[6:00 PM] Wild @ Islanders

Who will WIN this matchup?

Minnesota Wild (3-1-1)

@ New York Islanders (2-3-0)

 

Starting Goalies:

Darcy Kuemper (MIN): Confirmed

Jaroslav Halak (NYI): Unconfirmed

 

Current odds:

Minnesota Wild: (+125)

New York Islanders: (-145)

 

• One-goal games have become the norm for the New York Islanders, who have participated in four straight heading into Sunday’s home contest against the Minnesota Wild. New York has gone 2-2-0 during the stretch, which began with a 2-1 loss at Washington on Oct. 15 and has continued over the first three contests of its five-game homestand – all three of which have ended as 3-2 decisions, with the Islanders winning a pair.

• Minnesota scored a total of 13 goals during its perfect three-game homestand but has netted only three tallies on the road, with the lone score on Saturday coming from 19-year-old Swedish center Joel Eriksson Ek – a first-round pick in the 2015 draft who made his NHL debut after being recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League earlier in the day. The Wild made room on the roster for Eriksson Ek by demoting defenseman Mike Reilly, who posted a minus-1 rating in two games with the club. Forward Erik Haula (lower body) and defenseman Jared Spurgeon (upper body) both sat out Saturday’s contest and are day-to-day.

• Ryan Pulock’s season debut on Friday was a brief one as the defenseman suffered a lower-body injury after totaling 3 minutes, 57 seconds of ice time on five shifts. The 22-year-old was placed on injured reserve and will miss 4-6 weeks after being recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL to fill in for Nick Leddy, who is battling an upper-body injury but could play against Minnesota after participating in Saturday’s practice. Rugged forward Eric Boulton, who signed a two-way contract over the summer but has been on IR with a lower-body injury, was placed on waivers Saturday.

• Islanders F Brock Nelson has begun the season with a five-game point streak during which he has collected two goals and three assists.

• Minnesota went 5-7-3 last season in the second of back-to-back contests.

• New York is 14-1-2 against Western Conference teams at Barclays Center.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: New York Islanders

Confidence: 5/10

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