New York @ Columbus preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2019 ) NY Islanders 0, Columbus 4

A pair of streaks will be in play when the New York Islanders visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday for a Metropolitan Division matchup. New York is looking to record its fourth consecutive victory while Columbus enters having been involved in five straight one-goal decisions.

The Islanders are coming off a 3-1 victory at Winnipeg on Thursday in which Mathew Barzal recorded his second consecutive two-point performance with a pair of goals. "I've got pretty good linemates, so I'm just trying to feed them a little bit as well," Barzal, who has notched three tallies and two assists during his three-game point streak, told reporters. "The chemistry has been pretty good. I'm just trying to find my game still, just day by day just trying to get better." Columbus has gone 3-1-1 during its stretch of close contests after falling 3-2 in overtime at Chicago on Friday. Pierre-Luc Dubois and defenseman Markus Nutivaara scored for the Blue Jackets, who have recorded three goals or fewer in six of their seven contests.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FS Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (4-3-0): New York has gotten off to slow starts thus far this season, recording just one even-strength goal while being outscored 8-3 in the first period. The club has performed well on the power play, converting four times on 12 opportunities, but has received just one chance in each of its last three contests. Bode Wilde, a 19-year-old defenseman who was a second-round pick in the 2018 draft and has yet to make his NHL debut, was assigned to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League after missing training camp with a high-ankle sprain.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (3-3-1): Dubois has scored three goals in his last four games to give him 50 in 171 career contests, making him the second-fastest in franchise history to hit the plateau (Rick Nash, 133 games). Zach Werenski and David Savard both are one goal away from tying the franchise mark for most by a defenseman held by Rostislav Klesla, who recorded 41 from 2001-11. Seth Jones also is in the hunt as he sits two tallies behind Klesla but, along with Savard, has yet to score this season.

OVERTIME

1. Blue Jackets RW Oliver Bjorkstrand notched an assist on Friday for his 100th NHL point, making him the sixth player born in Denmark in league history to reach the plateau.

2. New York D Johnny Boychuk has recorded an assist in each of his last two games and is two points shy of 200 for his career.

3. Columbus' Riley Nash needs two assists to reach 100 in the NHL while fellow C Boone Jenner remains one point away from 200 for his career after beginning the season with a seven-game drought.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 4, Islanders 2