The Bruins and Islanders make for a sound hockey formula given both rosters have goaltending depth.
The Isles have leap-frogged their way to second place in the Metropolitan Division with a four-game win streak.
They have won six of their last eight, but they’re getting by with the skin of their teeth.
Five of those wins have been by a goal and the Isles were outshot in four of them.
Boston still maintains a four-point lead in the Atlantic Division, but it has slowed its roll since getting off to a 14-1-3 start.
The Bruins are 5-5 in their last 10 games and dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the Devils on Friday at Prudential Center after Jeremy Swayman held them in a contest that featured several high-danger scoring chances against.
Swayman will face similar threats against the Islanders on Friday as the Isles lead the league in high-danger chances.
But it shouldn’t be a cause for concern as both he and Linus Ullmark live in the top 22 percent of goaltenders in expected save percentage on high-danger shot attempts.
When these two last met on Nov. 9, Boston outmatched the Islanders in offensive zone time and went 2-for-3 on the power play.
That theme hasn’t changed since.
The Islanders are No. 30 overall in puck possession and have killed only 72.6 percent of penalties.
While we’re at it, the Isles quietly own a -3 goal differential and yield over 3.57 expected goals at even strength per game.
Betting on the NHL?
That might have something to do with the fact that they allow the second-most shots against in the NHL.
David Pastranak is keeping the Bruins’ offense humming with 39 points, which is tied for fourth overall.
He’s the most polarizing skater in Friday’s game riding a five-game point streak against the Isles.
There’s only so much Ilya Sorokin or Semyon Varlamov can compensate for in the net.
The B’s should expose the Islanders’ deficiencies and return to the win column on Friday.
THE PLAY: Bruins, -130.
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