The New York Islanders opened the season with losses in a home-and-home against the reigning Stanley Cup champs the Chicago Blackhawks but have won four straight since. They're looking good to make it five in a row when hosting the Boston Bruins home at Barclays Center Friday night.
Here are my keys to the game:
1. Situational - The Bruins opened the season with three consecutive losses before winning at Colorado and Arizona. They probably thought they had turned a corner but suffered a disappointing 5-4 overtime loss to the Flyers Wednesday in a game where they were out-shot 37-30. Now they'll face a New York team that ranks third in the league in shots at 33.3 per game and have tallied 18 goals over a four-game winning streak.
2. Home Cookin' - The Islanders have won three straight in Brooklyn after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Blackhawks in the season-opener with a total of 14 goals scored over that span.

3. X-Factor - The Islanders star netminder Jaroslav Halak missed the first four games of the season due to an upper-body injury but has not missed a beat since his return. He shut out Columbus in a 4-0 win Tuesday and has a 2.04 GAA in 12 career starts against Boston.
Selection: This is a play on the New York Islanders (6*)