Islanders @ Bruins

Who will WIN this matchup?

New York Islanders (22-8-2)

@ Boston Bruins (21-7-7)

Starting Goalies:

Semyon Varlamov (NYI): Unconfirmed

Tuukka Rask (BOS): Confirmed

Current odds:

New York Islanders: (+160)

Boston Bruins: (-180)

•The Boston Bruins have cooled off following their blistering start to the season, in part because of their inability to beat some of the lower-rung teams on their schedule. Losers of six of their last seven (1-5-1), the Bruins can expect a stern test when they continue a four-game homestand against the New York Islanders on Thursday night. Boston’s latest slide, coming on the heels of an eight-game winning streak, continued with a 4-3 overtime loss to Los Angeles, which occupied last place in the Pacific Division entering the matchup. “Listen, there’s 82 of these. I thought we certainly played well enough to win,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy after his team fell to 2-7 in games decided beyond regulation.

• New York had a 13-game home point streak (12-0-1) snapped in shocking fashion, giving up seven unanswered goals in an 8-3 drubbing by Nashville on Tuesday. “We’ve got to just regroup here move on and put this one behind us,” captain Anders Lee said. “This doesn’t happen often. At least not at all recently for sure. We (need to) respond in Boston.”

• New York was the top defensive team in the league in 2018-19 and among the best this season, but Tuesday’s loss was its first in regulation over 21 games (19-1-1) when scoring at least three goals. “This doesn’t happen to us very often,” forward Casey Cizikas said after the Islanders blew a two-goal lead against the Predators. “It’s definitely tough, but tomorrow’s a new day.” Brock Nelson scored for the fourth time in six games but he has been flustered by Boston with only a pair of assists in 18 meetings.

• Danton Heinen had only one point in his previous 10 games, but he scored an early power-play goal Tuesday and later added an assist after he was elevated to the second line. “He’s a guy that we rely on for secondary scoring,” Cassidy said. “He does play on the power play for either the first or second unit; we flip flop him and Jake (DeBrusk), so we trust him to be able to contribute there.” Brad Marchand has seven assists during a five-game point string but has not scored in 10 games.

• Islanders C and leading scorer Mathew Barzal has four assists in six games versus Boston.

• Bruins F David Pastrnak, the NHL’s leading goal scorer with 28, has three tallies and 10 points in 12 games against New York.

• Islanders F Michael Dal Colle (upper body) will sit out his second straight game.