Game Preview: Islanders vs Capitals

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (12-8-2) VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS (13-7-3)
7 PM | BARCLAYS CENTER | BUY TICKETS
WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | SN | NHL.TV
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GAME NOTES
Monday night figures to be a little emotional, a little awkward and definitely memorable for Barry Trotz.
Trotz will receive his Stanley Cup ring and coach against his former team, the Washington Capitals, for the first time since joining the Islanders.

"You're trying to win the Stanley Cup since you're seven years old," Trotz said after the Islanders 4-1 win over Carolina. "I got an opportunity to do it with a terrific organization and a terrific bunch of young men and athletes and I've become very close with them. They'll always be very special."
RELATED: TROTZ TO FACE CAPS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE CUP
Associate Coach Lane Lambert and Director of Goaltending Mitch Korn will also receive their Cup rings, as they were also with the Capitals last season. Trotz said being opposite the team he led to a Stanley Cup will be a weird experience, given his relationships with many former Capitals.
"I don't know if it's awkward; just a little bit weird because there's so many good memories," Trotz said. "That's a tremendous group of young men and a good organization that I was proud to be a part of and do something great with. It'll be a little bit different. It probably will feel more normal because it's a game right here in my new hometown.
As sentimental as the moment might be, Trotz said the Islanders need to focus on the task at hand once the puck drops.
"We just have to collect points, to me it's going to be fantastic to see some great people that I got an opportunity with for a long time, but we need points," Trotz said.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders have won two straight games, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in OT on Friday and topping the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Saturday.
  - The Islanders are 9-1-0 against Metropolitan Division opponents this season. The Islanders are the only team with nine divisional wins this season.
  - Valtteri Filppula has seven points (1G, 6A) in six games.
  - Anthony Beauvillier has seven points (5G, 2A) in his past five games.
  - Josh Bailey is two points shy of 400 for his career. Bailey currently leads the Islanders with 21 points (7G, 14A).

CAPITALS NOTES:

• The Capitals have won five straight games, most recently scoring a 5-3 comeback win over the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
  - The Capitals currently sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 20 points.
  - Alex Ovechkin has five goals in his past five games. Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 17 goals and 27 points this season.
  - John Carlson has seven assists in his last five games and ranks third in the NHL in assists by a defensemen (20) this season.
  - Ovechkin (27 points), Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom (25 points) are among the NHL's top-30 scorers.
  - Evgeny Kuznetsov and TJ Oshie will both miss Monday's game.
  - Braden Holtby will start in goal, per the Washington Post.
  
  *Graphic courtesy of Islanders PR