While the Blackhawks are 6-1-1 in their last eight to move within
five points of both St. Louis and Nashville in the Central, the
Islanders are 2-4-2 in that stretch to drop five points behind the
first-place New York Rangers. Josh Bailey scored his team's lone
goal as the Islanders dropped their third straight with a 3-1
setback to Montreal on Saturday. New York can take solace in knowing
that it snapped a three-game skid with a 3-2 home victory over
Chicago on Dec. 13, improving to 8-2-2 in the last 12 meetings.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus2 (New York), CSCH (Chicago)
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ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (43-24-4): Defenseman Nick Leddy, who has missed
the last three games with an upper-body injury, is traveling with
the team but is not expected to face his former club on Tuesday.
Leddy assisted on Kyle Okposo's goal in the first meeting and
blue-liner Lubomir Visnovsky scored the go-ahead tally 51 seconds
later in the third period. Visnovsky was a healthy scratch against
Montreal, but is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (41-21-6): Coach Joel Quenneville has been
looking for players to step up in the wake of superstar Patrick Kane
suffering a broken clavicle on Feb. 24. Quenneville has received
just one assist during that seven-game stretch from Kris Versteeg,
who wound up skating with suspended rookie Joakim Nordstrom and
defenseman Johnny Oduya during Monday's practice while Sharp assumed
Versteeg's position on the top line with captain Jonathan Toews and
Marian Hossa. "Sharpie deserves a chance to move up, and we're just
looking for more (from Versteeg)," Quenneville told the Chicago
Sun-Times. "His last game wasn't very good."
[to top of second column] |
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OVERTIME
1. Chicago LW Brandon Saad, who had an assist in the first meeting
with New York, scored and set up a goal versus the Sharks.
2. Bailey has collected three goals and three assists in his last
seven games.
3. The Blackhawks have scored two power-play goals in each of their
last two games after going five contests without one.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Islanders 2
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