NEW YORK -- A lopsided loss Saturday night reminded the New York Islanders just how far they are from seriously contending for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. The Washington Capitals can make the task even tougher for the Islanders on Tuesday night, when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet at Barclays Center.
The Islanders' point streak was snapped at six games Saturday, when they gave up four unanswered goals in the third period of a 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Capitals extended their winning streak to four games -- and their point streak to five games -- Sunday with a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
"I think we seem to be trending in the right direction," Capitals right winger Justin Williams told the team's website. "We've won four in a row, but we've played better in every game we've won so far."
The game Tuesday is the first of a two-game Metropolitan road trip for the Capitals, who visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
"I'm happy we were able to shut down the game tonight as we did," Williams said. "And now we'll go on the road."
The Capitals (17-7-3) occupy the second wild card in the East but are seven points ahead of their nearest foes and 10 points ahead of the Islanders (11-12-5), who are in last place in the Metropolitan and tied for the second-fewest points in the conference.
While the Islanders have made up ground over the last two weeks -- they were last in the entire NHL at the end of Thanksgiving weekend -- the loss to the Blue Jackets provided another lesson about how tiny their margin for error is with nearly three-quarters of the season remaining."
"You can't focus on the negative," Islanders head coach Jack Capuano told Newsday following practice on Monday. "We fell asleep for five to eight minutes and it cost us the game. There's four (games) in six (days) coming up, we're on to the next one. (They'll) continuously work and hopefully win some games."
Defenseman Johnny Boychuk is expected to return to the Islanders' lineup Tuesday. Boychuk left in the third period Saturday after being hit in the hand by a puck.
Goalie Jaroslav Halak was the first New York goalie off the ice Monday, an indication he'll draw the start Tuesday. Halak, who was pulled after allowing the last Blue Jackets goal on Saturday, recorded the Islanders' lone shutout of the season the last time they faced the Capitals on Dec. 1, when he made 38 saves in a 3-0 win at Verizon Center.
Halak will likely be opposed by Braden Holtby, who stopped all 20 shots he faced in Sunday's victory. Holtby was also in net for the Capitals on Dec. 1, when he made 25 saves.
This is the third of five games this season between the Islanders and Capitals. The two teams play again at Barclays on Dec. 27 and Jan. 31. Washington won the first meeting, 2-1, at Verizon Center on Oct. 15.
