The New York Islanders will vie for their ninth win in 11 games on Monday when they open a four-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators.
New York is 8-2-0 since losing three in a row from Oct. 20-23. The Islanders overcame three one-goal deficits before Zach Parise scored 39 seconds into overtime in a 4-3 home win against Columbus on Saturday.
New York has trailed in six of its 10 victories this season and allowed the first goal in five of those triumphs.
“(It’s) the way we can fight back, the way there’s no give-up,” said Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield, who had a goal with an assist against the Blue Jackets.
“I think we want to start playing with the lead a little more. We’re good when we have a lead, and we’ve been getting (wins) when we haven’t had it.”
After losing their first two road games, the Islanders are 4-1-0 away from home. Overall, they’ve won nine of the last 10 against the Senators — and five of six at Ottawa.
New York’s Brock Nelson scored twice on Saturday to boost his season goal total to a team co-leading eight. He doesn’t have any in six straight games versus Ottawa but has four assists in the last two against the Senators.
Nelson posted three of those assists, Parise had a goal, Mayfield recorded one of each and Semyon Varlamov stopped all 24 shots he faced during the Islanders’ 3-0 victory over Ottawa in their most recent meeting on March 22.
Varlamov is 3-2-0 with a 2.93 goals-against average this season, while Ilya Sorokin has a 2.17 GAA in winning seven of his 11 starts this season. Sorokin stopped 56 of 60 shots to win both of his starts versus Ottawa in 2021-22.
The Senators’ 0-6-1 slide ended with their first victory since Oct. 24, a 4-1 decision over Philadelphia on Saturday. Alex DeBrincat scored twice, while captain Brady Tkachuk and former Flyer Claude Giroux each recorded three assists for the Senators.
Now, the Senators will try to halt a four-game home losing streak. They began the season with four straight victories at home.
“We’re going to have to go back home and work hard and stick to the game plan,” said DeBrincat, who has totaled 10 of his 13 points at home.
“Hopefully we can keep rolling. I hope it continues.”
While with Chicago, DeBrincat recorded a goal with three assists in his last four games versus the Islanders. Tkachuk has a team-high 19 points, but just two in four career home contests against the Islanders.
Cam Talbot made 37 saves Saturday to earn his first win in three starts this season. However, Anton Forsberg could be back in the Ottawa net looking to end an 0-4-1 slide, during which he’s posted a 4.46 goals-against average.
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is slated to miss at least one week with a concussion, coach D.J. Smith confirmed. He scored his third goal of the season Saturday.
–Field Level Media
