Coming off an impressive 4-1-1 road trip, the Detroit Red Wings return home to host the New York Islanders, winners of six of their last seven, on Tuesday night.
The Red Wings were led by linemates Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane on the trip. DeBrincat had five goals and four assists for nine points in the six games, and Kane amassed seven points (three goals, four assists).
DeBrincat had two goals and an assist, and Kane had a goal and an assist in Saturday night’s finale of the jaunt, a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane played the bulk of his career with the Blackhawks and helped them win three Stanley Cups.
“That’s a great trip. Six games in 10 days with a lot of travel, that’s a real tough trip,” Kane said. “So, to come out 4-1-1, I think we can be real happy with that.”
Kane’s goal was the 498th of his career, two short of becoming the fifth U.S.-born player to reach 500 goals. He would join Mike Modano (561), Keith Tkachuk (538), Jeremy Roenick (513) and Joe Mullen (502).
Kane’s total of 1,366 points is also eight shy of Modano’s record for points by a player born in the United States.
But Kane will miss the next two games with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, according to Detroit coach Todd McLellan.
Kane missed nine games with an upper-body injury earlier in the season. He did not practice on Monday, and his place on the line with DeBrincat and Andrew Copp was taken by John Leonard, who had been recalled from AHL Grand Rapids. Leonard leads the AHL this season with 19 goals.
The 37-year-old Kane has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 24 games this season. DeBrincat leads Detroit with 18 goals and 37 points in 33 games.
Red Wings goaltender John Gibson has shutouts in two of his last three games and has won his last five decisions. He was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week on Monday. Gibson was 3-0-0 last week with a 1.00 goals-against average and .971 save percentage.
He had previously struggled after being acquired via trade from the Anaheim Ducks during the offseason.
The Red Wings lost their first two games to the Islanders this season decisively, 7-2 in Elmont, N.Y., on Oct. 23, and 5-0 in Detroit on Nov. 20.
New York has won three straight after a 3-2 shootout win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
The Islanders had a 2-0 lead after the first period but were outshot 25-7 in the second and third.
Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves for New York.
“He’s obviously an elite goaltender in this league. He has been for a couple of years,” said Anthony Duclair, who had two assists. “We rely on him heavily, and he’s been making these key saves in key moments.”
Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer got his ninth goal, and Calum Ritchie also scored.
Emil Heineman accounted for the shootout winner.
“We had a good start. We had a really good first period,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “I mean, we scored two goals, got a good lead. And, obviously, in the second, I mean, we had the penalties that I think killed our momentum a little bit here and there.”
