The New York Islanders may not be playing for a Atlantic Division title or a playoff spot, but they're playing for hope for the future. Recently, the Islanders (21-22-8, 50 points) have won three of the last six games and Tuesday will look to start their first winning streak at the Philadelphia Flyers' Wells Fargo Center in years.
On Jan. 19, New York ended a 13-game losing streak at Philadelphia and used the victory to earn at least one point in seven of its past eight games. On Saturday, the Islanders lost 4-3 to the Buffalo Sabres after earning a two-game lead in the first period.
Meanwhile, the Flyers (30-16-6, 66 points) are going through sort of a lull, as they're just 3-3-2 in their last eight games and trail the New York Rangers by five points for first place in the Atlantic Division standings.
The Islanders will be playing without defensemenTravis Hamonic, who is out two weeks after he took a puck to the face in Saturday's loss.
The Flyers are still without forward Danny Briere, who could return sometime next week from concussion-like symptoms.
For more on the Islanders, head over to the SB Nation blog Lighthouse Hockey.