Game Preview: Blue Jackets Aim For Homestand Split As Mathew Barzal And The New York Islanders Come To Columbus

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

13–8–0 (26 points; .619%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE

8:00 P.M. – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH

BALLY SPORTS OHIO ESPN+ (Out of Market)

The sixth and final game of a season-long homestand for the Columbus Blue Jackets is Friday night when they battle the New York Islanders in a Metro division match-up.

A win by the Blue Jackets will give the team a split of the six-game set. They won the first two with a combined 11 goals against the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens, but have dropped two of the last three — including a 3-1 loss to those same Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Here's what to know when the Isles visit Nationwide Arena on Black Friday:

TALKING POINTS: NYI

• The Islanders played their best game of the season Wednesday night. Not only did they shutout the Edmonton Oilers by a 3-0 score, they did so in versatile fashion: a power play goal, a short-handed goal, and an even-strength tally. 
   
• But more impressive than all that? Goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who stopped all 49 Edmonton shots for the most saves in a shutout in his NHL career. Don't let the 27-year-old get hot: It was the sixth time in his career that Sorokin made 40+ saves. Four of those games were shutouts, and he's 6-0-0 in those six 40+ save efforts. 
   
• With an 84.1% kill rate, New York trails only San Jose (91.4%) and Boston (85.7%) in penalty kill efficiency. The Blue Jackets are out of the basement in power play percentage, but at 13.0% and less than one percent out of again being last, the Islanders four-man unit is potent enough to potentially put Columbus back at 32nd. 
   
• The Islanders bring a balanced offensive attack to Nationwide Arena. No skater has ten goals — Brock Nelson leads the team with nine — but seven players have scored at least five goals and three more are at four. Top center Mathew Barzal finds 'em all, though. With 21 assists, he's second in the league in helpers and trails Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche by just one.