New York @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2017 ) NY Islanders 1, Colorado 6

The New York Islanders will need to get acclimated to life away from home as they play six of their next seven contests on the road, including Monday's opener of a four-game trek versus the red-hot Mikko Rantanen and the Colorado Avalanche. The home team has won each of the last eight encounters in the series, with the Islanders limping to an 0-3-1 mark in their last four trips to Denver.

Reigning Calder Trophy recipient Mathew Barzal recorded his second straight multi-point performance and pushed his point streak to four games after scoring a goal and setting up another in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over Detroit. "I think it's kind of nice, get on the road, be together as a group, kind of get that bonding again," the 21-year-old Barzal told Newsday. "I get excited playing in front of other fans. I think we all do." Rantanen brings a 14-game point streak (eight goals, 19 assists) into the contest after scoring twice and setting up a goal on Saturday as Colorado snapped a three-game skid by opening a four-game homestand with a 6-4 triumph over Dallas. The 22-year-old Finn leads the NHL with 56 points for the Avalanche, who have been rather generous with 29 goals allowed during their last six contests (2-3-1).

TV: 9 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (15-12-4): Barzal, who has set up at least one goal in four straight games, set a franchise-rookie record with five assists in New York's 6-4 win over Colorado on Nov. 5, 2017. Anthony Beauvillier has scored the Islanders' first goal in three consecutive contests and boasts nine in his last 14 games overall to move within one of captain Anders Lee (11) for the team lead. Josh Bailey has three assists in his last four games overall and scored New York's lone goal in a 6-1 setback at Colorado on Dec. 31 last season.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (18-9-6): Rantanen's linemates haven't been too shabby in their own right as Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog also had banner days versus the Stars to increase their gaudy statistics on the season. MacKinnon scored a goal and set up three others to lift his point total to 52 while Landeskog capped a two-goal performance by netting the winner with 3:20 remaining against the Stars. "I'm fortunate to be part of such a good line that finds different ways to score goals," said the 26-year-old Landeskog, who is tied with MacKinnon for the team lead in goals (21).

OVERTIME

1. Rantanen's point streak matches Joe Sakic (2000) and MacKinnon (2017) for the third-longest since the team moved to Colorado in 1995-96.

2. New York owns just a 3-7-0 mark against Western Conference representatives.

3. Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov boasts a 3-2-1 record with one shutout and a .929 save percentage in six career appearances versus the Islanders.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Islanders 2