Game Preview: Islanders vs Senators

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (15-7-2) VS OTTAWA SENATORS (8-9-6)
7 P.M. BARCLAYS CENTER - BUY TICKETS
TV: MSG+, MSG GO
RADIO: 88.7FM, 103.9FM, AM970
GAME NOTES - MORNING SKATE UPDATES
After an 8-3-1 November, the New York Islanders look to keep rolling as the calendar flips to December. The Isles have 15 games over the next 31 days, their busiest month of the season thus far.
The Islanders enter Friday's game with four straight wins and victories in seven of their last eight overall, but head coach Doug Weight is keeping his team grounded after early success.

"It's good to have what's deemed as a good start, I think we've achieved that. Now we have to move on," Weight said. "We have to go to work, a lot of things get hashed out in late November and December. The New Year is a pretty good measuring stick for your team."
The Islanders and Senators are meeting for the second time in a week. The Islanders scored a 2-1 win over Ottawa up in Canada. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves in the defensive win, while Jordan Eberle scored the game-winning goal.
The Islanders have won two straight against the Sens and are 4-2-0 in their last six vs Ottawa.

LINEUP NOTES:

Casey Cizikas (lower body) is out for Friday's game. Cizikas sustained his injury in Ottawa on Saturday and hasn't practiced with the team yet, though he skated before Thursday's practice.
UPDATE: THOMAS GREISS IN GOAL, SEIDENBERG AND PULOCK IN FOR HICKEY AND MAYFIELD.
ISLANDERS PROJECTED LINES:
| FORWARDS | | --- | | LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING | | ANDERS LEE | JOHN TAVARES | JOSH BAILEY | | ANDREW LADD | MATHEW BARZAL | JORDAN EBERLE | | BROCK NELSON | ALAN QUINE | JOSH HO-SANG | | JASON CHIMERA | ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER | CAL CLUTTERBUCK |

| DEFENSE | | --- | | NICK LEDDY | JOHNNY BOYCHUK | | CALVIN DE HAAN | ADAM PELECH | | DENNIS SEIDENBERG | RYAN PULOCK |

BY THE NUMBERS:

8-0-2 at home. The Islanders are the last team to be unbeaten in regulation at home this season.
3.67 goals per game.The Islanders lead the NHL in goals per game this season.
7-1-0 in their last eight.The Isles are the hottest team in the NHL.
7-game point streak for Mathew Barzal. Barzal racked up 17 points in 12 games in November and is on a career-long point streak.

THE OPPOSITION:

The Senators are winless in their last seven games (0-6-1) and have lost five straight in regulation. They've only played once since last week's 2-1 loss to the Islanders, but haven't won since beating the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 11 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Goal scoring has been an issue for the Sens, who haven't scored more than two goals in a game since their last win. Ottawa has scored one goal in each of their past two games.
Matt Duchene scored his first goal as a Senator against the Islanders last week. Duchene has one point in his first nine games with the Senators.
Craig Anderson started last week's Isles-Sens matchup, stopping 22-of-24 shots in what was a closely, contested defensive game. Anderson is 7-8-3 this season with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
Defenseman Thomas Chabot draws into the lineup for Ben Harpur.
SENATORS PROJECTED LINES:
| FORWARDS | | --- | | LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING | | MIKE HOFFMAN | MATT DUCHENE | MARK STONE | | ZACK SMITH | DERICK BRASSARD | BOBBY RYAN | | RYAN DZINGEL | JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU | TOM PYATT | | GABRIEL DUMONT | NATE THOMPSON | ALEX BURROWS |

| DEFENSE | | --- | | JOHNNY ODUYA | ERIK KARLSSON | | DION PHANEUF | CODY CECI | | THOMAS CHABOT | FREDRIK CLAESSON |