The set-up: The 26-23-6 NY Islanders squandered a chance to climb into playoff position their last time out. New York erased a three-goal deficit in Buffalo on Thursday but allowed a tally with 4:14 left in the third period and dropped a 4-3 decision. With 58 points, the Islanders lose a tie-breaker with the Blue Jackets for the final playoff spot in teh East and are just one point up on the Hurricanes, who sit in 10th-place. New York will host the 21-23-8 Detroit Red Wings, who have a modest 50 points and are staring at a second straight season of missing teh playoffs after qualifying for 25 straight postseasons. The Red Wings are coming off back-to-back 3-2 losses, falling at Florida on Saturday before being edged at home by Boston on Tuesday. Detroit: The Red Wings have scored more than two goals only three times in their last 12 games, going 4-7-1. Center Dylan Larkin notched an assist Tuesday to end his five-game drought and increase his team-leading total to 39. Darren Helm was held without a point by Boston, after collecting a goal and four assists over his previous two contests. Frans Nielsen, who spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Islanders, scored just his second goal in 14 games on Tuesday. The Red Wings are nearing must-win territory if they hope to return to the playoffs, as they enter Friday eight points behind the Islanders and Blue Jackets. I think there's a huge urgency (to) the games we have coming -- the games we have ahead of us will make the latter games matter," Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters after practice Thursday. "It's a critical junction." NY Islanders: New York's loss to the Eastern Conference-worst Sabres cost them a chance to gain sole possession of the second wild card, so instead, the Islanders enter Friday tied with the Blue Jackets, who have two games in hand. The team is dealing with a plethora of injuries on the blue line, Dennis Seidenberg found himself in the lineup Thursday for just the fourth time since Jan. 5 and 21st overall this season. Captain John Tavares (28 goals / 32 assists) has tallied in back-to-back contests and is riding a three-game point streak, leaving him three shy of 600 for his career. The pick: This is a game between one of the lowest-scoring teams (Detroit's 2.54 GPG ranks 28th) and one of the highest-scoring ones (Isles average 3.29 GPG to rank 3rd). With the Red Wings in a 12-game scoring drought (see above), the best play here is the total. Make the Under a 10* selection.