New York @ Columbus preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 11, 2019 ) Columbus 0, NY Islanders 2

The New York Islanders are battling for supremacy in the Metropolitan but also trying to avoid falling into third place within the division with only six games remaining in the regular season. Trailing first-place Washington by one point, the Islanders go for their third straight win when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

New York is trying to join Ottawa as the only teams to allow the fewest goals in the NHL one season after surrendering the most, posting its league-high 10th shutout in Sunday's 2-0 win over Arizona. The Islanders have recorded two of those shutouts against Columbus and will be attempting to complete a four-game season sweep of the Blue Jackets, having outscored them 8-2. Columbus avoided a four-game winless road trip with a 5-0 victory at Vancouver on Sunday and returns home trailing the Montreal Canadiens by two points for the second wild card. "We have to treat every game from now on as a must win, really," forward Josh Anderson acknowledged. "This is the time of year where it's fun hockey. We are playing for something here, we all know that."

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

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (44-25-7): Thomas Greiss did the heavy lifting in net while Robin Lehner was hurt earlier this month, but coach Barry Trotz went with Lehner in both ends of the weekend back-to-back and was rewarded with 53 saves on 55 shots in two wins. Greiss, though, could be in net Tuesday after beating Columbus in all three meetings this season, including a 2-0 shutout on March 11. "That’s what good teams do," forward Jordan Eberle said. "They always have good goaltending, and we definitely have no shortage of that.”

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (41-30-4): Second-year center Pierre-Luc Dubois sparked Sunday's win by setting up the first goal and scoring the second to break out of a ghastly slump in which he was held off the scoresheet in 11 straight games and failed to tally in 13. "I mean, it started off being frustrating and then it just gets, like, 'Really? Is this a joke? What’s going on?’" said Dubois, who is third on the team with 56 points. Anderson scored twice Sunday to give him four goals and nine points over the past six games.

OVERTIME

1. New York is 1-for-37 on the power play in the past 16 games.

2. Blue Jackets G Sergei Bobrovsky posted his seventh shutout of the season Sunday, but has lost all three meetings to New York in 2018-19.

3. New York set a franchise record Sunday by allowing one goal or less for the 26th time this season.

PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Blue Jackets 1