NY Islanders visit last place Columbus Blue Jackets looking for third straight win

The New York Islanders open a two-game road trip Sunday night when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, coming off an emotional win over the rival New York Rangers.

The Islanders shut out the New York Rangers 2-0 on Saturday night at UBS Arena, riding an early goal from Anders Lee and a late empty-netter from Simon Holmstrom. Goaltender David Rittich was sharp throughout, stopping all 27 shots he faced for his ninth win of the season and giving the Islanders a boost heading into the back-to-back set.

With the victory, New York climbed to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 46 points, trailing only Carolina. The top half of the division remains tightly packed, with just seven points separating the top six teams, making every divisional matchup critical as the calendar turns.

Bo Horvat returned to the Islanders lineup Saturday after missing five games with a lower-body injury and immediately made his presence felt. The center logged more than 22 minutes of ice time, fired nine shot attempts and won a key faceoff late in the third period that helped seal the win. His return provides a significant boost to an Islanders lineup that had been searching for consistent offense in his absence.

Lee, meanwhile, continues to inch closer to a milestone. His first-period goal Saturday was the 299th of his career, leaving him one shy of becoming the fifth player in franchise history to reach 300 goals.

Rittich is expected to start again Sunday with Ilya Sorokin on injured reserve. Rittich has been particularly strong of late, stopping 119 of 124 shots over his last four appearances.

Columbus enters the matchup eighth in the Metropolitan Division but has shown flashes, including a recent 3-1 win over Los Angeles powered by a perfect night from its power play. Defenseman Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets with 40 points and is riding a five-game point streak.

The Islanders took the first meeting of the season between the teams in November and will look to build on Saturday’s momentum as they begin the road swing.