After a three day rest, the New York Islanders will play back-to-back games against the Boston Bruins on Thursday and Friday night. 

Currently, the Islanders are in second place in the MassMutual East Division. They are 27-11-4, trailing the Capitals by two points with one game in hand. If the Islanders grab four points in these two games, they will be at least tied for first place. The Capitals play the Sabres on Thursday night and are off on Friday.

The Islanders are coming into these games hot, winning five games during their recent six-game homestand. The Bruins have only been average recently with a 4-3-1 record in their last eight games.

However, the Bruins are not easy competition. They sit in fourth place in the standings, with a two-game cushion over both the Rangers and Flyers.

In the past, the Islanders have struggled when facing the Bruins. Since Barry Trotz became head coach, the Islanders only beat the Bruins once. So fans weren’t excited when they moved into the Islanders’ division, and were scheduled to play them eight times. However, this season, the Islanders have been unstoppable against Boston. So far, they’re 5-0 against the Bruins this year. The Islanders have outscored the Bruins 18-8, including a dominant 7-2 victory on Feb. 25.

Although the first five games went well for the Islanders, this is not the same Bruins team they’ve played. Since their last matchup, the Bruins made arguably the biggest pickup of the trade deadline when they acquired Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar from the Buffalo Sabres on April 12. The two new Bruins faced off against their former team, when the Bruins defeated the Sabres 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday.

Also, the Bruins have removed Tuukka Rask from injured reserve. Rask got injured during a game against the Devils on March 7. On March 25, he came back and played the first period against the Islanders, where he allowed no goals, but did not feel fully healthy. He was sent back to IR for a few more weeks, and now seems ready to return. Other formerly injured Bruins have also returned to the lineup.

With the addition of Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar, and the re-addition of Tuukka Rask and other newly healthy Bruins, they have definitely strengthened since the last matchup.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy will likely start Rask tonight. As for the Islanders, both Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov will probably get a start, as head coach Barry Trotz seldom starts the same goalie twice in back-to-backs. Trotz has not named his starter for tonight’s game, though Sorokin could play tonight after a strong performance against the Rangers on Sunday.

The Islanders have added to their roster via trade as well. On April 7, the Islanders acquired forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in a deadline move of their own. The two have played three games with the Islanders since the deal. Palmieri netted his first Islanders goal on Sunday.

With the Bruins and Penguins right on their tail, winning both upcoming games against Boston is crucial for the Islanders.

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others