New York @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2019 ) Washington 2, NY Islanders 1

The Washington Capitals have faced little resistance en route to recording an NHL-best 59 points this season, but they have found some in the form of opponent, injury and illness. The Capitals look to overcome all obstacles on Tuesday afternoon when they host the New York Islanders.

Washington could be without Tom Wilson (lower body), Michal Kempny (illness), T.J. Oshie (illness) and Christian Djoos (upper body) when it faces New York for the second time this season. "There's a lot of moving parts right now. That is without question," Capitals coach Todd Reirden said. "Have more than one contingency plan at this point just in terms of what we can do with cap space and how that would work makes it ever more complicated." The Islanders snapped a three-game skid (0-2-1) by scoring three times in the third period of a 3-1 victory over Minnesota on Sunday. Mathew Barzal continued his torrid stretch by setting up defenseman Ryan Pulock's goal, giving him six points (three goals, three assists) in his past five games.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus (New York), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (24-10-3): Barzal will head to the NHL's All-Star Game for the second straight season after leading the team in goals (16), assists (17) and points (33). Brock Nelson resides second in all three categories with 13 goals and 16 assists, while nine (five goals, four assists) of his 29 points have come in his last 11 games. Captain Anders Lee has a dozen points (six goals, six assists) in his last 14, although he has failed to dent the scoresheet in each of his last seven encounters with the Capitals.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (27-8-5): While captain Alex Ovechkin has politely declined his invitation to the All-Star Game, goaltender Braden Holtby and defenseman John Carlson are more than willing to compete on behalf of the Metropolitan Division. "Obviously, a little surprised, but it's always fun to represent the Caps in any way possible," Holtby said of being selected to the All-Star festivities for the fifth straight season. "It's one of those things I never really put too much thought into it, so I didn't know when they were announcing it. I don't know. I never really think about things like that." Holtby's 17 wins are tied with Columbus' Joonas Korpisalo for the most in the division, but the latter is expected to be sidelined for weeks with a knee injury.

OVERTIME

1. New York sports a sterling 11-1-1 record in its last 13 games on New Year's Eve.

2. Carlson, who has two assists in Saturday's 6-4 setback to Carolina, set up Oshie's game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over the Islanders on Oct. 4.

3. New York has killed off all seven short-handed situations on the first two contests of its three-game road trip.

PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Capitals 2