• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Thrashers look to sweep season series vs. Islanders

Jan 29, 2009 - 11:26 AM NY Islanders (13-29-5) at Atlanta (17-27-5), 7:00 pm EST

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Like most teams in the NHL, the Atlanta Thrashers wish they could play the New York Islanders more often.

The Thrashers will look to complete a sweep of the season series with the Islanders on Thursday for the first time in franchise history.

Atlanta, which has lost its last two contests, has outscored New York by a 13-6 margin over their first three meetings of the campaign.

The Islanders, who snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 2-1 triumph over the Anaheim Ducks on January 21 in their final game before the All-Star break, are the only team in the league with a worst record than the Thrashers.

Atlanta is looking for its first goal since the break after suffering a 2-0 defeat to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves in that one.

Lehtonen, who has yet to face the Islanders this season, is 8-14-2 with a 3.14 goals-against average and .905 save percentage on the campaign.

Goaltending has been a major concern for New York with Rick DiPietro out for the remainder of the season. Before the break, the Islanders turned to Yann Danis, who has posted a 1-5-1 record with a 3.19 GAA and .901 save percentage.