The New York Islanders will play the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 22 at UBS Arena in a game that could impact the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Islanders, with 83 points, are just behind the Blue Jackets, who have 85 points and currently hold third place in the Metropolitan Division.
This matchup is important because both teams are competing for one of the final playoff spots. The Islanders also trail the Detroit Red Wings by one point for the second Wild Card position. While a win would tie New York with Columbus in points, it would not move them ahead due to Columbus having a game in hand. A loss could widen the gap between the teams to three or four points.
Head Coach Patrick Roy announced lineup changes ahead of Sunday’s game, including that Ryan Pulock and Anthony Duclair will be unavailable due to lower body injuries and are considered day-to-day. Roy said no players will be called up from Bridgeport for this game. Ilya Sorokin will start as goaltender for the Islanders after being pulled during Saturday’s loss to Montreal to conserve energy for Sunday’s start.
The Islanders are looking to end a two-game losing streak and begin a five-game homestand, playing ten of their last twelve regular season games at home where they have an 18-11-2 record. This is also the fourth and final regular season meeting between these teams; New York leads the series 2-1-0 after winning their last encounter in overtime.
For Columbus, Head Coach Rick Bowness has led a turnaround since taking over midseason. The Blue Jackets have gone on an 18-2-4 run since January 12 and currently hold a league-leading .833 points percentage over that span. Jet Greaves is expected to start in goal for Columbus, holding an undefeated record since January 11 with strong statistics against New York this season.
