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Preview: Bruins head to NY for a matinee match-up against the Islanders

The Boston Bruins will face the New York Islanders in their last meeting of the regular season

By Angelina.Berube
NHL: Boston Bruins at New York Islanders Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports

Just the facts

When: Today, 1:00 PM

Where: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

How to follow: NHLN, SN, NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Lighthouse Hockey

Know your enemy

  • 35-20-8, 78 points, 4th in Metropolitan Division
  • Goals: Brock Nelson, 23
  • Assists: Mathew Barzal, 38
  • Points: Barzal, 56
  • Goalies: Semyon Varlamov, 19-12-5, 2.51 GAA, .918 save percentage

Thomas Greiss, 16-8-3, 2.65 GAA, .916 save percentage

Game notes

  • This is the third and final match-up between the two for the regular season. The Bruins are 1-0-1 against the Islanders. Both previous games were decided in overtime and resulted in a final of 3-2.
  • The teams last met on Jan. 11 in NY. The Bruins topped the Islanders, with a 3-2 overtime win. Tuukka Rask stopped 35 shots. Jake DeBrusk, John Moore and Patrice Bergeron scored, with Bergeron netting the game winner on the power play. Barzal and Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders and Varlamov made 30 saves.
  • Against the Islanders this season, the Bruins never had more than a one-goal lead. If the Bruins can get ahead by two goals, they are more likely to come away with two points. In games with multi-goal leads, they are 29-2-3 this season.
  • Expect the Islanders to bring all they have. They currently sit at the 1st Wild Card spot for the Eastern Conference, but are only one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for third in the Metropolitan Division. The Bruins are still first in the Atlantic Division - with 7 points over the Tampa Bay Lightning - and at the top of the league.
  • Chris Wagner left Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury and did not skate in yesterday’s practice. Per Bruce Cassidy, he won’t travel with the team for today’s game.
  • The Bruins’ defense has contributed on the score board lately. Charlie McAvoy has points in 5 of his last 7 games, with 2 goals and 4 assists. Torey Krug has 4 assists in 4 of his last five games.
  • With David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand’s tallies last game, their line has crossed over 100 goals - 101 to be exact. The race to 50 is on as Pastrnak is up to 46 goals. Cam Neely was the last to have 50 goals for as a Bruin, back in the ‘93-94 season. With a whole month and change left, could be safe to say he reaches it, plus a goal or two more.
  • Nick Ritchie had a two-point game in his second outing as a Bruin. We also got our first look at Ondrej Kase and Cassidy wasted no time getting him on the power play. I’m not sold on the Ritchie-David Krejci-Kase line just yet, but let’s give it a few more games before we start cursing trades made/not made.