Red Wings 4 - 2 Islanders
Final
  for this game

Red Wings-Islanders Preview

Jan 25, 2016 - 3:08 AM While winning at home has proved difficult lately, the Detroit Red Wings haven't experienced too many issues earning victories on the road with Petr Mrazek playing a prominent role.

The Red Wings haven't fared as well in most of their recent visits to the New York Islanders but will try to change their luck in their first trip to Brooklyn on Monday night.

Detroit (24-16-8) showed a little more spark offensively in two games this weekend, scoring three goals in each after averaging 1.8 in its previous 11 contests. The Red Wings used one of those performances for a 3-0 win in Buffalo on Friday but fell 4-3 to visiting Anaheim on Saturday.

They've won six of seven on the road and have lost a season-high five straight at home.

"I'm not sure why that is. I know (against Anaheim), we didn't play well enough to win and the next game we play in New York, we better play better," coach Jeff Blashill said.

Having Mrazek in net could aid Blashill's team. He's won six consecutive road starts, including the shutout in Buffalo, while posting a 1.16 goals-against average and is 6-1-1 with a 1.24 GAA in his past eight overall starts.

Mrazek, though, was pulled from his lone road game versus the Islanders on March 29 after giving up four goals on 11 shots. That 5-4 loss dropped the Red Wings to 1-3-1 in their last five visits to the Islanders, but those games were played in that team's former home on Long Island.

New York (25-15-6) was scheduled to play its latest game in Brooklyn on Saturday against Philadelphia but that was postponed because of Winter Storm Jonas. That also delayed the Islanders' chance to build on their 3-0-1 record in the past four games.

New York has earned those points by outscoring opponents 9-0 in the third period. Travis Hamonic had the first of his team's three scores in the final 20 minutes Friday in a 5-2 win in Ottawa and assisted on another.

Hamonic missed the previous four games because of a lower-body injury. Fellow defenseman Nick Leddy also scored his second goal in three contests.

"(Production from the defensemen) has always been an ingredient of our hockey team. We're not even close to the pace we were last year, but they're starting to pick it up a little bit," coach Jack Capuano said. "I was pretty pleased with those guys on the back end, and we've got to continue with it."

The Islanders didn't need any goals from their blueliners in their two wins against Detroit last season in three meetings. Brock Nelson had two goals and two assists in the season series, including New York's initial score in the home victory in March.

Frans Nielsen scored the tiebreaking goal just 16 seconds into the second period, and Cal Clutterbuck provided a key short-handed tally.

The Islanders have won eight of 10 overall against the Red Wings since the beginning of the 2008-09 season.






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