In a matchup between the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets and the New Jersey Devils, both teams were looking for a much-needed win. The Blue Jackets, sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, were hoping to turn their season around while the Devils were trying to live up to their preseason expectations as Cup contenders.

Columbus had the promising young talent of rookie Adam Fantilli to look forward to, who had been performing well with 16 points in 31 games. However, the team's best players, including Johnny Gaudreau and the injured Patrik Laine, had not met expectations so far. Despite this, the Blue Jackets managed to take a commanding five-goal lead in their previous game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, only to collapse and allow five unanswered goals in the third period. They eventually won in overtime, but it was clear that their inconsistent performance was not sustainable.

On the other hand, the Devils had been experiencing positive regression in terms of expected goals rate, despite not achieving the overall results projected for them. They had won seven of their last ten games, including a disciplined 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Devils' success could be attributed, in part, to their top-ranked power play, which had converted 31.8 percent of its opportunities into goals. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt had also been consistent point producers, recording at least one point in the past nine games.

Looking ahead to the Bruins and Islanders matchup, both teams boasted strong goaltending depth. The Islanders had recently climbed to second place in the Metropolitan Division with a four-game winning streak, although many of their wins had been by a slim margin. The Bruins, on the other hand, had slowed down after a strong start to the season, going 5-5 in their last ten games. In their previous game against the Devils, they suffered a 2-1 overtime loss despite a standout performance by goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

The Bruins were set to face the Islanders, who led the league in high-danger chances. However, both Swayman and Linus Ullmark had performed well in terms of expected save percentage on high-danger shots. The Islanders' weaknesses were evident in their puck possession and penalty kill, ranking 30th overall and killing only 72.6 percent of penalties. With the Bruins' offensive firepower, led by David Pastranak with 39 points, they were poised to exploit the Islanders' deficiencies and secure a victory.

Overall, it was a crucial weekend for these teams to turn their seasons around and improve their standings in their respective divisions. The Blue Jackets needed their top players to step up, while the Devils aimed to continue their positive regression and capitalize on their strong power play. Meanwhile, the Bruins aimed to regain their winning form against the Islanders, taking advantage of their defensive weaknesses.