Game Preview: Islanders vs Hurricanes

ISLANDERS NOTES:

– The Islanders are 3-0-1 in their last four outings and will look to extend their point streak to five games as they welcome the Hurricanes on Saturday. The Islanders are 3-1-2 at home this season.

– The Islanders saw good news and bad news on the injury front on Thursday night. Scott Mayfield made his return to the lineup after missing seven straight games with a lower-body injury, skating 21:21 TOI and recording an assist, three shots and three blocks.

“I liked this game,” Head Coach Lane Lambert said of Mayfield. “I thought he was very good. He was solid defensively and I thought it was great in the penalty kill.”

– On the other hand, Adam Pelech left the game in the first period and did not return. Lambert had no updates on the veteran defenseman after the game. The Islanders did not practice on Friday, so there have been no updates to Pelech’s status since Thursday night.

– Semyon Varlamov recorded his 40th career shutout and 15th as an Islander. The Russian netminder strung together two shutouts (2-0 at CBJ on Oct. 28) to mark the third time he posted consecutive shutouts in his career with the Islanders. Varlamov’s 15th shutout vaulted him ahead of Tommy Salo for sole possession of fifth place on the Isles all-time leaderboard.

– The Islanders lead the NHL with three shutouts. Varlamov owns two of the three shutouts of the season with Ilya Sorokin recording the other this season.

– Pulock’s goal marked the earliest game-winner in Isles history, scoring 22 seconds into the game for his first goal of the season on Thursday. The veteran defenseman had five goals last season along with 21 assists through 82 games.

– Pierre Engvall is riding a three-game point streak with three assists over that span.

– The Islanders have opened the scoring in seven of their first nine games, going 5-0-2 when scoring first.

– The Islanders have only allowed a league-low three goals against in the first periods of their first nine games.

– The Islanders’ penalty kill has gone 20-for-22 over the span of their last six games.