closer to game time.l

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

• Takeaways: The Isles lament their pattern of slow starts. Flipping the top two lines back was a bid for a “spark” after they fell behind 3-0. [Isles]
• The Skinny: Matthew Schaefer breaking more ice-time-at-18 records, and Anders Lee’s next goal will have him pass Clark Gillies and his next point will pass Bob Bourne. (At the other end, Brayden Schenn is in a 58-way tie for 444th on the Isles’ all-time points list. But he’s gunning for Carson Soucy, Travis Zajac and Aatu Raty, I just know it.) [Isles]
• Gross: The Isles could use some more raucous nights and electricity at Belmont. [Newsday]
• Max Shabanov spoke a bit (through a translator) about the adjustment from the KHL and getting, maybe, a little bit, more of a chance the last two games. [Post]
• Part of the reason Roy is tinkering with lines is to learn what (re)combos he can turn to when playoff matchups cause problems. [THN]

Elsewhere

Only two games last night. In the other, the Blues rallied to top the Oilers in overtime.

• Radko Gudas got five games for taking out Auston Matthews’ knee. [NHL] Matthews will miss the rest of the season with a Grade 3 MCL tear.
• The next Global Series matchup will have the Senators and Blackhawks meet for two games that count in Dusseldorf, Germany. [NHL]