New York @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 23, 2018 ) NY Islanders 3, Dallas 1

The New York Islanders are seeing night-and-day differences from their recent results at home as opposed to those on the road. After extending their home point streak to 12 games (11-0-1), the Islanders vie for just their second win in six outings on the road on Saturday when they begin a three-game trek against the Dallas Stars.

Josh Bailey set up defenseman Ryan Pulock's power-play goal 3:20 into overtime as New York skated to its third win in four outings with a 3-2 victory versus Vegas on Thursday. Bailey has set up five tallies during his four-game point streak for the Islanders, who rebounded after sustaining multi-goal road losses to Anaheim, Los Angeles and Montreal over the last two weeks. Dallas opened its four-game stint at American Airlines Center on the right note, snapping its four-game overall skid with a 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday in the finale of a home-and-home series with Winnipeg. Joe Pavelski found the scoresheet for the first time in 10 games after tallying 2:02 into the extra session for the Stars, who sport a 10-4-1 mark at home.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus2 (New York), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (19-6-2): Coach Barry Trotz got a bit creative with the team's lines during Thursday's game, as well as his explanation after elevating Ross Johnston from the fourth unit to the first with Mathew Barzal and Bailey. “Sometimes, you just want to paint the barn," Trotz told reporters. "They sort of want to paint a mural. That gets you in trouble. It takes the predictability out. Sometimes, you’ve got to reset the brain and reset the lines.” Barzal, who leads the team in goals (11), assists (13) and points (24), didn't score in that contest and has just two points in four career encounters with Dallas.

ABOUT THE STARS (16-11-3): In addition to his own offensive troubles, Pavelski admitted that the team's recent struggles in the wake of a sterling 14-1-1 run were weighing heavily on him. "Our game had gotten away from us a little bit," the 35-year-old Pavelski said. "We invested a lot through that winning streak. I think the biggest challenge is to invest that every night, and for whatever reason, we got away from it a little bit. (On Thursday), the message was received, we needed a better effort. That was more our hockey." Like Pavelski, Denis Gurianov snapped a lengthy goal drought -- 12 games, to be precise -- with his tally in the second period.

OVERTIME

1. Dallas G Ben Bishop sports a 7-1-1 record in his past nine starts.

2. The Islanders own a 4-2-1 mark in their last seven road games against the Stars.

3. Dallas has lost seven of 11 contests against Eastern Conference foes this season.

PREDICTION: Stars 3, Islanders 2