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Islanders Game 46: Chasing After Columbus; Lines, Notes & How to Watch

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Elvis Merzlikins Stops Maxim Tsyplakov // AP Photo/Jay LaPrete

The New York Islanders (18-20-7) play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets (22-17-7) on Monday night on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in UBS Arena.



The holiday game features the Islanders coming off a strong 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. That night, New York inducted Brent Sutter into the Islanders’ Hall of Fame. That same night, Brock Nelson hit another milestone, passing Sutter on the all-time goals list in franchise history.

Columbus’s season has quickly morphed into one of the best stories in the NHL. After the tragic off-season for that franchise, new coach Dean Evason has the Jackets rolling and firmly in the playoff mix, just one point behind the Boston Bruins with two games in hand. Despite the pomp, something tells me the people of Columbus might be focused on a different game tonight.

The previous meeting between these squads saw Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins shut out the Islanders in Columbus. Islanders’ forward Mathew Barzal exited that contest with an injury and did not return to the lineup for over six weeks.

The puck drops tonight just after 7:30.

Islanders Projected Lines:

Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal

Anthony Duclair – Brock Nelson – Kyle Palmieri

Casey Cizikas – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Simon Holmstrom

Pierre Engvall – Kyle MacLean – Marc Gatcomb

Defense and Goalie

Alexander Romanov – Noah Dobson

Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock

Isaiah George – Scott Mayfield

Ilya Sorokin

Blue Jackets Projected Lines:

Dmitri Voronkov – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko

James Van Riemsdyk – Cole Sillinger – Kent Johnson

Zach Aston-Reese – Luca Del Bel Belluz – Mathieu Olivier

Mikael Pyythia – Sean Koraly – Justin Danforth

Defense

Zach Werenski – Dante Fabbro

Damon Severson – Ivan Provorov

Jake Christiansen – Jack Johnson

Elvis Merzlikins

Special Teams

Islanders Power Play: 11.8%, 32nd; Islanders Penalty Kill: 67.4%, 32nd

Blue Jackets Power Play: 23.1%, 12th; Blue Jackets Penalty Kill: 74.6%, 26th

Notes:

Anders Lee enters with 280 career goals, seven behind Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter for sixth in team history

The Islanders are 5-0-0 in their last five home games against Columbus and have won 8 of their last 9 against the divisional foe.

Brock Nelson enters with 885 career games played, 15 behind Bobby Nystrom for fourth-most in Islanders’ history

Mathew Barzal enters with 324 assists, four behind Patrick Flatley for eighth-most in franchise history

Brock is tied with Denis Potvin with 44 career game-winning goals, third most in franchise history. Anders Lee is two behind Nelson and Potvin, tied with John Tavares at 42 for fifth-most.

How to Watch:

TV: MSGSN; ESPN+ Out of Market

Radio: 88.7 FM WRHU

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