Game Preview: NY Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes

Following a 5-0 blowout loss in Tampa, the NY Islanders look to get back on track as they travel to North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Islanders hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins as it comes down to the wire. A few wins in their final five games would work wonders.

Last Game

For the Islanders, their last game came yesterday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This game was about as bad as it could be for the blue and orange. Tampa would steamroll the Islanders, defeating them 5-0. Andrei Vasilevsky pitched a shutout and picked up 38 saves in the process. The Islanders got shots on the net, but couldn't get passed one of the league's best goalies.

On the other side of the ice, the Hurricanes' last game came yesterday as they shut out the Montreal Canadiens, 3-0. Off of goals by Brady Skjei, Paul Statsny, and a powerplay goal by Sebastian Aho, the Hurricanes' offense remained hot and continued to show why they are indeed one of the best teams in the league.

Historical Matchup

Today's game will be the fourth and final time that these two teams meet this season. The first of which came back in late October when the Islanders routed the Hurricanes, 6-2. Off of two goals by Brock Nelson, and goals from Oliver Wahlstrom, Matt Martin, Josh Bailey, and Zach Parise, the Islanders' offense had a great night.

Unfortunately, the second and third times these teams met wouldn't go so well for the Islanders. The second game came in early December as the Islanders would be shut out by the Hurricanes, 3-0. In the most recent bout between these two teams, the Islanders would fall, 5-2. Simon Holmstrom and Brock Nelson would get the Islanders on the board and tied at 2 before the end of the first period. However, after three unanswered goals by Sebastian Aho, Carolina would once again beat the Islanders, 5-2.

Players to Watch

For the Islanders, one of the best players on the offense as of late has been Kyle Palmieri. This is insane to think about, but it's true. He leads the team in goals and points over the past five games. Palmieri has three goals throughout the past five games, two of which came against the New Jersey Devils, and one against the Colombus Blue Jackets. He also has five points in total, picking up an assist in each of those games as well.

For the Hurricanes, Sebastian Aho is continuing to show why he is one of the league's best as of late. Throughout his past five games, he has picked up a point in all but one game. He has three goals and two assists. He is also known notoriously for giving the Islanders a lot of trouble, so the Islanders must contain him if they hope to win today's game.

Projected Lines

Islanders

Zach Parise- Bo Horvat- Hudson Fasching
Pierre Engvall- Brock Nelson- Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee- JG Pageau- Simon Holmstrom
Matt Martin- Casey Cizikas- Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech- Scott Mayfield
Alexander Romanov- Ryan Pulock
Samuel Bolduc- Noah Dobson

Ilya Sorokin
Noah Dobson

Hurricanes

Jordan Martinook- Sebastian Aho- Martin Necas
Stefan Noesan- Jesperi Kotkaniemi- Jesse Puljujarvi
Jack Drury- Jordan Staal- Jesper Fast
Derek Stepan- Paul Statsny- Seth Jarvis

Jaccob Slavin- Brent Burns
Brady Skjei- Brett Pesce
Shayne Gostisbehere- Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen
Antti Raanta

*Lineups via DailyFaceoff