NFT: Islanders vs. Flames @9:30 @ Saddledome Must See TV!

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (35-17-6) AT CALGARY FLAMES (36-16-7)

9:30 PM ET | SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME

Islanders are coming off a solid gritty 5-2 victory over the Oilers. This is the last 3 day break they will have between games until the end of the season. That is good for us fans yet will be tough on our boys but as you will see below we do now play well after a 3 day break. This is also the start of a 3 game Canadian road trip out west.There is good news though to our depth as Thomas Hickey and Andrew Ladd were recalled from Bridgeport but not removed from the Long Term Injury Reserve. In the 2 games that they played in Bridgeport they looked very solid and did Josh Ho Sang who had 5 points in one game. Would not be surprised to see Ladd in our lineup very soon. MDC was sent down in order to make room for them on the roster. On the Trade Front Newsday is reporting that the Islanders are very much in on Matt Duchene. My feeling is this would not be a rental signing that Lou with the money we have he could lock him up for a few years. Duchene is averaging a point per game this season, has always been a very solid faceoff man and is very good on the PP. He would check off a lot of boxes. The Islanders will be playing the Flames for the 1st time this year. The Flames have 5 players who are currently averaging a point per game. Their 2 stars are Johnny "Hockey" Gaudreau and Mark Giordano who is in the running for the Norris Trophy. Then by next week we will be done with them when we play them after this 3 game road trip.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

Robin Lehner improved his record to 18-13 with a 2.08 GAA on the year after beating the Oilers, while out on the road he has gone 9-9 with a 2.33 GAA. In his career, he has gone 3-2 with a 3.22 GAA against the Flames. We may see Thomas Greiss in this one and he has gone 17-10 with a 2.20 GAA on the year, including 8-3 with a 1.87 GAA on the road. In his career, he has gone 2-3 with a 2.77 GAA against the Flames. The Islanders have gone 17-12 on the road for the year and they have averaged 2.69 gpg and have allowed 2.38 gpg in those games. New York enters this contest ranked 24th in power play conversions at 16.2% and 18th in penalty kill at 80.2%.

- The Islanders have won two straight games, most recently beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Saturday night. The Isles are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games and are 21-5-2 since Dec. 15, the most wins and points in the NHL over that span.

- The Islanders (76 points) are in first place in the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of the Washington Capitals (73 points) and five points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins (71 points).

- Michael Dal Colle was loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Tuesday morning. Dal Colle recorded four points, including his first-career goal and assist, in 20 games with the Islanders this season over three recalls.

- Thomas Hickey and Andrew Ladd were recalled from their conditioning stints in Bridgeport on Tuesday. Ladd had five points (1G, 4A) and Hickey had four (2G, 2A) in two games down in Bridgeport. Both players are still on long term injured reserve.

- The Isles are playing three games in four days in Western Canada, starting with a Calgary-Edmonton back-to-back set on Wednesday and Thursday. The Isles are 6-2-1 in the front end of back-to-backs and a club record 9-0-0 in the back end. The road trip concludes on Saturday in Vancouver.

- Anders Lee scored his first goal since Jan. 17 on Saturday night. Lee leads the Islanders with 19 tallies this season.

- Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss are likely to split the Isles upcoming back-to-back. Lehner is 14-3-1 (1.64, .943) in his last 18 decisions. On the season, his NHL-leading GAA is 2.08 and his save percentage is .929. Greiss is 5-0-1 in the last six games, allowing a total of three goals on 188 shots (5-0-1, 0.48 GAA, .984 save percentage). On the season, his GAA is 2.20 and his NHL-leading save percentage is .930.

- The Islanders can surpass their win total from last season (35) with a victory on Wednesday.

- Ryan Pulock has eight points (3G, 5A) in his last eight games. Pulock leads all Isles defensemen in goals (6) and points (27).
FLAMES NOTES:

- The Flames are in first place in the Western Conference with 79 points in 59 games like this season. Like the Islanders, who've already matched their win total from the 2017-18 season, the Flames are five points shy of matching their output from all of last season (84).

- Calgary leads the West (and is second in the NHL) in goals for per game (3.68)

- Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames with 78 points (29G, 49A) and is six points shy of matching his career-high (84) set during the 2017-18 season. Johnny Hockey has been one of the NHL's most consistent offensive producers over the past five seasons, with 366 points (126G, 240A) in 371 games.

- The Flames boast three of the league's top-20 scorers, as Gaudreau is fourth, Elias Lindholm (68 points) is tied for 14th while Sean Monahan (66 points) is tied for 19th. Matthew Tkachuk also has 59 points in 59 games this season.

- Calgary captain Mark Giordano is averaging a point-per-game, with 57 points (13G, 44A) in 57 games. Giordano is tied for second among NHL defensemen in points this season trailing only San Jose's Brent Burns.

David Rittich is slated to get the start in this one and he has gone 20-10 with a 2.66 GAA on the year overall, including 9-4 with a 3.33 GAA here at home. This would be his first career start against the Islanders. Calgary has gone 18-10 here at home for the year and they have averaged 4.25 gpg and have allowed 3.29 gpg in those games. The Flames check in ranked 7th in power play conversions at 22.4% and 23rd in penalty kill at 77.9%.

Calgary is:
•6-1 in their last 7 vs. the Metropolitan
•23-7 in their last 30 games playing on 1 days rest


New York is:
•5-12 in their last 17 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600
•1-4 in their last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest

GO ISLES!!!!